Research news on nutrition, environmental medicine and health
New research suggests that there could be health hazards associated with consuming excessive amounts of beta-carotene. This antioxidant is a naturally occurring pigment that gives color to foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes and certain greens. It also converts to vitamin A, and foods and supplements are the only sources for this essential nutrient. But …
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Research: Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: Reanalysis of the Women’s Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis Research published in BMJ (British Medical Journal) in April 2011 adds to mounting evidence that calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular events, particularly heart attacks, in older women. The findings suggest that their …
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When it comes to improving bone health in postmenopausal women — and people of all ages, actually — a Florida State University researcher has found a simple, proactive solution to help prevent fractures and osteoporosis: eating dried plums. “Over my career, I have tested numerous fruits, including figs, dates, strawberries and raisins, and none of …
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Women who get most of their daily calcium from food have healthier bones than women whose calcium comes mainly from supplemental tablets. Surprisingly, this is true even though the supplement takers have higher average calcium intake. Adequate calcium is important to prevent osteoporosis, which affects an estimated 8 million American women and 2 million American …
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Compounds in blueberries might turn out to have a powerful effect on formation of strong, healthy bones, if results from studies with laboratory rats turn out to hold true for humans. Jin-Ran Chen and his colleagues are exploring this idea in research funded by the US Department of Agriculture at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center …
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