Category: Nutrition

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).

It is estimated that up to 70 percent of people could have a vitamin D deficiency.

Depression and pain can both be signs of vitamin D deficiency, research suggests.

As well as low mood, the most important symptoms of depression are:

1. Decreased interest in life.
2. Energy loss.
3. Concentration problems.

People in the study reported pains such as:

• Neuropathic pain, including shooting or burning sensations in their legs and feet (61 percent).
• Sensory pain such as numbness and tingling in their hands, fingers and legs (74 percent).

Both depression and pain were reduced after participants were given vitamin D2 supplementation.

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

The study, which lasted six months, included women with type 2 diabetes.

Dr Todd Doyle, the study’s first author, said:

“Pain is a common and often serious problem for women with type 2 diabetes and depression.

While further research is needed, D2 supplementation is a promising treatment for both pain and depression in type 2 diabetes.”

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.

Professor Sue Penckofer said:

“Vitamin D has widespread benefits for our health and certain chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.”

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

The study was presented at a research conference at Loyola University Chicago’s Health Sciences Campus (Doyle et al., 2013).

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).

A pinch of this spice puts your immune system on guard.

Consuming even a tiny amount of pungent ginger compounds could strengthen the immune system.

The spice is traditionally considered an anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory natural remedy.

Ginger contains natural compounds such as gingerol, paradol, zingerone, and shogaol, which are known for their antioxidant activities and boosting the immune system.

Recent laboratory tests carried out by Professor Veronika Somoza and colleagues at Leibniz Institute in Germany, confirms the stimulating effect of ginger on the immune system.

The results show that drinking ginger tea enhanced the white blood cell response against bacterial infection.

Apparently, within 30 to 60 minutes after drinking a litre of ginger tea, a considerable amounts of pungent compounds entered the bloodstream.

The highest levels belonged to [6]-gingerol (gingerol) with a concentration of seven to 17 micrograms per litre (µg/l) in the blood.

Gingerol is a compound responsible for the sharpness of taste and smell of ginger.

How gingerol works

To see how gingerol works, the researchers first identified key receptors on neutrophils.

Neutrophils make up the majority of white blood cells that fight bacteria entering the body.

Next the team discovered that even a small amount of gingerol (equivalent to 15 µg/l) was enough to increase the vigilance of white blood cells.

The results revealed that the cells stimulated with gingerol had a 30 percent stronger response to a bacterial infection.

Dr Gaby Andersen, the study’s first author, said:

“Thus, at least in experiments, very low [6]-gingerol concentrations are sufficient to affect the activity of immune cells via the TRPV1 receptor.

In blood, these concentrations could theoretically be achieved by consuming about one liter of ginger tea.”

Professor Veronika Somoza, study senior author, said:

“So, our results support the assumption that the intake of common amounts of ginger may be sufficient to modulate cellular responses of the immune system.

Nevertheless, there are still many unanswered questions at the molecular, epidemiological and medical levels that need to be addressed with the help of modern food and health research.”

Related

• Plant extracts including ginger root help to relieve hangover symptoms.
• Certain spices such as turmeric and ginger root can block bad memories.
• Low FODMAP foods such as ginger help decrease inflammation.

The study was published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Andersen et al., 2023).

Stomach bloating affects one-third of adults in the US.

Reducing salt intake decreases stomach bloating, research concludes.

In addition, reducing fibre in the diet also combats the amount of stomach bloating.

Stomach bloating affects one-third of adults in the US.

Over 90 percent of people with irritable bowel syndrome experience stomach bloating.

It is caused by a buildup of gas in the gut.

The gas is created as the gut bacteria try to break down fibre.

Dr Noel Mueller, the study’s first author, said:

“Bloating is one of the leading gastrointestinal complaints in the U.S. and can be exacerbated in some people by a high-fiber diet; our results suggest that they might be able to reduce that bloating, without compromising on healthy fiber, by lowering their sodium intake.”

The conclusions come from a study of 412 people with high blood pressure which also collected data on stomach bloating.

It found that a low-fibre diet decreased the risk of bloating by 41 percent.

Men are particularly susceptible to the effect of dietary fibre on bloating.

A low sodium diet, meanwhile, decreased the risk of stomach bloating by 27 percent.

How salt causes bloating is not yet known, although the scientists think it could be because salt causes water retention.

Dr Mueller said:

“We hypothesize that sodium intake also alters the gut microbiome in a manner that modifies bacterial sulfide production.”

The study was published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology (Peng et al., 2019).