Vitamin D in fish boosts brain power
Vitamin D found in fish boosts brain power – Eating fish ? long considered ?brain food’ ? may really be good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine, new research suggests.
Vitamin
Folic acid prevents congenital heart defects by 6%
Folic acid to prevent congenital heart defects – Researchers at the MUHC show the effectiveness of folic acid in preventing congenital heart defects. – The Canadian policy of fortifying grain products with folic acid has already proved to be effective in preventing neural tube defects. And the latest study shows that folic acid also decreases the incidence of congenital heart defects by more than 6%.
Taking folic acid before pregnancy reduces preterm birth risk
Taking folic acid for a year before pregnancy may reduce risk of preterm birth. Findings reinforce March of Dimes message: Start taking a vitamin with folic acid before pregnancy. – Women who take folic acid supplements for at least one year before they become pregnant may cut their risk of having a premature baby by half, according to research published this week in the online journal, PLoS Medicine.
Skin cancer knowledge lacking in people
Sun Awareness Week survey reveals lack of knowledge of skin cancer risk – Pale skinned people who are most at risk of skin cancer are ignoring sun safety advice, according to research released to launch Sun Awareness Week 2009.
Folic acid may help treat allergies, asthma
Folic acid may help regulate immune response to allergens, and may reduce allergy and asthma symptoms. – Folic acid, or vitamin B9, essential for red blood cell health and long known to reduce the risk of spinal birth defects, may also suppress allergic reactions and lessen the severity of allergy and asthma symptoms, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
Sick patients tend to have low Vitamin D
Low vitamin D or Vitamin D deficiency may cause problems for acutely ill patients in ICU. – A group of endocrinologists in Sydney have observed that very sick patients tend to have very low levels of Vitamin D. The sicker they are, the lower the levels.
Vitamin B1 may treat uveitis, a cause of blindness
Benfotiamene – type of vitamin B1 could treat common cause of blindness – uveitis. – University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have discovered that a form of vitamin B1 could become a new and effective treatment for one of the world’s leading causes of blindness.
Vitamin D levels linked to asthma severity
Vitamin D levels linked to asthma severity. New research provides evidence for a link between vitamin D insufficiency and asthma severity. – Serum levels of vitamin D in more than 600 Costa Rican children were inversely linked to several indicators of allergy and asthma severity, including hospitalizations for asthma, use of inhaled steroids and total IgE levels.
Annual vitamin D deficiency screening for dark-skinned or veiled groups
Researchers recommends annual screening for vitamin D deficiency and routine vitamin D supplementation in at-risk populations, such as dark-skinned or veiled groups. – Annual screening for vitamin D deficiency and routine vitamin D supplementation in at-risk populations, such as dark-skinned or veiled groups, is recommended by Australian researchers.
Macular degeneration cases would rise in near future
Existing medical treatments could reduce the expected number of cases of visual impairment and blindness attributable to age-related macular degeneration by as much as 35 percent. – Health care providers can expect a significant increase in age-related macular degeneration as the baby boom generation reaches retirement age, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vitamin C lowers gout risk in men
Higher vitamin C intake is independently associated with a lower risk of gout. Supplemental vitamin C intake may be beneficial in the prevention of gout. – Men with higher vitamin C intake appear less likely to develop gout, a painful type of arthritis, according to a report in the March 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Low vitamin B12 in pregnancy raises neural tube defect risk in newborn
Low levels of vitamin B12 may increase risk for neural tube defects; Vegans, vegetarians may be at risk. – Children born to women who have low blood levels of vitamin B12 shortly before and after conception may have an increased risk of a neural tube defect, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Trinity College Dublin, and the Health Research Board of Ireland.