News

Digestion
Probiotics and oat beta-glucan strengthen the gut Probiotics protect the gut in NAFLD The job of the small intestine is to digest and absorb nutrients through its mucosal membrane lining, and to act as a first line of defense against pathogens. When the lining functions properly, bacteria and toxins can’t pass through and leak into the bloodstream, while beneficial nutrients can. Since the liver accepts blood directly from the gut, doctors wanted to examine the role the small intestine may play in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study,... Read more...
Expectant Moms
Pregnant women can develop vaginal yeast infections, which doctors say may be due to the high estrogen levels during gestation. While the pregnancy is safe, physical and emotional symptoms can be uncomfortable. In this study, 78 pregnant women with vaginal candidiasis took a placebo or a combination of lactobacillus probiotics, twice per day. After eight weeks, while the placebo group had not improved, irritation, discharge, burning, and other symptoms had decreased by 45 percent for probiotics. Women taking the probiotics also reported less impairment of daily activities, less emotional stress... Read more...
Heart & Circulation
Iron and folic acid provide heart and kidney protection Circulating iron protects the heart To determine iron deficiency, doctors typically measure iron and ferritin stored in the body. While iron stores may be sufficient, too little circulating iron may prevent the body from working properly, leading doctors to consider “functional” iron deficiency (FID)—circulating and stored—rather than “absolute” iron deficiency (AID)—stored iron only. Here, doctors evaluated FID and AID in 12,164 participants in three studies lasting an average 13.3 years. At the start, 60 percent had AID while 64 percent had... Read more...
Protecting Nerves
Vitamin E and omega-3 protect against nerve damage Vitamin E reduced chemotherapy nerve damage Chemotherapy can damage nerves in the hands and feet—known as peripheral neuropathy—reducing sensitivity to temperature, touch, and pain. There is no preventive treatment. In this analysis, doctors reviewed eight studies covering 488 cancer patients on chemotherapy who took a placebo or 450 to 900 IU of vitamin E per day, from the start of therapy up to three months afterward. Overall compared to placebo, those taking vitamin E were 18 percent less likely to develop peripheral... Read more...
Eyes
Nutrients preserve vision in aging Lutein, zeaxanthin improved night vision Driving at dusk and at night is difficult for many, especially older adults, as the useful field of view (UFOV)—the area visible without moving the head or eye—shrinks with age. Evidence suggests carotenoid pigments in the macula of the eye that support healthy vision may play a role. In this study, 33 men and women, average age 63, with 20/25 vision or better, took a placebo or two carotenoids: 7 mg of lutein plus 14 mg of zeaxanthin, per day.... Read more...
Avocado Reduces Bad Fat
Avocado contains healthy monounsaturated fats, dietary fiber, carotenoids, and other metabolically beneficial nutrients. In this study, 105 overweight or obese adults, aged 25 to 45, ate a similar diet with or without avocado. Doctors explained there are two kinds of abdominal fat: subcutaneous, right below the skin, and deeper, visceral fat that surrounds organs and increases chances for diabetes. After 12 weeks, while there was no change in men, women who ate avocado had less visceral fat, and less of it in relation to subcutaneous fat. Doctors said avocado appeared... Read more...
Help For Chronic Fatigue
Doctors believe chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis, emerges after a viral infection and causes severe fatigue and cloudy thinking. In this study, 207 people with CFS took a placebo or 200 mg of CoQ10 plus 20 mg of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-hydrogen (NADH) per day. After 12 weeks, while the placebo group did not improve, those taking CoQ10 and NADH reported less cognitive and overall fatigue, better sleep quality, and health-related quality of life. Doctors chose CoQ10 and NADH because they boost mitochondrial function—the energy generators in each... Read more...
Nutrients help vegan and other women
Vitamin D, calcium reduce fracture in vegans Meat- and dairy-free vegan diets can provide all essential nutrients, and have many health benefits, but may lack key nutrients including vitamins B12 and D, calcium, iron, and zinc. Food manufacturers are beginning to fortify non-dairy beverages with calcium and vitamin D, but this is a relatively recent practice. In this study of hip fracture, doctors followed 34,542 non-Hispanic, white, men and peri- and post-menopausal women, aged at least 45 years, for an average 8.4 years and determined that female vegans were 55... Read more...
Circulation
Vitamin K and flavonoids improve heart and circulatory health Vitamin K reduced hospitalizations in circulatory conditions Fats and cholesterols can build up on artery walls, reducing blood flow, in a type of heart condition called atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). In this study, doctors analyzed findings from a large trial covering 53,372 adult men and women over a 23-year period. Overall, those who got the highest amounts of vitamins K1 and K2 were 21 percent less likely to be hospitalized with ASCVD. For vitamin K2, chances were 14 percent lower. The... Read more...
Flavonoids support cognitive health in aging
Large, long-term study confirms benefits This study followed 49,493 women and 27,842 men who had entered the original study between 1986 and 2002 at ages 30 to 55. Beginning in 2008 and continuing through 2014, doctors gathered a dozen food-frequency questionnaires to measure long-term average flavonoids in the diet. Those who consumed the highest amounts of total flavonoids—an average of about 600 mg per day—were 20 percent less likely to report cognitive decline than those who consumed about 150 mg per day. Among individual flavonoids, flavones had the strongest protective... Read more...
Kids
Probiotics aid autism, colic, and crying Probiotics improved autism symptoms Those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have gut and digestive imbalances, and because of this, recent research has begun to focus on the role of non-psychiatric factors. This study included 112 boys and 19 girls, average age seven years, 86.3 percent with severe ASD Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores of 5 or higher. Also, 39.7 percent had gastrointestinal symptoms, mostly constipation with or without pain. Doctors gave lactobacillus plantarum to 105 participants and different probiotics to the other 26... Read more...
Sleep
Saffron and probiotics improved sleep Saffron increased evening melatonin levels Melatonin is the hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle, with the pineal gland producing and releasing melatonin at night. In this study, 120 adults who reported having insomnia and poor sleep, took a placebo, 14 mg or 28 mg of saffron, one hour before bed. Doctors used standard scales to measure sleep quality, mood, and biological factors. After 120 days, those taking saffron saw significantly greater improvement in all sleep measures compared to placebo. Sleep quality improved an average of... Read more...