Nutrition - Page 5 of 17

A Common Mineral Deficiency Linked To Mental Health Issues (M)

One-quarter of the world’s population has this mineral deficiency that is linked to anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.

An iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency and it can impact mental health, research finds.

Low iron levels can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.

Many people with depression, for example, have a history of anaemia.

Higher rates of anxiety disorders, sleep disorders and psychotic disorders are linked to an iron deficiency.

It has been linked to mental health problems in both young and old.

An iron deficiency is frequently linked to symptoms of fatigue — which often combines with depression.

Dr Stephanie Weinberg Levin, the study’s first author, said:

“We don’t always go looking for nutrient deficiencies, but they can really take a large toll on well-being.
Iron is the most common nutrient deficiency and can have a big impact.
You can be iron-deficient without having anemia, but many mental health care providers aren’t aware that iron deficiency by itself has been linked to worse symptoms, or that supplementation has been linked to improved symptoms.
But there is evidence there.”

Mild iron deficiency

The researchers examined multiple studies on the connection between iron deficiency and mental health.

Many have found that iron supplementation appear to improve the symptoms of those with and without mental health diagnoses.

Supplementation can even help with relatively mild iron deficiency.

The usual benchmark for iron deficiency is 30 ng/mol.

However, one study found that supplementation for those with levels below 100 ng/mol was beneficial for negative mood and fatigue (Mikami et al., 2022).

Which type of supplement?

Iron deficiency should be treated by supplementation, since the typical diet cannot provide enough, the study’s authors write.

Most types of iron supplementation will work, however, the disadvantages of supplementation are that 70 percent of people experience side-effects.

These can include a metallic taste in the mouth, vomiting, nausea and constipation/diarrhoea.

So, the key is to find the type that has the lowest side-effects.

Ferrous sulfate is the cheapest, but other forms, such as ferrous iron protein succinylate and ferrous bisglycinate may have fewer gastrointestinal side-effects (but they are more expensive).

How much iron?

As for the amount, there is no clear guidance, but the study’s authors suggest:

“The maximum amount of oral iron that can be absorbed is approximately 25 mg/d of elemental iron.
A 325 mg ferrous sulfate tablet contains 65 mg of elemental iron, of which approximately 25 mg is absorbed and utilized.”

Supplements should be taken for 6 to 8 weeks and it may take 6 months for the body’s iron stores to be replenished.

Dr Levin concluded:

“Iron supplements are inexpensive and can really make a significant impact in someone’s mental health if they’re deficient.”

Note that a physician should be consulted: people with inflammatory bowel conditions, chronic kidney disease or the pregnant should not take iron supplements orally.

The study was published in the journal Current Psychiatry (Levin & Gattari, 2023).

A Throbbing Sign Of A Vitamin D Deficiency

Diseases linked to vitamin D deficiency include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Throbbing pains in the back or knees could be signs of vitamin D deficiency.

The pain can feel like a penetrating ache sensed deep in the body.

Aching bones are linked to vitamin D deficiency because it is vital to bone health.

The substance is required to help regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate in the body.

A 10 mcg supplement is typically enough during the winter months to supplement dietary intake.

Vitamin D deficiency can be detrimental to overall health as well.

Deficiency in this vitamin has also been linked to multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Other possible signs of vitamin D deficiency include depression, feeling sleepy and a lack of energy.

Some studies estimate that up to 70 percent of people could have a vitamin D deficiency.

Much of the body’s vitamin D is produced in response to sunlight on the skin.

That is why levels are typically lower in the body through the winter months in northern latitudes.

Getting outside for a 20-minute walk a few times a week can be enough for the body to produce the required amounts of vitamin D.

Some of the best dietary sources of vitamin D are eggs, oily fish and mushrooms.

One study of postmenopausal women found very high levels of vitamin D deficiency.

The study’s authors recommend that:

“A healthy lifestyle should include exposure to the sun for 15 minutes three to four times per week when the weather permits since 90% of vitamin D is synthesized upon the skin having contact with sunlight.”

Many health problems could be linked to vitamin D deficiency, said Dr Faustino Pérez-López, the study’s first author:

“We believe that many diseases can be aggravated by a chronic deficiency of vitamin D.
Healthcare professionals should be aware that this is a common problem which affects a large part of the population in Europe, even those who live in sunny places.”

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

Other disease linked to vitamin D deficiency include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

The study was published in the journal Maturitas (Pérez-López et al., 2012).

The Vitamin That Prevents Type 2 Diabetes Developing

High dosage of this vitamin can help prevent diabetes developing, a new study has found.

High doses of vitamin D for prediabetic people can increase glucose metabolism, which in turn slows down the disease’s development.

The action of insulin in muscle tissue improved when vitamin D3 was given to newly diagnosed diabetes patients, the study found.

Researchers used a dosage of 5,000 IU per day over a 6-month period, which is about 5 to 10 times more than the recommended daily vitamin D intake.

There are different types of Vitamin D: the two major forms are vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol, and vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol.

According to a new CDC report, more than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes.

Prediabetes is linked to higher blood glucose levels than normal.

Prediabetes is a fast growing problem that, if not treated, can lead to type 2 diabetes in 5 years.

Type 2 diabetes can cause serious diseases including kidney failure, nerve damage, cardiovascular diseases and blindness.

People at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes can have low levels of vitamin D.

The effect of vitamin D in prediabetes or new diabetes patients was recently studied by Dr Claudia Gagnon and colleagues from Université Laval in Quebec.

They measured glucose metabolism and markers of insulin function before and after six months supplementation with vitamin D and found that insulin sensitivity was significantly improved.

High insulin sensitivity makes our cells use blood glucose more efficiently and so blood sugar will decrease in the body.

People who are not sensitive to insulin suffer from a condition called insulin resistance (IR), a factor that leads to type 2 diabetes.

Dr Gagnon says:

“The reason we saw improvements in glucose metabolism following vitamin D supplementation in those at high risk of diabetes, or with newly diagnosed diabetes, while other studies failed to demonstrate an effect in people with long-standing type 2 diabetes is unclear.
This could be due to the fact that improvements in metabolic function are harder to detect in those with longer-term disease or that a longer treatment time is needed to see the benefits.”

She adds:

“Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are a growing public health concern and although our results are promising, further studies are required to confirm our findings, to identify whether some people may benefit more from this intervention, and to evaluate the safety of high-dose vitamin D supplementation in the long term.
Until then I would suggest that current vitamin D supplementation recommendations be followed.”

The study was published in the European Journal of Endocrinology (Lemieux et al., 2019).

A Worrying Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Over half the people in the study had a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Depression and lethargy can be signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency, research finds.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to rectify with supplements or by dietary changes.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

Other common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Over half the people in the study had a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Professor Heather Keller, the study co-author, said:

“The negative effects of a B12 deficiency are considerable.
This is of particular importance in the context of our aging population with more Canadians requiring long-term care.”

The study included 412 older people entering care homes.

Just over half had low vitamin B12 levels, with 14 percent being deficient.

Kaylen Pfisterer, the study’s first author, said:

“In spending time in long-term care homes, you often see depression and loneliness.
This is why we need to do everything in our power to enhance quality of life and quality of care in this setting.
Screening for B12 deficiency is a first step to targeting B12 treatment to those who may benefit most.”

Vitamin B12 levels can be boosted through supplementation or by eating foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

The study was published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (Pfisterer et al., 2019).

The Mild Nutrient Deficiency Linked To Memory Loss (M)

Supplementation reversed the effects of age-related memory loss.

A diet low in flavanols is linked to age-related memory loss, a large study finds.

However, taking a daily flavanol supplement over three years reversed these losses.

Many people already get enough flavanols from a healthy diet, however those with a poorer diet will probably benefit.

Flavanols, which are a type of flavonoid, are found in nearly all fruits and vegetables, as well as in tea.

Participants in the study with a mild flavanol deficiency experienced boosts to their cognitive functioning of 16 percent over the three years of the study.

Professor Adam Brickman, the study’s first author, said:

“The improvement among study participants with low-flavanol diets was substantial and raises the possibility of using flavanol-rich diets or supplements to improve cognitive function in older adults.”

Neurons in the hippocampus

Professor Scott Small, study co-author, has been studying age-related memory loss for many years.

His lab has shown that changes in the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus, are central to memory decline.

Flavanols, though, enhance neuron and blood vessel growth in this region.

Professor Small said:

“The identification of nutrients critical for the proper development of an infant’s nervous system was a crowning achievement of 20th century nutrition science.
In this century, as we are living longer research is starting to reveal that different nutrients are needed to fortify our aging minds.”

The current study included over 3,500 healthy adults given either a flavanol supplement or a placebo over three years.

The supplement contained 500 mg of flavanols, including 80 mg of epicatechins, a type of flavanol thought to be particularly effective.

The memories of those with mild flavanol deficiencies improved by 10.5 percent compared to placebo and by 16 percent compared to their scores at the start of the study.

Dramatic improvements

While the study provides strong evidence for the benefits of a healthy dietary flavanol intake, Professor Small is cautious:

“We cannot yet definitively conclude that low dietary intake of flavanols alone causes poor memory performance, because we did not conduct the opposite experiment: depleting flavanol in people who are not deficient.”

Next, Professor Small wants to look at the effects of rectifying a severe flavanol deficiency:

“Age-related memory decline is thought to occur sooner or later in nearly everyone, though there is a great amount of variability.
If some of this variance is partly due to differences in dietary consumption of flavanols, then we would see an even more dramatic improvement in memory in people who replenish dietary flavanols when they’re in their 40s and 50s.”

High-flavanol foods

Foods that containing high levels of flavanols include:

pears,
olive oil,
wine,
tomato sauce,
kale,
beans,
tea,
spinach,
broccoli,
apples,
and oranges.

Cocoa flavanoids can reverse age-related memory loss in older adults.
Fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidant flavonols appear to protect against cognitive decline.
Flavanols can make you smarter.
People who eat more foods that contain antioxidant flavanols have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Brickman et al., 2023).

The Healthy Diet Linked To Good Mental Health

Almost one-in-five suffer from mental illness, the study found.

A healthy diet is linked to good mental health, whatever your age and background, research finds.

People who avoid unhealthy foods — like fried and processed foods — have fewer symptoms of psychological distress.

Only around one-in-ten people in the US eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.

The recommended amount in the US is 1½ to 2 cups per day of fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables.

In contrast, a poor diet is linked to poor mental health: sugar and processed grain are thought to be among the main culprits.

Dr Jim E. Banta, the study’s first author, said:

“This and other studies like it could have big implications for treatments in behavorial medicine.
Perhaps the time has come for us to take a closer look at the role of diet in mental health, because it could be that healthy diet choices contribute to mental health.
More research is needed before we can answer definitively, but the evidence seems to be pointing in that direction.”

The study included data from over 240,000 people in California, which was collected across ten years.

The results revealed that 13% of people experienced moderate psychological distress, with 4% in severe psychological distress.

The study’s authors conclude that their study is…

“…additional evidence that public policy and clinical practice should more explicitly aim to improve diet quality among those struggling with mental health.
[…]
dietary interventions for people with mental illness should especially target young adults, those with less than 12 years of education, and obese individuals.”

A previous study found that the more fruit and vegetables people eat, the better their state of mind.

Eating just one extra portion of fruit and vegetables per day is enough to measurably improve mental well-being.

Just one portion has the same positive effect as going for a walk on 8 extra days a month.

The study was published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Banta et al., 2019).

This Vitamin Reduces Mental Health Problems By 50%

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.

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).

A Mental Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Around one-in-eight people are low in vitamin B12.

Difficulties with memory and thinking skills can be signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, research finds.

Finding it hard to recall memories or to concentrate have both been linked to a deficiency in this vital vitamin.

The reason may be that vitamin B12 deficiency can accelerate cognitive aging.

In general, as people get older, their brains work less well.

However, having sufficient levels of vitamin B12 can help protect against this degradation in function.

Vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to brain shrinkage and even Alzheimer’s disease by some research.

However, eating a diet high in critical nutrients, including B12, may help keep the brain from shrinking, research finds.

People with higher levels of omega-3, vitamin C, D, E along with B vitamins, also have better scores on tests of mental function, one study has found.

The study included 104 older people who were given tests of memory and thinking, with almost half having brain scans as well.

The results showed that one-quarter were deficient in vitamin D, while 7 percent were deficient in vitamin B12.

Those who had higher levels of critical nutrients had less brain shrinkage and higher scores on the memory and thinking tests.

Dr Gene Bowman, the study’s first author, said:

“These results need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet.”

The good news is that vitamin B12 is easy to correct either with supplementation or a change in diet.

Foods high in vitamin B12 include dairy, beef, salmon, 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.

The study was published in the journal Neurology (Bowman et al., 2011).

6 Foods That Protect Against Memory Loss

The foods all contain an anti-inflammatory that combats age-related changes in the brain.

Carrots, olive oil, celery, thyme, peppermint and chamomile can all help protect the memory against aging, research suggests.

All these foods contain luteolin, a flavonoid which is found in many plants.

Luteolin reduces inflammation in the brain that occurs with aging.

It does so by inhibiting the release of inflammatory molecules in the brain.

The conclusions come from a study of mice, Professor Rodney Johnson, who led the study, explained:

“When we provided the old mice luteolin in the diet it reduced inflammation in the brain and at the same time restored working memory to what was seen in young cohorts.”

Working memory is vital to holding pieces of visual, verbal or other information in your mind while you manipulate them.

Better working memory has been linked to improved learning, attention and other vital outcomes.

Professor Johnson continued:

“We believe dietary luteolin accesses the brain and inhibits or reduces activation of microglial cells and the inflammatory cytokines they produce.
This anti-inflammatory effect is likely the mechanism which allows their working memory to be restored to what it was at an earlier age.
These data suggest that consuming a healthy diet has the potential to reduce age-associated inflammation in the brain, which can result in better cognitive health.”

Other common sources of luteolin include broccoli, green pepper, oregano and parsley.

Luteolin works, the study found, by acting directly on microglial cells.

The microglia are cells in the brain that help regulate normal functioning.

Professor Johnson said:

“We found previously that during normal aging, microglial cells become dysregulated and begin producing excessive levels of inflammatory cytokines.
We think this contributes to cognitive aging and is a predisposing factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases.”

For the study, younger and older mice were fed a control diet or one supplemented with luteolin for four weeks.

The results showed that older mice given the luteolin supplement performed almost as well as the younger mice in cognitive tests.

The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition (Jang et al., 2010).

A Sign Of Omega-3 Deficiency In The Eyes

Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet can prevent this serious disorder.

Problems with vision can be a sign of omega-3 deficiency, research suggests.

Age-related macular degeneration disorder is an eye disease which is linked to omega-3 fatty acids deficiency.

Macular degeneration is a common medical condition, affecting a large group of the population at age 40 and older.

Deterioration of the macula, an area of the retina, can result in losing central vision but not complete blindness.

A review of nine studies on 90,000 people found that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a 38 percent reduction in the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats considered to be essential as our body cannot produce them and so they are obtained from the diet.

These type of fats are mostly found in oily fish (fatty fish) and have many health benefits, therefore they known as “good” fats.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are the main types of omega 3 fatty acids.

Fatty fish such as salmon, trout, herring, sardines, and fish oils, including cod liver oil, are high in EPA and DHA.

ALA is found in fats from plant foods such as nuts and seeds — walnuts and rapeseed are good sources of this nutrient.

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of sight loss which affects about 3 million people in the U.S. and more than 600,000 people in the UK.

Early signs of macular degeneration includes fuzzy, blurry and impaired vision, difficulty reading or seeing details like recognising faces or watching television.

A study found that having one or more servings of fish per week reduced the risk of age-related macular degeneration by 42 percent.

The authors said:

“This lower risk appeared to be due primarily to consumption of canned tuna fish and dark-meat fish.”

Dark-meat fish in this study included salmon, sardines, bluefish, mackerel, and swordfish.

Knowing how dietary essential omega-3 fatty acids work can be useful in treating and prevention of different disorders.

It appears that DHA is the key since it generates signaling molecules called docosanoids where there is a disruption within cells due to a disease or an injury.

Docosanoids can protect neurons by controlling specific genes in the brain and retina and asking the genes how to respond.

Moreover, DHA from the liver is concentrated in photoreceptors, a type of cell in the retina that responds to light.

Retinal degeneration including macular degeneration occurs when photoreceptors cannot get enough DHA.

When a gene that controls the DHA uptake is turned off then photoreceptors die and mutation of an amino acid in these cells leads to a disorder of the eyes that causes loss of vision known as retinitis pigmentosa.

Two studies were published in Arch Ophthalmol (Chong et al., 2008); (Christen et al., 2011); the other study was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (Asatryan et al., 2017).

Category: Nutrition