Effectiveness of vitamin C infusion

Summary This study determined the effect of vitamin C infusions on the function of the endothelium (inner lining of blood vessels) in diabetic patients. 8 adolescents with diabetes were included in the study. The results showed that vitamin C was effective against the endothelial dysfunction in adolescents with diabetes. More details can be found in…

Vitamin K supplementation prevents insulin resistance and reduces the risk of diabetes type 2

Summary This review provides an overview of the currently available evidences on the effect of vitamin K supplementation in the management of diabetes. The results reported the beneficial role of vitamin K supplementation in preventing insulin resistance (the diminished ability of the body to respond to the action of insulin in decreasing blood sugars) and…

Vitamin C reverses oxidative stress in pregnant women with diabetes

Summary This study examined the effect of vitamin C administration on oxidative stress (imbalance between the production of free radicals production and the body´s antioxidant defences) in pregnant women with diabetes (gestational diabetes). 200 women with gestational diabetes were given vitamin C or no supplementation. The results showed that vitamin C reverses the oxidative stresses…

Vitamin C supplementation ameliorates insulin resistance and oxidative stress

Summary Diabetic patients can suffer from insulin resistance (the diminished ability of the body to respond to the action of insulin in decreasing blood sugars) and oxidative stress (imbalance between the production of free radicals production and the body´s antioxidant defenses). This study investigated the effects of vitamin C supplementation on insulin resistance and oxidative…

Alpha-lipoic acid protects from bone loss

Summary Osteoporosis is a chronic disease associated with decreased bone density. Pharmacological treatments are often limited, and a new interest in the use of naturally occurring compounds is growing. Alpha-lipoic acid is a naturally occurring compound with antioxidant properties, and current data indicate that alpha-lipoic acid protects from bone loss. More details can be found…

Maternal vitamin B12 deficiency results in growth retardation and osteoporosis in the offspring

Summary This study evaluated the effect of maternal deficiency of vitamin B12 on growth and bone mass of the offspring. The experiments, performed with an animal model, showed that vitamin B12 deficiency resulted in severe growth retardation and osteoporosis of the offspring. These results identify B12 as an essential vitamin which suggests possible therapies in…

Calcium and vitamin D prevent osteoporosis

Summary The study determined the effect of breast-feeding on osteoporosis, especially in people with low calcium intakes and vitamin D deficiencies. Data from 1231 postmenopausal women were analysed, and it was found an increase in the risk of osteoporosis was found in women with prolonged breast-feeding histories. The authors concluded that calcium and vitamin D…

Protective effects of magnesium in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty for heart attack

Summary This study evaluated the effect of magnesium in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty (a procedure used to open the clogged arteries of the heart) for heart attack. 180 patients with heart attacks underwent successful coronary intervention. They were treated either with intravenous (directly injected into a vein) magnesium or with an intravenous solution without magnesium.…

Vitamins C and E reduce irregular heartbeat after heart surgery

Summary Irregular heartbeat affects approximately 30% of patients undergoing heart surgery. This study evaluated the effect of vitamins on irregular heartbeat after heart surgery. The investigation included 5 studies and a total of 567 patients, of which 284 received antioxidant vitamins. The results showed that vitamins C and E significantly reduced the onset of irregular…

Vitamin B12 supplementation should be encouraged during the rehabilitation period after heart surgery

Summary This study investigated the nutrition status in patients admitted to rehabilitation after heart surgery. Blood samples were collected from 50 patients and analyzed. The results showed that vitamin B12 supplementation should be encouraged because of its substantial reduction during the rehabilitation period after surgery; in addition, it was found that the diet followed during…

Low blood levels of selenium are associated with complications after heart surgery

Summary This study evaluated the blood levels of selenium in patients undergoing heart surgery. Blood selenium was measured in 40 patients before and after heart surgery. The results showed a decrease in selenium levels after the operations. The researchers concluded that low blood levels of selenium are associated with development of complications after heart surgery.…

Arginine reduces vasoconstriction after heart surgery

Summary This study tested the hypothesis that the amino acid arginine dilates blood vessels in patients undergoing heart interventions. 20 patients scheduled for surgery were given either intravenous infusion of arginine or a solution without arginine over 15 minutes. The results showed that arginine reduced vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels) after heart surgery, and…

High dietary intake of quercetin is related to a reduced risk of stomach cancer

Summary This study evaluated the relationship between dietary intake of quercetin and stomach cancer. 505 patients with stomach cancer and 1116 participants without cancer were investigated. The results showed that high dietary intake of quercetin is related to a reduced risk of non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma (cancer of the lower stomach). More details can be found…

Protective role of vitamins supplementation against stomach cancer

Summary This study evaluated the relationship between nutrients intake and stomach cancer. 338 patients with stomach cancer and 679 participants without cancer were investigated. It was found that fats increase the risk of stomach cancer. Conversely, supplementation with vitamins, especially with vitamin C, exerts protective effects against stomach cancer. Further details can be found in…

Nutrient mixture as a promising adjunct to standard treatment of pancreatic cancer

Summary This study evaluated the effect of a nutrient mixture containing lysine, proline, arginine, ascorbic acid and green tea extract on pancreatic cancer. The experiments, performed with cells, showed that the nutrient mixture inhibited the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). MMPs are substances produced by cancer cells to digest the surrounding tissues and spread through…

Micronutrients are effective against tumor invasion and metastasis

Summary Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are substances produced by malignant cells to digest the surrounding tissues, induce metastasis and spread through the body. This study examined the effect of various compounds on MMPs. The experiments, executed with human lung cancer cells, indicated that a nutrient mixture (NM) and the green tea-derived compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) inhibited the…

Vitamin C reduces the growth of leukemia cells

Summary This study evaluated the effects of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) against leukemia. The experiments showed that vitamin C reduced the growth of leukemia cells and it was concluded that vitamin C is effective against leukemia. Further details can be found in the study. References Steve Harakeh, Mona Diab-Assaf, Jihane C Khalife, Khalil A Abu-el-Ardat, Elias Baydoun, Aleksandra Niedzwiecki, Marwan E…

Maternal prenatal use of vitamins and folic acid reduces the risk of leukemia in offspring

Summary This study analyzed the effect of maternal prenatal vitamin supplementation with folic acid and other vitamins on childhood leukemia. Data on prenatal use of folic acid and vitamins were obtained from 12 studies, including more than 7,000 children with leukemia and 11,635 without leukemia. The results suggested that maternal prenatal use of vitamins and…

Fish oil supplementation elicits positive effect among children with leukemia

Summary This study determined the effect of fish oil supplementation among children with leukemia. 51 children were allocated into 2 groups and given either fish oil supplementation or no treatment. Compared with children who did not receive any supplementation, children who consumed fish oil had significant positive effects on appetite, caloric intake, and upper arm…

Folate supplementation in pregnancy reduces the risk of leukemia in the child

Summary This study assessed the risk factors associated with leukemia in children. Mothers of 83 children with leukemia and 166 children without the disease were interviewed andfathers were asked to complete a questionnaire. The results suggested that folate supplementation in pregnancy reduces the risk of leukemia in the child. Further details can be found in…

Quercetin-derived compounds inhibit the growth and induce the death of cancer cells

Summary Quercetin is a natural antitumor substance whose derived compounds, quercetin glucuronides, can be found in the blood after ingestion of dietary supplements containing quercetin. This study investigated the effects of quercetin glucuronides in human lung cancer cells. The experiments demonstrated that quercetin glucuronides inhibit the growth and induce the death of cancer cells. More…

The continual consumption of fish oil-derived compounds reduces inflammation and oxidative stress

Summary This study investigated the effect of fish oil-derived compounds (PUFA) in patients with lung cancer. 33 patients with advanced inoperable lung cancer and undergoing chemotherapy were given either four capsules/day containing PUFA or no supplementation. It was found that fish oil-derived compounds reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. The decrease of the oxidative stress implicates…

Isoflavonoids are effective against brain tumor

Summary Isoflavonoids are naturally occurring compounds and this study investigated their impact on brain tumor. The experiments were performed with cells and rats. The results revealed that dietary isoflavonoids were effective against brain tumor. Further details can be found in the study. References Tina Sehm, Zheng Fan, Ruth Weiss, Marc Schwarz, Tobias Engelhorn, Nirjhar Hore, Arnd Doerfler, Michael Buchfelder, Iiker Y Eyüpoglu, Nic E…

Lower vitamin D blood levels are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer

Summary This study evaluated the relationship between vitamin D and bladder cancer. Blood samples were taken from 250 patients with bladder cancer. The results showed that lower blood levels of vitamin D were associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. More details can be found in the study. References Alison M Mondul, Stephanie J Weinstein, Satu…

Higher micronutrient intake is associated with reduced risk of bladder cancer

Summary This study investigated the association between micronutrients intake and bladder cancer. A questionnaire was administered to 322 patients with bladder cancer and 239 persons without bladder cancer. The researchers concluded that higher intakes of carotenoids, vitamin D, thiamin, niacin, and vitamin E were associated with a reduced risk of bladder cancer. Further details can…

Cruciferous vegetables consumption reduces the risk of kidney cancer

Summary This article collects different studies on the relationship between cruciferous vegetables consumption and the risk of kidney cancer. 10 studies were included and analyzed. The authors concluded that cruciferous vegetables consumption is related to the decreased risk of kidney cancer. More details can be found in the study. References Ben Liu, Qiqi Mao, Xiao Wang, Feng Zhou, Jindan…