Supplements and Vitamin News

Americans want Uncle Sam's help putting healthy foods on their dinner table

Americans recognize things need to change in the grocery aisle, and they support Uncle Sam's efforts to overhaul what is included in their food and on the packages.

Vitamin D crucial to activating immune defenses

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses and that without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system - T cells - will not be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body.

Occupational sunlight exposure and kidney cancer risk in men

According to a new study, men employed in occupations with potential exposure to high levels of sunlight have a reduced risk of kidney cancer compared with men who were less likely to be exposed to sunlight at work.

Low levels of Vitamin D linked to muscle fat, decreased strength in young people

There's an epidemic in progress, and it has nothing to do with the flu. A ground-breaking study published in the March 2010 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found an astonishing 59 per cent of study subjects had too little Vitamin D in their blood. Nearly a quarter of the group had serious deficiencies (less than 20 ng/ml) of this important vitamin.

Supermarket lighting enhances nutrient level of fresh spinach

Far from being a food spoiler, the fluorescent lighting in supermarkets actually can boost the nutritional value of fresh spinach, scientists are reporting.

Vitamins stored in bathrooms, kitchens may become less effective

High humidity present in bathrooms and kitchens could be degrading the vitamins and health supplements stored in those rooms, even if the lids are on tight, a Purdue University study shows.

Total fat, trans fat linked to higher incidence of ischemic stroke

Post-menopausal women who reported consuming the most daily dietary fat had a 40 percent higher incidence of clot-caused strokes compared to women who ate the least amount, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010.

Panel Asks Dairy Avoiders: Are You Getting Enough?

Lactose intolerance is a real and important clinical syndrome, but quantifying its public health burden is challenging. An NIH Consensus Development panel was convened this week to assess the available evidence on lactose intolerance and health across the age spectrum and across racial and ethnic groups.

Bitter melon extract decreased breast cancer cell growth

Bitter melon extract, a common dietary supplement, exerts a significant effect against breast cancer cell growth and may eventually become a chemopreventive agent against this form of cancer, according to results of a recent study.

Stanford review finds painfully few surefire treatments for muscle cramps

Most cases of muscle cramps never get reported to public health authorities, so it's difficult to say how common they are.

New evidence that green tea may help fight glaucoma and other eye diseases

Scientists have confirmed that the healthful substances found in green tea - renowned for their powerful antioxidant and disease-fighting properties - do penetrate into tissues of the eye.

High levels of vitamin D in older people can reduce heart disease and diabetes

Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.

Researchers develop dietary formula that maintains youthful function into old age

Researchers at McMaster University have developed a cocktail of ingredients that forestalls major aspects of the aging process.

Drinking milk during pregnancy may lower baby's risk of MS

Drinking milk during pregnancy may help reduce your baby's chances of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) as an adult.

A Common Cholesterol Drug Fights Cataracts, Too

Statins, a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels, have been successfully fighting heart disease for years. A new study from Tel Aviv University has now found that the same drugs cut the risks of cataracts in men by almost 40%.

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