Category: Nutrition

Vitamin B12 can easily be obtained from the diet or by supplementation.

Around one-quarter of people may be deficient in vitamin B12, research finds.

White spots appearing on the skin can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The spots are often found on the outside of the forearm, although they may be in other places as well.

Over time these can become flaky and expose raw spots of flesh.

The reason vitamin B12 can cause these spots is because it can lead to low melatonin.

When melatonin is absent in the area, the white spots are left.

Other, more common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Vitamin B12 can either be obtained from the diet or by supplementation.

Foods that contain high levels of vitamin B12 include dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

For the study, 1,079 adults in Germany had their vitamin B12 levels measured.

More than one-quarter were deficient in vitamin B12, the results showed.

More than half were also deficient in vitamin D.

Ms Romy Conzade, the study’s first author, said:

“The results are very clear.

Fifty-two percent of the examined older adults had vitamin D levels below 50 nmol/L and thus had a suboptimal vitamin D status.”

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

Dr. Barbara Thorand, study co-author, said:

“Our study also shows that regular intake of vitamin-containing supplements goes along with improved levels of the respective vitamins.

However, vitamin-containing supplements are not a universal remedy, and particularly older people should watch out for maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet.”

The study was published in the journal Nutrients (Conzade et al., 2017).

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

Ulcers around the mouth can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, research suggests.

The small lesions around the mouth are sometimes known as canker sores.

They can also occur inside the mouth and may make eating painful.

Other, more common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

The conclusions about mouth ulcers come from a study including 58 people who had recurrent mouth ulcers.

Around half of the participants were given B12 supplementation and they were compared to a control group.

The results showed that three-quarters of people were free of ulcers after taking B12 and most saw a reduction in pain.

The authors explain the results:

“The average outbreak duration and the average number of ulcers per month decreased in both groups during the first four months of the trial.

However, the duration of outbreaks, the number of ulcers, and the level of pain were reduced significantly at five and six months of treatment with vitamin B12, regardless of initial vitamin B12 levels in the blood.

During the last month of treatment a significant number of participants in the intervention group reached ‘no aphthous ulcers status’”

Good dietary 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.

Dr Ilia Volkov, the study’s first author, said:

“…the frequency of RAS [Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis, or mouth ulcers] is as much as 25 percent in the general population, however, until now, there has been no optimal therapeutic approach.”

The study was published in The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (Volkov et al., 2009).

Up to 50 percent of the population of the world is deficient in vitamin D.

Daytime sleepiness can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, research suggests.

People with low levels of vitamin D are likely to wake more during the night and to have less sleep overall.

Vitamin D levels are linked to both sleep quantity and quality.

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

As many as 50 percent of the world’s population is thought to be deficient in vitamin D.

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

Other signs of vitamin D deficiency include low mood, muscle fatigue, difficulties with learning and memory, gut problems and headaches.

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

Foods that are rich in vitamin D include oily fish and eggs, but most people get their vitamin D from the action of sunlight on the skin.

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

Some of the main risk factors for having low vitamin D levels are:

• being female,
• poor dietary habits,
• being older,
• living in northerly areas,
• and less exposure to sunlight.

The study included 81 people who had sleep problems.

Vitamin D levels were found to be lowest in those with the most daytime sleepiness, the results revealed.

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

“While we found a significant correlation between vitamin D and sleepiness, the relationship appears to be more complex than we had originally thought.

It’s important to now do a follow-up study and look deeper into this correlation.”

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (McCarthy et al., 2012).

The foods that help you live longer and protect you from cancer and heart disease.

Drinking tea and eating apples, or any flavonoid-rich foods, can shield people from cancer and heart disease, research finds.

People who have a daily consumption of 500 mg of flavonoids are more likely to live longer and more healthily.

If you eat one orange, one apple, 100 g of broccoli and 100 g of blueberries and have a cup of tea per day, you are guaranteed to obtain 500 mg of flavonoids.

Flavonoids are antioxidants and part of the polyphenol class found in plants and known to have several health benefits and help prevent various diseases.

Apples, cherries, dark chocolate, pears, tea, red wine (due to grapes), cabbage, and berries, including blueberries and strawberries, are good sources of flavonoids.

The discovery of flavonoids’ protective effect on lowering risk of some diseases comes from a new study that looked into the diets of 53,048 Danes over 23 years.

Dr Nicola Bondonno, the study’s lead author, said:

“It’s important to consume a variety of different flavonoid compounds found in different plant based food and drink.

This is easily achievable through the diet: one cup of tea, one apple, one orange, 100g of blueberries, and 100g of broccoli would provide a wide range of flavonoid compounds and over 500mg of total flavonoids”.

They found that those who ate flavonoid-rich foods were protected against cardiovascular and cancer-related diseases.

They also found that daily intake of flavonoid-rich foods had the most protective effect for heavy drinkers and smokers.

These smokers or those who had two standard alcoholic drinks per day were at higher risk of chronic diseases.

The reason is that smoking and alcohol intake can harm blood vessels and cause inflammation to the cells, leading to greater risk of serious diseases.

The potential health benefits of flavonoids are related to their antioxidants having anti-inflammatory effects and their ability to improve blood vessel function.

This may explain why the smokers and drinkers benefited strongly from foods rich in flavonoids.

Dr Bondonno said:

“It’s also important to note that flavonoid consumption does not counteract all of the increased risk of death caused by smoking and high alcohol consumption.

By far the best thing to do for your health is to quit smoking and cut down on alcohol.

We know these kind of lifestyle changes can be very challenging, so encouraging flavonoid consumption might be a novel way to alleviate the increased risk, while also encouraging people to quit smoking and reduce their alcohol intake.”

The study was published in Nature Communications (Bondonnoet al., 2019).

Around one-in-eight people over 50 are low in vitamin B12.

Low mood and depression can be signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, research suggests.

Deficiency in the B vitamin has also been linked to problems with concentration and memory.

Typical symptoms of depression include decreased pleasure and energy loss.

In the long-term, supplementation with vitamin B12 may help reduce depressive symptoms, a review of the research finds.

Both vitamin B12 and folate are vital to the production of critical neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and noradrenaline.

Depression is often linked to low levels of serotonin in the brain.

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.

The conclusions come from a review of 11 separate studies on the link between vitamin B12 and folates on depressive symptoms.

While there were only a relatively small number of trials, some were positive, the study’s authors write:

“One trial found that the prolonged use of folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6 increased response to antidepressant treatment over one year, and decreased the risk of relapse of
symptoms amongst those who had recovered after three months.”

Overall, vitamin supplements over the long-term could be beneficial, the study’s authors conclude:

“Taken together, the results of these meta-analyses suggest that the short-term use of vitamins (days to a few weeks) does
not contribute to improve depressive symptoms, but more prolonged consumption (several weeks to years) may reduce the severity and the onset of clinically significant symptoms of depression in special populations.”

Around one-in-eight people over 50 are low in vitamin B12, recent research finds.

The study was published in the journal International Psychogeriatrics (Almeida et al., 2015).

Lack of omega-3 fatty acids in the body might be the reason why we are vulnerable to this disease.

Inflammation can be a sign of omega-3 deficiency, research finds.

Consuming oily fish like salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel, herring and fish oil supplements can lower inflammation.

Previous studies have suggested that a high intake of oily fish (fatty fish) can reduce several disorders.

Researchers from the Norwegian University are adding more weight to the importance of omega-3.

They show that omega-3 fatty acids can lower dangerous inflammatory responses in our body.

Our immune system produces inflammation to protect the body from infections like the common cold, throat, ear infections and so on.

But when the inflammation is too strong, this can lead to developing inflammation-related diseases and autoimmune disorders.

Prolonged inflammation results in life-threatening conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and diabetes-related injuries.

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that have anti-inflammatory properties, consequently they are able to dampen inflammatory responses in the body.

White blood cells are an important part of our immune system as they can locate foreign particles such as microbes and cancer cells and eat them.

These cells monitor everything in our body and use the information that they gain from different receptors or sensors in order to stimulate inflammatory responses.

The white blood cells ability to manage inflammatory reactions relies on different processes and one is “self-eating”.

Autophagy or “self-eating” is vital for whether a white blood cell is too active or not since it is cleaning out the cells that are damaged and dysfunctional.

Omega-3 appears to change autophagy in white blood cells and can reduce activation of inflammatory reactions.

Omega-3 also reduces the responses related to proteins that are involved in regulating immune system activities.

Therefore, supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids can help patients with different forms of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, meningitis, Alzheimer’s, infectious disease or even jaundice.

The study was published in the journal of Autophagy (Mildenberger et al., 2017).

Vitamin D deficiency is still common around the world.

Depression, tiredness and weak muscles can all be signs of vitamin D deficiency, research finds.

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

One study has linked vitamin D deficiency to a 75 percent higher risk of depression.

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

Vitamin D deficiency is still common around the world.

The main function of vitamin D in the body is to help it absorb calcium.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to rickets in children.

Rickets is a disease that affects bone development, causing them to be painful and soft.

In adults, vitamin D deficiency can contribute to the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis.

Elderly people, in particular, may benefit from vitamin D and calcium supplementation to reduce the risk of fracture.

The current guidelines for the amount of vitamin D required in the body vary.

Professor Sylvia Christakos, the study’s first author, said:

“Recommendations based on earlier studies using a number of different tests for vitamin D levels persist and, not surprisingly, current guidelines vary.

For example, it is not clear that the most optimal levels for vitamin D are the same for Caucasians, blacks or Asians alike.

More laboratories are now implementing improved tests and efforts are being made to standardize results from different laboratories.”

The current recommendations by the National Academy of Medicine are 600 IU per day for adults.

Foods that are rich in vitamin D include oily fish and eggs, but most people get their vitamin D from the action of sunlight on the skin.

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

The study was published in the journal Metabolism (Christakos et al., 2019).

Around one-quarter of people may be deficient in vitamin B12.

A poor memory can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, research finds.

People in the study with low levels of vitamin B12 had worse memory for both ideas and events in their lives.

Low levels of vitamin B12 can contribute to brain shrinkage, the study also suggested.

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.

Dr Christine C. Tangney, the study’s first author, said:

“Our findings lend support for the contention that poor vitamin B12 status is a potential risk factor for brain atrophy and may contribute to cognitive impairment.”

For the study, 121 older people were given tests of memory and thinking and had their vitamin B12 levels measured.

Brain scans 4.5 years later revealed brain shrinkage in those who were deficient.

B12 deficiency was also linked to worse scores on cognitive tests.

Dr Tangney said:

“Our findings definitely deserve further examination.

It’s too early to say whether increasing vitamin B12 levels in older people through diet or supplements could prevent these problems, but it is an interesting question to explore.

Findings from a British trial with B vitamin supplementation are also supportive of these outcomes.”

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

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

There is a higher risk of premature death for those who are deficient in this vitamin.

Being deficient in vitamin D can lead to serious health issues.

Examples include bone loss, poor immune system, increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, multiple sclerosis, depression, and anxiety.

Further evidence from a University of South Australia study reveals a strong link between low vitamin D levels and increased odds of premature death from any cause including respiratory diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The study also found that the likelihood of early death reduced steeply when vitamin D concentrations increased by 50 nmol/L.

Vitamin D deficiency is identified when a person’s serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is less than 25 nmol/L.

Our skin absorbs vitamin D by exposure to sunlight — but even with its abundance in Australia, one third of Australian adults are vitamin D deficient.

Mr Joshua Sutherland, the study’s first author, said:

“While severe vitamin D deficiency is rarer in Australia than elsewhere in the world, it can still affect those who have health vulnerabilities, the elderly, and those who do not acquire enough vitamin D from healthy sun exposure and dietary sources.

Our study provides strong evidence for the connection between low levels of vitamin D and mortality, and this is the first study of its kind to also include respiratory disease related mortality as an outcome.

We used a new genetic method to explore and affirm the non-linear relationships that we’ve seen in observational settings, and through this we’ve been able give strong evidence for the connection between low vitamin D status and premature death.

Vitamin D deficiency has been connected with mortality, but as clinical trials have often failed to recruit people with low vitamin D levels — or have been prohibited from including vitamin deficient participants — it’s been challenging to establish causal relationships.”

The research used the records of 307,601 white adults in the UK Biobank study who were between 37 and 73 years old.

The average levels of vitamin D were estimated at 45 nmol/L and vitamin D deficiency was classified as concentrations below 25 nmol/L.

During the 14 years of follow-up, 18,700 of the participants died.

The risk of premature death was increased by 25 percent for those with vitamin D deficiency.

However, when vitamin D concentrations increased to 50 nmol/L, the odds of dying were reduced, especially among people who were severely deficient.

Professor Elina Hyppönen, the study’s senior author, said:

“The take-home message here is simple — the key is in the prevention.

It is not good enough to think about vitamin D deficiency when already facing life-challenging situations, when early action could make all the difference.

It is very important to continue public health efforts to ensure the vulnerable and elderly maintain sufficient vitamin D levels throughout the year.”

Signs of vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency exhibits various signs and symptoms.

Sleepiness and fatigue during the day, weight gain, and muscle weakness have all been reported among those who suffer from vitamin D deficiency.

However, all of these symptoms are general and could be related to other conditions.

That is why, if you are worried, it is important to get checked out by a healthcare provider.

Vitamin D is vital for regulating the levels of phosphate and calcium in the body.

These are essential to the bones, teeth and muscles.

The study was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine (Sutherland et al., 2022).

The study sheds light on the critical link between sodium levels and aging, with potentially life-altering implications.

Drinking plenty of water slows down the aging process, improves sleep, and lowers the odds of having lung and heart disease, a study finds.

Those who do not get enough fluids were found to have high levels of sodium and consequently were more likely to age quicker, develop various conditions, and die earlier.

The study analysed health data from 11,255 participants in their 50s with a 25-year follow-up period.

The results revealed a strong connection between sodium levels and the aging process.

The team found that those with blood sodium levels higher than the normal range (135–146 mmol/l) aged faster and were at higher risk of developing health issues such as dementia, diabetes, lung disease, blood circulation disorder, heart failure, and stroke.

They suggest a serum sodium level of 142 mmol/l should be used as the starting point in clinics to identify individuals at risk.

Staying hydrated

When we don’t drink enough or are dehydrated (losing more fluid than take in), it leads to higher amounts of sodium in the blood which can cause serious damage to the cells.

On the other hand, staying hydrated will have an anti-aging effect and will reduce the risk of long-term diseases.

Dr Natalia Dmitrieva, the study’s first author, said:

“The results suggest that proper hydration may slow down aging and prolong a disease-free life.”

Previous studies have shown that elevated serum sodium levels can increase heart disease risk.

This study went further and examined how high sodium intake can affect biological aging.

They looked at 15 risk factors such as cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure and how well participants’ respiratory,  immune system, heart, kidney, and metabolism were doing.

They found that those with serum sodium levels above 142 mmol/l had a 15 percent greater risk of being biologically older than their actual age.

The odds were increased to 50 percent for adults with levels above 144 mmol/l and they had a 21 percent elevated risk of dying at a younger age.

Moreover, those with levels above 142 mmol/l were 64 percent more likely to develop serious conditions such as dementia, lung disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

However, increasing daily water intake would lower sodium concentration and help those with levels above 142 mmol/l.

Recommended intake of water

The National Academies of Medicine recommends a daily fluid intake of 1.5-2.2 litres equivalent to 6-9 cups for women and 2-3 litres or 8-12 cups for men.

Some people, though, due to their health conditions might need specific medical guidance.

Dr Manfred Boehm, study co-author, said:

“The goal is to ensure patients are taking in enough fluids, while assessing factors, like medications, that may lead to fluid loss.

Doctors may also need to defer to a patient’s current treatment plan, such as limiting fluid intake for heart failure.”

The researchers hinted that half of the world population’s daily fluids intake is less than the recommended amount.

Dr Dmitrieva said:

“On the global level, this can have a big impact.

Decreased body water content is the most common factor that increases serum sodium, which is why the results suggest that staying well hydrated may slow down the aging process and prevent or delay chronic disease.”

The study was published in the journal eBioMedicine (Dmitrieva et al., 2023).