A new, mineral-rich nutraceutical derived from a species of Irish marine algae has shown promise for improving joint function and reducing the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis.
Folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy is widely recommended for preventing neural tube defects. New data indicate that it can also reduce the risk of cleft lip and congenital heart defects. At the other end of the age spectrum, folic acid in combination with vitamins B6 and B12 can reduce a woman’s risk of age-related macular degeneration.
A new prospective study of 512 women with early-stage breast cancer suggests that those with the low serum vitamin D levels were more likely to die of their cancers than those with sufficient D levels.
Clinical research on CoQ10 continues to point toward new uses including blood pressure reduction, glycemic control and potentially reducing risk of neurodegenration. CoQ10 in its reduced form, known as ubiquinol, often improves outcomes in conditions like as severe heart failure, when the more common ubiquinone form, has proven ineffective.
Doctors should be concerned about potential interactions between pharmaceuticals and supplements. But for many commonly cited interactions, the evidence is flimsy making it difficult to distinguish the real concerns from the noise. Fortunately there’s Creighton University’s Center for Drug Information and Evidence Based Practice, and its exhaustive frequently updated reference guides.
Maintaining the functional integrity of the innate immune complex through a vegetable-rich diet, and immune enhancing vitamins & minerals obviates the need to fret over which strain of flu virus will predominate. A competent immune system will defend against them all.
The Institute of Medicine’s current guidelines for vitamin D intake, established in 1997, recommend 200 IU per day for people under 50 IOM, and 400 IU for those between 50-70 years old. Those numbers are way too low, say many physicians. In light of new studies showing myriad benefits and few risks from higher levels, IOM is likely to increase its recommended intake in its updated 2010 guidelines.
Roughly 1 in 7 American couples have difficulty conceiving, and each year they spend between $2-3 billion on fertility drugs, assisted reproduction, and other medical services. In many cases, drug based interventions can be avoided through greater attention to the couple’s nutritional status and stress level, both of which profoundly affect fertility.
A new vanguard of “metabolic” cardiologists contends that cholesterol elevation has been overstated as a cause of heart disease, and that physicians should pay more attention to the heart muscle itself. A quartet of nutrients magnesium, co-enzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and D-ribose can profoundly improve the heart’s pumping ability and reduce risk of death, even in very ill patients.
Two new studies provide fresh data showing that deficiencies in vitamin D and vitamin C are strongly associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. The big-and still unanswered question—is whether supplementing with these vitamins will reduce that risk.
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