Nutrition

Effects of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on depressed mood: systematic review of published trials. Appleton KM, Hayward RC, Gunnell D, Peters TJ, Rogers PJ, Kessler D, Ness AR. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Dec;84(6):1308-16. Review. PMID: 17158410 Conclusions: Trial evidence that examines the effects of n-3 PUFAs on depressed mood is limited and is difficult to summarize and evaluate because of considerable heterogeneity. The evidence available provides little support for the use of n-3 PUFAs to improve depressed mood. Larger trials with adequate power to detect clinically important benefits are required.

Fish consumption and depressive symptoms in the general population in Finland. Tanskanen A, Hibbeln JR, Tuomilehto J, Uutela A, Haukkala A, Viinamäki H, Lehtonen J, Vartiainen E. Psychiatr Serv. 2001 Apr;52(4):529-31. PMID: 11274502 After the analysis adjusted for potential confounders, the likelihood of having depressive symptoms was significantly higher among infrequent fish consumers than among frequent consumers.

High omega-6 and low omega-3 fatty acids are associated with depressive symptoms and neuroticism. Conklin SM, Manuck SB, Yao JK, Flory JD, Hibbeln JR, Muldoon MF. Psychosom Med. 2007 Dec;69(9):932-4. Epub 2007 Nov 8.PMID: 17991818 CONCLUSIONS: In conjunction with other reports, these findings suggest that the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are related to negative affect at both the symptom and trait levels.

Serum omega-3 fatty acids are associated with variation in mood, personality and behavior in hypercholesterolemic community volunteers. Conklin SM, Harris JI, Manuck SB, Yao JK, Hibbeln JR, Muldoon MF. Psychiatry Res. 2007 Jul 30;152(1):1-10. Epub 2007 Mar 23.PMID: 17383013

"In 1927 a controversy arose in the athletic world. The German Swimmers' Association had decided to use a sunlamp on their athletes to boost performance. Some felt this ultraviolet irradiation constituted "athletic unfairness." In other words, doping."

"DENVER, March 3 - Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior, according to results of a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver."

"Increasing the fatty acid content in children's diets can boost their mental abilities, scientists claim. Four overweight children given capsules containing omega-3 and omega-6 were said to have undergone three years' worth of development in just three months. The youngsters, aged between eight and 13, were also said to have made remarkable improvements in reading and problem-solving. Professor Basant Puri carried out the tests for a Channel Five documentary, Mind the Fat: Does Fast Food = Slow Kids?, to be shown on Thursday."

Vitamin D and cardiovascular disease risk. Michos ED, Melamed ML. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2008 Jan;11(1):7-12. Review. PMID: 18090651 doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e3282f2f4dd Summary: Vitamin D deficiency is easy to screen for and easy to treat with supplementation. Further larger observational studies and randomized clinical trials are, however, needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation could have any potential benefit in reducing future cardiovascular disease events and mortality risk.

25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of mortality in the general population. Melamed ML, Michos ED, Post W, Astor B. Arch Intern Med. 2008 Aug 11;168(15):1629-37. PMID: 18695076 Conclusion The lowest quartile of 25(OH)D level (<17.8 ng/mL) is independently associated with all-cause mortality in the general population.

"Fatty acids can help children in exams and improve their behaviour in class and at home, a study suggests. Overweight children who took fatty acid dietary supplements showed dramatic improvements in concentration, reading, memory and mental agility. The advances that their brains made in three months would normally take three years, researchers found."

"New research from Queen Mary, University of London and Harvard Medical School has revealed precisely why taking fish oils can help with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis."

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Low vitamin D levels in the body may be deadly, according to a new study hinting that adults with lower, versus higher, blood levels of vitamin D may be more likely to die from heart disease or stroke. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin mostly obtained from direct sunlight exposure, but also found in foods and multivitamins. Dr. Annamari Kilkkinen, at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues compared blood levels of vitamin D and deaths from heart disease or stroke over time in 2,817 men and 3,402 women in Finland."

"VIRILO-neitsytkookosöljy Korkealaatuinen kylmäpuristettu neitsytkookosöljy * VIRILO-neitsytkookosöljyä ei ole raffinoitu, valkaistu, hajustettu tai kovetettu * VIRILO-neitsytkookosöljy on monipuolinen öljy joka sopii niin ruoanvalmistukseen, ihonhoitoon, kuntoilijan energiatankkaukseen kuin vahvistamaan ja ylläpitämään yleisterveyttä sekä tukemaan painonhallintaa."

"THURSDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Feeling stressed? A dose of dark chocolate could cheer you right up by lowering your stress hormone levels, a new study suggests. Swiss researchers, who report their findings in the online issue of the Journal of Proteome Research, tracked volunteers who said they were highly stressed."

Gillman MW, Cupples LA, Gagnon D, Millen BE, Ellison RC, Castelli WP. Margarine intake and subsequent coronary heart disease in men. Epidemiology. 1997 Mar;8(2):144-9. PubMed PMID: 9229205

"came across a gem of a study the other day, courtesy of Dr. John Briffa's blog. It's titled "Margarine Intake and Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease in Men", by Dr. William P. Castelli's group. It followed participants of the Framingham Heart study for 20 years, and recorded heart attack incidence*. Keep in mind that 20 years is an unusually long follow-up period. "

Tällä hetkellä suomalaisten 3-60-vuotiaiden D-vitamiinin saantisuositus on 7,5 mikrogrammaa päivässä. Osa tutkijoista olisi valmis nostamaan saantisuosituksia rajustikin. Lamberg-Allardtin mielestä suositusta voisi nostaa hieman. Asian pulmalliseksi tekee se, että rasvaliukoinen D-vitamiini on elintärkeä, mutta myrkyllinen aine. "Emme tiedä mitä seuraa, jos sitä pitkällä tähtäimellä saa liikaa", Lamberg-Allardt sanoo.

Phytase activity in the human and rat small intestine. Iqbal TH, Lewis KO, Cooper BT. Gut. 1994 Sep;35(9):1233-6. PMID: 7959229

VITAMIN D LOWERS C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) Van den Berghe and colleagues at the University of Leuven in Belgium appear to be the first to show that simple, natural and cheap vitamin D (cholecalciferol) lowers CRP in critically ill patients. Even small amounts of cholecalciferol (500 IU) lowered CRP by more than 25% in a small group of critically ill patients. Another marker of inflammation (IL-6) was reduced even more. The researchers also found that critically ill patients were profoundly deficient in vitamin D.