In this week’s article, we provide a roundup of some of the most recent health and nutrition related articles in the news, five items comprising:
- Study links vitamin A levels to infant growth
- Probiotics for bipolar disorder mania
- All babies should be given vitamin D from birth, say experts
- Dietary fibres boost beneficial bacterial
- Gut bacteria linked to risk of heart attack and stroke
Study links vitamin A levels to infant growth
A study presented at the Nutrition 2018 conference in Boston suggests that adequate vitamin A levels may support infant growth – and that one Midwestern city may have a vitamin A ‘public health problem.’
Dr. Corrine Hanson, associate professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre in Omaha, Nebraska, studies fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A and E and omega-3s.
She presented her research on a cohort of 180 nationally representative mother and infant pairs, looking at various levels of their vitamin A (retinol, carotenoids etc.)
Her team found that 10% of mothers in the cohort had vitamin A deficiency, and around 41% of mothers were insufficient – not quite low enough to be deficient, but not meeting the recommended daily allowance either.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
The importance of nutrition for children’s health
Probiotics for bipolar disorder mania
Bipolar disorder can be a debilitating disease. Dealing with this illness is quite difficult for patients, family and friends. The manic phases can profoundly disrupt people’s quality of life.
The cost is another reason for concern, as patients can be hospitalised for days until their symptoms are well controlled. After discharge there is a high risk of relapse, so careful observation is important to prevent rehospitalisation’s. But what if a simple supplement could help manage these serious flare-ups?
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Supporting your gut with functional foods
Gut flora – the gatekeeper of your health?
All babies should be given vitamin D from birth, say experts
Babies are at risk of dying of rickets, a disease thought eradicated decades ago, because mothers and pregnant women are not being advised of the need for vitamin D supplements, according to experts.
Noah Thahane died last year at the age of six month from heart failure. It was a consequence of rickets, caused by a sever deficiency of vitamin D, the so-called sunshine vitamin. Experts at the University of Birmingham say his death was entirely preventable and are calling for all babies to be supplemented from birth and for mandatory monitoring by GPs and other NHS staff.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Vitamin D – functions, forms and latest research
Dietary fibres boost beneficial bacteria levels, but what about diversity?
Consuming dietary fibres does lead to higher levels of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp., but does not affect the diversity of bacteria in the gut, says a meta-analysis of 64 studies.
Pooling data from a total of 2,099 study participants also showed that fibre was associated with increases in levels of the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate, compared with placebo/low fibre, according to finding published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Read the full article here.
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The gut ecosystem and microbial diversity
Can better omega-3 intake help mums have babies with health weight and guts?
Mothers who eat high levels of omega-3s from oily fish may help their children form healthy guts and maintain healthy weights throughout their lives, according to new research in mice.
The study, published in Microbiome, showed that babies fed a high-fat diet gained less weight if they were born to mothers who had high omega-3 status.
“We have shown that a mother’s diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding may affect her babies’ weight and gut health in the long term,” Robertson commented.
Read the full article here.
Related Cytoplan blogs
Omega 3 Fatty Acids – DHA, EPA & ALA
If you have any questions regarding the topics that have been raised, or any other health matters please do contact me (Clare) by phone or email at any time.
clare@cytoplan.co.uk, 01684 310099
Clare Daley and the Cytoplan Editorial Team
Last updated on 28th June 2018 by cytoffice
