Category: Nutrition

A high omega-3 diet can lower the signs and symptoms of the disease by 50 per cent.

Stiffness in the joints and swelling can be indirect signs of omega-3 deficiency, research suggests.

Waking up stiff in the morning, feeling pain in the joints, swelling, tenderness and loss of flexibility are all signs of arthritis.

Omega-3 deficiency could be contributing, as scientists believe there is a link between this leading cause of disability and a lack of omega-3 in the diet.

Researchers suggest that a diet rich in omega-3 could decrease the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

A study has found that adding fish oil to the diet — and to some degree flaxseed oil (alpha-linolenic acid has an anti-inflammatory effect) — can ease or even prevent osteoarthritis.

With population aging, osteoarthritis will be one of the leading causes of disability.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by 2040 it is estimated that 26% of US adults aged 18 or older will be diagnosed by a doctor with arthritis.

While there are still no effective medications for treating this condition, omega-3 fish oil can be one of the best natural remedies in treating osteoarthritis.

Professor John Tarlton, the lead researcher of the study, explained the effect of omega-3 on osteoarthritis:

“Classic early signs of the condition, such as the degradation of collagen in cartilage and the loss of molecules that give it shock-absorbing properties, were both reduced with omega-3.

Furthermore, there was strong evidence that omega-3 influences the biochemistry of the disease, and therefore not only helps prevent disease, but also slows its progression, potentially controlling established osteoarthritis.”

Western diets contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which can lead to inflammatory disorders such as colitis, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Modern diets contain up to 30 times more omega-6 than omega-3, whereas our ancestor’s diets contained almost an equal level of these two omega fatty acids.

Therefore, supplementation with omega-3 can help to restore this imbalance in Western diets and improve conditions such as colitis and heart-related diseases.

Fish oil is much more effective than flax seed oil, but for vegetarians and vegans this supplement is an important option.

Professor Tarlton concluded:

“Most diets in the developed world are lacking in omega-3, with modern diets having up to 30 times too much omega-6 and too little omega-3.

Taking omega-3 will help redress this imbalance and may positively contribute to a range of other health problems such as heart disease and colitis.”

The study was published in the journal of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (Knott et al., 2011).

Around half the world’s population are thought to have an insufficiency of this vitamin.

A triple dose of vitamin D3 supplementation in the first two years of life reduces the chance of mental health problems later on by around 50 percent, a high-quality experiment finds.

Infants who were given 30 µg of vitamin D daily, which is three times the recommended dose, were only half as likely to have internalising problems by age 6-8.

Internalising problems are those in which a person keeps their problems to themselves, including depression, anxiety, loneliness and withdrawal.

Dr Samuel Sandboge, the study’s first author, said:

“Our results suggest that a higher dose of vitamin D3 supplementation during the first years of life may reduce the risk of internalizing psychiatric symptoms in late preschool and early school age.”

Vitamin D and mental health

The randomised controlled trial, which was carried out in Finland, was inspired by the link found between low childhood vitamin D levels and mental health problems.

Almost 350 children were given either a dose of 10 µg or 30 µg of vitamin D from age 2 weeks until 2-years-old.

The results showed that at 6- to 8-years-old, almost 12 percent of children given 10 µg had significant internalising problems.

In the 30 µg group, though, this figure was under 6 percent.

No differences were seen in the number of externalising problems.

Externalising disorders include ADHD and conduct disorder.

Later in life externalising disorders include substance abuse, antisocial personality disorders and even psychopathy.

Dr Samuel Sandboge warned that the study has drawbacks:

“The results and their potential implications are interesting, but further research is needed to confirm the results.

In the interpretation of the results, we must note, among other things, that we studied the psychiatric symptoms only as parent-reported.

Furthermore, the participants of the study were children with Nordic ancestry living in Finland who had good levels of vitamin D.”

Widespread deficiency

Around half the world’s population are thought to have an insufficiency of vitamin D, and 10 percent are deficient.

Vitamin D plays an important role in the development of the brain.

It is notable that a rise in autism and ADHD rates has happened at a time when there have been significant drops in average levels of vitamin D.

Related

• A mother’s deficiency in vitamin D may contribute to the development of autism in her children.
• Zinc deficiency could be involved in the development of autism.
• Vitamin D activates a gene which produces an enzyme leading to higher levels of serotonin.

The study was published in JAMA Network Open (Sandboge et al., 2023).

Weak muscles in later life may reveal more than a loss of fitness, as researchers identify a possible nutritional clue.

Older adults with weak muscles are twice as likely to have a vitamin D deficiency, research suggests.

Skeletal muscles attach to bones and allow us to move, maintain balance and carry out everyday physical activities.

Preserving muscle health becomes increasingly important with age. Good muscle function supports mobility, reduces physical weakness and can help maintain quality of life.

Vitamin D deficiency can produce a range of symptoms, although some people have no obvious signs. Possible symptoms include:

1. Tiredness and fatigue
2. Muscle weakness and bone pain
3. Depression
4. Poor wound healing
5. Hair loss
6. Bone deformities
7. Recurrent infections or illness
8. Slow healing of wounds
9. Soft or fragile bones

However, these symptoms can have many different causes, so they do not necessarily indicate a lack of vitamin D.

Vitamin D and strength

Maintaining adequate levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D may be important for muscle function alongside activities that build strength, such as resistance and weight training.

Researchers examined the connection between vitamin D status and muscle function using data from 4,157 adults aged 60 and over.

Participants completed physical tests including the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and a hand-grip strength assessment. These measures provided an indication of both physical performance and muscle strength.

The researchers also measured participants’ blood levels of serum 25(OH)D to assess their vitamin D status.

For the purposes of the study, vitamin D deficiency meant having a serum concentration below 30 nmol/L, the threshold used in relation to bone disease.

The results showed that muscle weakness occurred at twice the rate among people with vitamin D deficiency compared with those whose vitamin D levels were adequate.

The researchers also found that poor physical performance and low muscle strength were three times as common among people with vitamin D deficiency.

The study’s co-author, Dr Maria O’Sullivan, said the findings link vitamin D deficiency with poorer muscle function in older adults while also highlighting the role of physical activity.

She added that maintaining muscle function is an important part of healthy ageing that can sometimes receive too little attention.

The researchers suggested that future work should investigate approaches combining physical activity with correcting vitamin D deficiency and addressing other changeable dietary and lifestyle factors.

Half may be deficient

Experts estimate that as many as 50 percent of people worldwide may have insufficient vitamin D.

Low vitamin D has been associated with a range of health problems, including poorer immune function, changes in sleep, low mood, muscle fatigue, problems with learning and memory, digestive difficulties and headaches.

Another study found that people with lower vitamin D levels tended to wake more frequently during the night and get less sleep overall.

Vitamin D status and physical activity are both potentially modifiable factors.

The study’s co-author, Dr Eamon Laird, pointed to Finland as an example of a country where adding vitamin D to foods has greatly reduced deficiency across the population.

He suggested that a similar approach could potentially be considered for older people in the UK and Ireland.

The study was published in the journal Clinical Interventions in Aging (Aspell et al., 2019).