Nutrition - Page 13 of 19

A Muscular Sign of Vitamin D Deficiency

Around half the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D.

Tiredness and weak muscles can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, research finds.

As a result, people with low levels of vitamin D are at double the risk of mobility issues with age, scientists have found.

Other signs of vitamin D deficiency include poor sleep, symptoms of depression and headaches.

The vitamin is thought to play a role in regulating serotonin, a neurotransmitter important for mood.

Around half the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D.

The conclusions about mobility issues come from a study including 2,099 people aged 70-79 whose vitamin D levels were measured.

Dr Denise Houston, the study’s first author, explained the results:

“We observed about a 30 percent increased risk of mobility limitations for those older adults who had low levels of vitamin D, and almost a two-fold higher risk of mobility disability.”

Vitamin D is vital for muscle function and low levels have been linked to diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Dr Houston said:

“Higher amounts of vitamin D may be needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other health conditions.
However, clinical trials are needed to determine whether increasing vitamin D levels through diet or supplements has an effect on physical function.”

Vitamin D is critical to the functioning of the whole body.

From October to March many people in northern climes do not get enough vitamin D.

Vitamin D is found in oily fish, egg yolks, fortified cereals and some margarine spreads.

Most people need around 10 micrograms per day, which can also be obtained from supplements.

Vitamin D supports the mineral density of bones and aids neuromuscular function as well as reducing the risk of fracture.

The study was published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A (Houston et al., 2012).

A Physical Sign Of Vitamin D Deficiency

Taking around 4,000 IU of vitamin D could help to ward off this symptom.

Frequently becoming sick from respiratory infections like colds and the flu can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, research suggests.

Vitamin D is critical to supporting the immune system and fighting off infection.

Taking around 4,000 IU of vitamin D can help to ward off infections, some studies have found.

One recent study found that taking vitamin D supplements could reduce the risk of infection by 40 percent.

Professor Adit Ginde, the study’s first author, said:

“After studying these patients for a year, we found a 40 percent reduction in acute respiratory illness among those who took higher doses of vitamin D.
Vitamin D can improve the immune system’s ability to fight infections because it bolsters the first line of defense of the immune system.”

The conclusions come from a clinical trial of 107 patients in nursing homes.

Half received high doses of vitamin D supplements (up to around 4,000 IU per day) and the other half lower doses (up to 1,000 IU per day).

They were followed for 12 months to observe the number of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) they suffered.

The results showed that higher doses of vitamin D reduced the risk of ARIs by almost half.

Professor Ginde said:

“This is a potentially life-saving discovery.
There is very little in a doctor’s arsenal to battle ARI, especially since most are viral infections where antibiotics don’t work.
But vitamin D seems able to potentially prevent these infections.”

Taking vitamin D supplements has few risks, although the study did find that the higher level was linked to more falls.

Professor Ginde said:

“If our results are confirmed by a larger trial, high dose vitamin D, ideally using daily dosing to minimize fall risk, has the potential for substantial public health benefit through ARI prevention for the large and growing population of long term care residents.”

Other signs of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue and tiredness, back pain, depression, muscle pain and even hair loss.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Ginde et al., 2016).

A Nasty Sign Of Omega-3 Deficiency

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).

This Widespread Diet Increases Depression Risk

This diet increases the risk of depression by changing tryptophan metabolism, which is important for brain function.

Eating a typical Western style diet increases the risk of depression, whereas healthy eating patterns with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables have been shown to lower depression.

The Western style diet is typically rich in processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats.

A study reveals that higher intake of the Western diet lowers levels of a neuroprotective molecule known as kynurenic acid (KA).

Serotonin and KA are products of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that our body can’t make and so must come from food.

These compounds are important for regions of the brain related to anxiety, cognition, depression, addiction, passivity or violence, and eating behaviours.

The Western diet appears to alter tryptophan metabolism, resulting in lower levels of KA and therefore greater odds of depression.

Dr Edwin Lim, the study’s senior author, said:

“Western-style diets high in fat, sugar and processed foods were already known to increase the risk of depression, but this is the first time a biological link involving the kynurenine pathway has been established.
In this study, we tested participants’ urine for several biological markers, including KA and inflammation, and compared them with how healthy their diet was and the severity of depression symptoms.
People from the group eating an unhealthy diet had lower levels of KA and more severe symptoms of depression.
This indicates that KA may help to protect us against depression.”

The Western diet has already been linked to a wide range of problems including:

brain damage,
stress,
Alzheimer’s disease,
slower learning and poorer memory,
immune system problems such as inflammatory skin disease,
and even more severe COVID infection,

The Western diet and tryptophan

Tryptophan is essential for the human body to function and the typical Western diet is low in nutrients such as tryptophan.

Foods such as milk, fish, cheese, chicken, turkey, eggs, oats, nuts, and seeds are good sources of tryptophan.

Tryptophan breaks down into metabolites delivering various protective functions to the brain.

They are also used by the body for inflammatory responses and cells regulation against disorders such as dementia, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

In the brain, tryptophan is converted into serotonin and serotonin into melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep and mood.

KA is also made by tryptophan via the kynurenine pathway associated with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Until now no one knew that the Western style diet can negatively affect tryptophan metabolism even in young and healthy adults.

Dr Lim said:

“Previously, it was believed that changes to tryptophan metabolism were driven by inflammation, despite there not being conclusive clinical evidence for this.
Our study also shows that urine analysis may be a useful alternative to blood tests in collecting valuable biological information on the way our bodies process tryptophan.
This can be a big advantage in that it’s not only simpler—it’s less invasive, which is important for vulnerable people such as children and older adults.”

It is not yet clear if targeting KA would be a treatment option for depression in the future, in a similar way that antidepressants are supposed to boost serotonin levels.

Dr Heather Francis, the study’s first author, said:

“There is, however, a clear relationship between an increased risk of depression and eating an unhealthy diet that is high in fat, sugar and processed foods, giving us all the incentive to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.”

Like most things, the right amount of kynurenine is the key for the body since elevated levels of KA have been associated with schizophrenia and low serum levels of KA connected to depression.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition (Francis et al., 2022).

Taking These Supplements Can Boost The Immune System

A daily supplement that reduces illness duration and makes the symptoms less severe.

A multi-vitamin with mineral supplements can improve immune function, making illnesses less severe and easing symptoms, especially in those who are 55 or older.

Taking a daily multi-vitamin and minerals supplement high in vitamin C for three months will lower the odds of catching a cold, respiratory infection, and pneumonia and also will reduce the length of illness and symptoms.

Micronutrients such as Vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc are particularly essential for the immune system to function properly.

Scientist at OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute enrolled a group of healthy adults aged 55 and older to assess the effects of vitamin and mineral supplements on immune function.

For 12 weeks, the multi-vitamin and mineral supplement (MVM) group received a daily formulated MVM supplement (Redoxon® VI, Singapore) while the other group was on placebo supplementation.

The group who were on the MVM Redoxon supplement exhibited improved immune function and nearly a 70 percent reduction in the number of days sick.

In other words, the length of illness on average reduced from more than six days in the placebo group to less than three days in the MVM Redoxon group.

Moreover, the severity of illness among those in the placebo group was four times higher than those on the MVM supplement.

Professor Adrian Gombart, study co-author, said:

“The observed illness differences were striking.
While the study was limited to self-reported illness data and we did not design the study to answer this question, the observed differences suggest that additional larger studies designed for these outcomes are warranted — and, frankly, overdue.”

MVM Redoxon contains 700 mcg vitamin A, 45 mg vitamin E, 6.6 mg vitamin B6, 400 mcg folate, 9.6 mcg vitamin B12, 1,000 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin D, 5 mg iron, 110 mg selenium, 0.9 mg copper, and 10 mg zinc.

Professor Gombart said:

“Supplementation was associated with significantly increased circulating levels of zinc and vitamin C, and with illness symptoms that were less severe and shorter lasting.
This supports findings that stretch back decades, even to the days of Linus Pauling’s work with vitamin C.
Our results suggest more and better designed research studies are needed to explore the positive role multivitamin and mineral supplementation might play in bolstering the immune system of older adults.”

Vitamin and mineral deficiency is more common as we get older and so this will lead to age-related immune system dysfunction.

Over one-third of older adults in Europe, the United States, and Canada are lacking one or more micronutrient.

Professor Gombart said:

“That likely contributes to a decline in the immune system, most often characterized by increased levels of inflammation, reduced innate immune function and reduced T-cell function.
Since multiple nutrients support immune function, older adults often benefit from multivitamin and mineral supplements.
These are readily available, inexpensive and generally regarded as safe.”

The study was published in the journal of Nutrients (Fantacone et al., 2020).

The Best Diet For Good Mental Health

The ten best foods to feel more positive about life and have a lower risk of depression.

Eating more raw fruits and vegetables is linked to better mental health, research finds.

Those who eat more raw fruit and vegetables tend to feel more positive about life and have a lower risk of depression.

The maximum benefit to mental health came from just over 6 servings of raw fruits and vegetables per day, the study found.

Cooked and canned vegetables do not provide the same boost to mental health.

Apples and raw bananas were particularly effective for mental health.

Other studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is good for mental health.

One study has found that the Mediterranean diet could reduce the risk of depression by up to one third.

Here are ten typical ingredients of the Mediterranean diet:

Green leafy vegetables,
other vegetables,
nuts,
berries,
beans,
whole grains,
fish,
poultry,
olive oil,
and wine.

Switching to a healthy diet including fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil could reduce depression symptoms in just three weeks, one study has found.

Even relatively small changes to diet have been shown to have a positive effect on mental health.

For the current study, though, over 400 people in the US and New Zealand were surveyed about what they ate and their mental health.

The results suggest that the ten best foods for mental health are:

carrots,
bananas,
apples,
dark leafy greens such as spinach,
grapefruit,
lettuce,
citrus fruits,
fresh berries,
cucumber,
and kiwifruit.

Dr Connor, study co-author, explained:

“Controlling for the covariates, raw fruit and vegetable consumption predicted lower levels of mental illness symptomology, such as depression, and improved levels of psychological wellbeing including positive mood, life satisfaction and flourishing.
These mental health benefits were significantly reduced for cooked, canned, and processed fruits and vegetables.
This research is increasingly vital as lifestyle approaches such as dietary change may provide an accessible, safe, and adjuvant approach to improving mental health.”

Best diet changes with age

There is some evidence that the best diet for mental health changes with age.

The mood of young people — aged between 18 and 30 — benefits from neurotransmitter precursors provided by foods like meat.

However, mature adults are in a better mood if they eat foods that boost their antioxidant levels, such as fruit.

Foods to avoid

Whatever age you are, though, one food to avoid for good mental health is sugar.

Research finds that a high sugar intake is linked to anxiety and depression.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology (Brookie et al., 2018).

The Signs And Symptoms Of A Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Anxiety, depression, aggressiveness and breaking rules can be signs of these mineral and vitamin deficiencies in boys.

Mental signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency include depression, memory issues, confusion and irritability.

Now, a study finds that children with behavioural problems might be deficient in important nutrients such as iron and B12.

A study has found that boys with low blood levels of vitamin B12 and iron could exhibit some problematic behaviours such as depression, anxiety, breaking rules, and being aggressive.

Professor Eduardo Villamor, the study’s co-author, said:

“Iron deficiency is still highly prevalent in many regions worldwide.
There is less data on vitamin B12 deficiency but available evidence also suggests it may be a substantial public health problem in certain populations.”

For this study, 3,202 children aged 5 to 12 years old from primary public schools were randomly selected and followed-up for 6 years.

The research team wanted to see if micronutrient deficiency in children would lead to mental health problems.

Several health issues were linked to poor diets lacking micronutrients such as iron and vitamin B12.

They found that internalizing and externalizing behaviours in male adolescents were strongly related to anaemia (iron deficiency), and low levels of vitamin B12 through their childhood.

Professor Villamor said:

“Interventions to curb these deficiencies must be informed by knowledge of their causes in each specific setting.
In our study population, for example, we showed before that a school snack program increased vitamin B12 blood levels after three months.”

Past studies have found that iron deficiency in infants would reduce the alertness, self-soothing, and self-regulation such as ability to focus, control body function, and manage emotions.

These issues possibly develop further during childhood and could lead to behavioural problems in teenagers and poor mental health in their adulthood.

The study didn’t find any link between vitamin B12 and iron deficiency among girls and behaviour problems.

This may be related to differences in physical and psychological changes at puberty between girls and boys.

Professor Villamor said:

“We don’t have a clear explanation of why there were sex differences, although we knew it was important to study boys and girls separately because they may differ in the timing of development.
Studies in rats have found that some micronutrient deficiencies affect male and female brains differently but it is not clear exactly why this may also be the case in humans.”

Physical rather than mental symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency include headaches, fatigue, breathlessness and pale skin.

Taking a B12 supplement is one of the easiest ways to combat this problem.

Adults need around 1.5 mcg per day.

The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition (Robinson et al., 2018).

A Mental Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Low levels of vitamin B12 can even contribute to brain shrinkage.

Having trouble with basic thinking skills can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, research finds.

Children with low levels of vitamin B12 had poorer cognitive abilities and difficulty interpreting the emotions of others.

They found it harder to:

sustain attention,
solve puzzles,
learn words and names,
and guess what others are thinking.

Low levels of vitamin B12 can even contribute to brain shrinkage, other studies have suggested.

The conclusions come from 500 children in Nepal who were followed from birth for 5 years.

The results showed that infants with poor vitamin B12 status had worse thinking skills at 5-years-old.

Low levels of vitamin B12 may impair brain development at an early age.

Ms Ingrid Kvestad, the study’s first author, said:

“Our results clearly demonstrate associations between early vitamin B12 status and various measures on development and cognitive functioning, as for example the ability to interpret complex geometrical figures, and the ability to recognize other children’s emotions.”

Good sources of vitamin B12 include fish, poultry, eggs and low-fat milk.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

People who may have difficulty getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians, older people and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Ms Kvestad said:

“Most of the Nepalese children participating in the study did not have severely low levels of vitamin B12, but their levels were suboptimal, below the recommendations for best possible growth and development.
It’s like a hidden deficiency of the vitamin in these children’s bodies, making their cells work rigorously to signalize imminent danger.
Our study is one contribution in the big puzzle to understand the implications low B12 levels might have on small children’s cognitive development.”

The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Kvestad et al., 2017).

The Healthiest Type Of Fibre To Add To Your Diet

What type of dietary fibre works best and what fibre supplements would be best for you to choose?

Fermentable fibre, also known as prebiotics, are an important part of a healthy diet and essential for beneficial bacteria in the gut.

The vast number of prebiotics or dietary fibres sold on the market contain health claims that are not reviewed or approved by the FDA, so consumers haven’t got any clue which fibre supplements work best.

Researchers from Duke University found that those with a low-fibre diet benefited most when fed any of three main fermentable fibre supplements (inulin, dextrin, and galactooligosaccharides).

Also, prebiotics that stimulate the production of butyrate, a type of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), seem to be the most effective ones.

Dr Lawrence David, the study’s first author, said:

“The people who responded the best had been eating the least fiber to start with.”

Fibres are indigestible carbohydrates that are essential to beneficial bacteria in the gut.

These bacteria are important for weight loss, help control blood sugar levels, regulate immune function, fight inflammation, and also improve bowel movements.

Dr Zack Holmes, study co-author, said:

“We’ve evolved to depend on nutrients that our microbiomes produce for us.
But with recent shifts in diet away from fiber-rich foods, we’ve stopped feeding our microbes what they need.”

Americans on average consume less than 40 percent of the recommended daily fibre intake, a main reason behind many health problems such as colon cancer, digestive disorders, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

A high-fibre diet will make the gut microbiota produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that provide various health benefits such as weight loss and the prevention of bowel cancer.

Butyrate is particularly important as it is the main fuel for the intestinal cells, and reduces inflammation by playing an important role in the protection of the gut lining from pathogens and toxins (leaky gut).

Fermentable fibres such as inulin, beta-glucans, pectins, oligofructose, dextrin, and guar gum vary in SCFA production from one person to another.

Therefore, Dr David and his team wanted to know if individuals need to personalise prebiotic supplementation.

So, they tested a variety of fibre supplements from the market.

Dr David said:

“We didn’t see a lot of difference between the fiber supplements we tested.
Rather, they looked interchangeable.
Regardless of which of the test supplements you pick, it seems your microbiome will thank you with more butyrate.”

The team tested the prebiotics: inulin, dextrin (Benefiber), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) marketed as Bimuno on a group of people.

Participants who had a high fibre diet saw little change in their microbiomes, most likely due to already having optimal levels of beneficial bacteria.

But those who were deficient in fibre intake experienced the biggest improvement in butyrate production after taking any of the three prebiotics.

Mr Jeffrey Letourneau, study co-author of a second related study, said:

“If you’re a low fiber consumer, it’s probably not worth it to stress so much about which kind of fiber to add.
It’s just important that you find something that works for you in a sustainable way.”

Dr Holmes added:

“It doesn’t need to be a supplement either.
It can just be a fiber-rich food.
Folks who were already eating a lot of fiber, which comes from plants like beans, leafy greens, and citrus, already had very healthy microbiomes.”

The first study was published in Microbiome (Holmes et al., 2022) and the second study was published in The ISME Journal (Letourneau et al., 2022).

This High-Fat Diet Protects Against Dementia, Research Suggests

Foods included in the diet include seafood, low-carb vegetables, cheese, eggs, coconut oil and olive oil.

The ketogenic diet may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, research suggests.

The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet.

Foods included in the ketogenic diet include seafood, low-carb vegetables, cheese, eggs, coconut oil and olive oil.

The new study on mice showed that the ketogenic diet improved neurovascular function.

Dr Ai-Ling Lin, study co-author, explained:

“Neurovascular integrity, including cerebral blood flow and blood-brain barrier function, plays a major role in cognitive ability.
Recent science has suggested that neurovascular integrity might be regulated by the bacteria in the gut, so we set out to see whether the Ketogenic Diet enhanced brain vascular function and reduced neurodegeneration risk in young healthy mice.”

The diet has previously been linked to improvements in epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and autism.

Dr Lin said:

“While diet modifications, the Ketogenic Diet in particular, has demonstrated effectiveness in treating certain diseases, we chose to test healthy young mice using diet as a potential preventative measure.
We were delighted to see that we might indeed be able to use diet to mitigate risk for Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Lee et al., 2018).