News
Carotenoids benefit eye health
22 December 2009
A new review confirms that lutein and zeaxanthin benefit visual performance.
16 October 2012
According to a new study from Spain, increased intake of vitamin K1 may lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes in elderly people with a high risk of cardiovascular disease.
The observational study documented the vitamin K (phylloquinone) intake and occurrence of type 2 diabetes in 1,069 men and women with an average age of 67.5 over a period of 5.5 years (1). The study results showed that participants who increased their average intake of vitamin K1 during the study had a 51% lower risk of developing diabetes than participants who decreased or did not change their vitamin K1 intake. For every 100 microgram per day increase in the intake of vitamin K1 the risk of developing diabetes decreased by 17%.
The researchers commented that the findings would add to the growing body of potential health benefits of vitamin K consumption. Although the mechanism of action is unclear, it is biologically possible that vitamin K is involved in the carboxylation of osteocalcin, a protein involved in bone mineralization, and the control of calcium in the body. Recent data suggests that osteocalcin may also be related to insulin metabolism.
Vitamin K deficiency may be more common than previously thought, according to findings from a Dutch study (2). There are two main forms of vitamin K: K1 (phylloquinone) is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 percent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and K2 (menaquinones), which makes up about 10 per cent of consumption and can be synthesized in the gut by microflora.
22 December 2009
A new review confirms that lutein and zeaxanthin benefit visual performance.
7 March 2014
A new US study shows that low-income, overweight, and/or obese population groups may have a significantly increased risk of calcium and vitamin D insufficiency, despite the important role these nutrients play in bone health during all stages of the lifecycle.
1 November 2012
For almost a century, the biological role of vitamin E has been a scientific puzzle. Since its discovery, vitamin E has been extensively researched by many scientists in an attempt to fully understand its role in a variety of diseases. The vast majority of published work has focused on vitamin E’s antioxidant properties, which is why it is well known as antioxidant that protects membranes from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Recent research has shown that vitamin E’s capacity to incorporate into plasma membrane and its ability to act there as antioxidant appears to be essential for the vitamin’s role in pro-moting membrane repair - the first evidence of one of vitamin E’s normal body functions.