Nutrition

Supplement May Reduce Diarrhea Burden in Preschoolers

Larry Hand March 17, 2014 Daily doses of live bacterial supplementation may reduce the occurrence and duration of diarrhea and respiratory tract infection (RTI) in preschool children, as well as lower the costs of treatment, according to a study published online March 17 in Pediatrics. Pedro Gutierrez-Castrellon, MD, DSc, from the National Perinatology Institute, Mexico […]

Long-Chain ω-3 Fatty Acids and Lutein + Zeaxanthin Supplements in Cardiovascular Outcomes

Research · March 17, 2014 Full Story Journal Reference TAKE-HOME MESSAGE In a randomized clinical trial of 4203 patients between the ages of 50 and 85 years with intermediate/advanced age-related macular degeneration in one eye, daily supplementation with ω-3 fatty acids and lutein + zeaxanthin did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or secondary CVD […]

Vitamin D Linked to Enhanced Breast Cancer Survival

Fran Lowry March 13, 2014 Women with high levels of vitamin D in their blood when they are diagnosed with breast cancer are almost twice as likely to survive as those with low levels of vitamin D, according to a meta-analysis published in the March issue of Anticancer Research. The meta-analysis looked at 5 studies of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) […]

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation: Alone or in Combination with Antioxidant Vitamins?

Xue-Yuan Guo, MD Heart, Lung and Circulation Available online 12 March 2014 Background The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on the prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) are inconclusive in current studies. Moreover, the most appropriate composition of PUFA to play the protective role is unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis was to […]

Glucosamine: No cure for knee pain or deterioration, study says

March 11, 2014 by Monte Morin A daily glucosamine drink supplement failed to prevent deterioration of knee cartilage, reduce bone bruises or ease knee pain, according to a recent short-term study of the popular, if controversial, dietary product. In a paper published Tuesday in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology, authors studied the effects of glucosamine […]

Calcium, Vitamin D Benefit Older Women’s Lipid Profiles

Published: Mar 10, 2014 By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story   Action Points In this randomized trial in postmenopausal women, supplemental CaD significantly increased 25[OH]D3 concentrations and decreased LDL -C. Higher concentrations of 25[OH]D3 were also associated with modestly higher HDL-C levels and lower triglyceride levels.   Postmenopausal women had significant improvement […]

Dark Chocolate ‘Treats’ Vasculature, but Added Flavanols Don’t Help

Steve Stiles March 07, 2014 WAGENINGEN, THE NETHERLANDS — Excuses for regularly indulging in dark chocolate keep accumulating, with the added possibility that its ingredients, thought to promote relaxed arteries, also have biochemical effects that may discourage atherosclerosis. But special flavanol-enriched formulations of dark chocolate may do little to enhance its vascular benefits, suggests a […]

Thiamine and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: A Report of Three Cases

Costantini Antonio and Pala Maria Immacolata. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. March 2014, 20(3): 208-211. doi:10.1089/acm.2012.0612. Published in Volume: 20 Issue 3: March 5, 2014 ABSTRACT Objectives: In a previous study on fatigue and related disorders in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we observed that IBD patients improved after treatment with high-dose thiamine. We […]

Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Ejection Fraction in the Elderly with Heart Failure

Effects of six months of vitamin D supplementation in patients with heart failure: A randomized double-blind controlled trial A. Dalbeni Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2014 Mar 5. pii: S0939-4753(14)00086-6. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2014.02.015. [Epub ahead of print] Summary: In a small, parallel group, double-blind, randomized study involving 23 chronic heart failure patients (mean age: 74 years) with […]

Vitamin D deficiency and coronary artery disease

A review of the evidence American Heart Journal Kunadian V, et al. – Whether vitamin D supplementation will be beneficial among patients with coronary artery disease, including high risk older patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome, is unknown and warrants further investigation. Coronary artery disease remains the leading cause of death in developed countries despite […]

Sugars and risk of mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 03/05/2014 PubMed Reference  Tasevska N, et al. – The authors investigated the association of total sugars, added sugars, total fructose, added fructose, sucrose, and added sucrose with the risk of all–cause, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other–cause mortality in the NIH–AARP Diet and Health Study. In this large prospective study, total fructose […]

Healthy Maternal Diet Linked to Lower Premature Birth Risk

Laurie Barclay, MD March 04, 2014 Maternal “traditional” or “prudent” diets rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and fish were linked to lower risk for preterm delivery, supporting advice to eat a balanced diet, according to findings from a large prospective cohort study published online March 4 in BMJ. Preterm delivery, defined as delivery at […]

Vitamin D levels and survival in colorectal and breast cancer patients

European Journal of Cancer, 03/04/2014  Evidence Based Medicine  Review Article  Clinical Article PubMed Reference Maalmi H, et al. – This studya ims to estimate the association between serum 25–hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and survival among colorectal and breast cancer patients. Higher 25(OH)D levels (>75nmol/L) were associated with significantly reduced mortality in patients with colorectal and breast cancer. […]

Is ginger effective for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome?

A double blind randomized controlled pilot trial Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 03/04/2014 Clinical Article PubMed Reference Ginger is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but no data exists about its effectiveness. This double blind randomized controlled pilot study suggests ginger is well tolerated but did not perform better […]

Plant Compounds Ease Asthma, Allergies

by Crystal Phend Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today 03.03.2014 SAN DIEGO — Anti-inflammatory plant estrogen compounds found in soy and flaxseed were associated with less asthma and allergic disease, a national observational study showed. People with the highest urinary levels of phytoestrogens from flax and soy had the lowest risk, Jessica Savage, MD, MHS, of […]

Weight Loss and Improved Sexual Function in Men

Obes Res Clin Pract 2013 Dec 01;7(6)e450-e454, CE Collins, ME Jensen, MD Young, R Callister, RC Plotnikoff, PJ Morgan Research · March 03, 2014 Full Story Journal Reference TAKE-HOME MESSAGE In this study from Australia, male participants who were obese or overweight reported having significantly decreased incidence of erectile dysfunction after losing weight on a […]

Probiotics Cut Infants’ Digestive Woes

by Sarah Wickline Staff Writer, MedPage Today March 03, 2014 Preventive use of probiotics reduced crying, vomiting, constipation, and healthcare-related costs among infants in a placebo-controlled trial, researchers reported. On average, infants who were given prophylactic probiotics (L reuteri, strain DSM 17938) for the first 90 days of life spent less time crying per day […]

Study Compares American Diabetes Association Low-fat Diet to High-fat Ketogenic Diet for Helping Diabetes: Ketogenic Diet Wins

February 28, 2014 Health Impact News Editor A study published in April 2014 compared two diets with overweight diabetic people. One group ate the standard recommended diet by the American Diabetes Association, which was a low-fat, high carbohydrate, restricted calorie diet, as per the USDA dietary guidelines for a “healthy” diet. This group was assigned a “registered dietician […]

Pantethine, a derivative of vitamin B5, favorably alters total, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol in low to moderate cardiovascular risk subjects eligible for statin therapy

A triple-blinded placebo and diet-controlled investigation Evans M, Rumberger JA, et al Vasc Health Risk Manag, 2014 Feb 27; 10: 89-100. PubMed Reference Journal Reference In a randomized, triple=blinded, placebo-controlled study involving patients with low to moderate risk of cardiovascular disease eligible for statin therapy, supplementation with pantethine – a derivative of vitamin B5 – […]

Lack of Vitamin D Linked to CVD Biomarkers, Inflammation

Marlene Busko February 27, 2014 COLERAINE, UK — Older, healthy individuals who were deficient in 25-hydroxy vitamin D (vitamin D) tended to have higher levels of biomarkers linked with CVD and inflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, in an observational study[1]. More specifically, individuals who had a vitamin-D deficiency had significantly higher […]