News
Antioxidants may reduce risk of depression
15 October 2012
Adults with increased blood concentrations of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are less likely to have depression, a new US study suggests.
23 April 2014
According to a new Australian review a daily iron supplementation significantly improves maximal and submaximal exercise performance in women of reproductive age.
The review and meta-analysis included 22 randomized controlled trials which measured the exercise per- formance (maximal aerobic capacity) of a total of 911 women (aged 12 to 50 years) who took a daily
iron supplement or placebo (1). The analysis indicated that women who supplemented iron (30 to over
100 mg/day for one to more than three months) showed a significantly improved maximal and submaximal exercise performance compared to the placebo group. These benefits were clearest in iron-deficient and trained women.
The researchers commented that these findings have implications for clinical management of patients, nutritional optimization for athletes, and rationale of public health anemia control programs. The prevention and treatment of iron deficiency could improve performance in female athletes who compete in a wide range of sports requiring either or all of endurance, maximal power output, and strength. The physiologic mecha- nism for these effects may reflect a range of processes. For example, raised hemoglobin concentrations due to increased iron intake may improve oxygen-carrying capacity and hence tissue oxygenation during exercise. Women of reproductive age are at high risk of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia due to menstrual blood losses. Female athletes are at particular risk because of diets deficient in iron, increased losses due to gastrointestinal bleeding, and reduced iron absorption due to subclinical inflammation (2).
15 October 2012
Adults with increased blood concentrations of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are less likely to have depression, a new US study suggests.
1 December 2012
Beta-carotene is an important dietary source of vitamin A for humans. However, the bioavailability and vitamin A equivalency of beta-carotene are highly variable and can be affected by food- and diet-related factors as well as characteristics of the population, such as nutrient deficiencies and genetic variations associated with beta-carotene metabolism.
28 September 2009
“A study published recently, which followed 161,808 women from the Women's Health Initiative over eight years, claimed to provide ‘convincing evidence that multivitamin use has little or no influence on the risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease, or total mortality in postmenopausal women.’ This message was immediately sent around the world by the news media, leading people everywhere to believe that taking a daily multivitamin does no good and is a waste of money. Is it, really? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.”