I get my vitamin/mineral supplements online from Natures Best - today I received this update from them - can anyone relate to these conclusions please?
We’ve also been reading about:
Daytime Sleepiness and Mental Health, both linked to Vitamin D Levels
Added to the concerns that last year’s disappointing summer would result in low vitamin D levels in the population, two new pieces of research highlight the importance of this particular vitamin. A study conducted by the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centre found that there is a significant correlation between excessive daytime sleepiness, other sleep disorders and low vitamin D levels. They also found that the relationship appears to more complex than they had originally thought so are keen to do a follow-up study and look deeper into the correlation.
Here in the UK, at University College, London a study indicated a correlation (not causation) between vitamin D levels and the risk of depression, these results published in Clinical Nutrition also indicated that the higher vitamin D levels were associated with a 67% lower risk of panic, compared to lower levels. This is not the first study to arrive at these findings however the data to date has been inconsistent so each additional carefully constructed study brings us closer to establishing the most effective levels of the vitamin for maximum benefit and to clarify causality.
Dietary Supplements shown to have Anti-Inflammatory Potential
Researchers in the USA have completed work adding to the biologic plausibility of previous studies which have shown beneficial effects from supplements of fish oil, glucosamine and chondroitin. They analysed data from a sample of 9,947 adults and the results showed that with regular use glucosamine, chondroitin, and fish oil supplements was associated with reductions in CRP (C-reactive protein, an established marker of inflammation which is associated with many diseases including cardiovascular) of 17%, 22%, and 16% respectively. They believe that this is the largest study of these particular supplements in humans as yet undertaken.
In another study published in the Nutrition Journal, a team taken from the UK and Slovakia have found that a combination of plant sterol esters, fish oil and B vitamins impacts on LDH-cholesterol and homocysteine levels, indicating that the use of the combination of these natural compounds might be beneficial in the early dietary management of potential cardiovascular risk.
Lutein, may Boost Night Vision
Finally, after a one-year study at the Shanghai Jiao-tong University it was found that a daily dose of 20milligrams of lutein was associated with significant increases in contrast and glare sensitivity. As they wrote in Nutrition, “Although the results of this study do not support a direct link between oral supplementation and changes in visual acuity, the present findings provide convincing evidence that supplementation with lutein can significantly improve visual performance and vision-related quality of life when ambient illumination is low.”