Summary The objective of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of high doses of biotin (vitamin B7) in patients suffering from progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). 23 patients with this nervous system disease were treated with 100 to 300 mg of biotin daily for up to 3 years. The results showed significant…
Summary Fatigue and depression are common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on these symptoms. A significant decrease in fatigue and depression was observed in patients who received 500 mg of coenzyme Q10 per day. In contrast, there was a considerable increase in…
Summary Low vitamin D levels have been associated with worse outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Therefore, researchers from Finland, Switzerland, and the USA investigated whether vitamin D supplementation can improve the health of patients suffering from MS. The results showed improved outcomes following the vitamin D treatment, including less tissue damage in the group…
Summary Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. However, there is no effective medication for this symptom. Therefore, this Israelian study aimed to evaluate the effect of a specific vitamin D supplement (alfacalcidol) on MS-related fatigue. 158 patients with significant fatigue were included and received the supplement (1µg/day) or…
Summary This French study investigated whether a micronutrient combination containing, among others, coenzyme Q10 and magnesium is effective in preventing migraine. Adult patients suffering from migraine were administered one tablet of this combination per day for 3 months during the study. Supplementation significantly reduced the number of days with migraine headaches. This decrease was progressive…
Summary This Iranian study, which aimed to assess the effects of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) on the severity, frequency, and duration of migraine attacks, was conducted on 66 patients with migraine with aura. This severe headache is characterized by vision, sensation, or speech disturbances. Patients were allocated to receive either 80 mg of vitamin B6 or…
Summary This study aimed to determine the effects of a combined intake of probiotics and selenium on glucose and lipid levels in patients with gestational diabetes. To this end, 60 patients were allocated to two groups receiving either a placebo (30 participants) or a supplement containing probiotic plus selenium (30 participants) daily for 6 weeks.…
Summary This trial, executed by Iranian researchers, aimed to determine the effects of zinc and vitamin E on the metabolism and factors influencing insulin and lipid metabolism in women with gestational diabetes. 54 women aged 18 to 40 years and diagnosed with gestational diabetes participated in this study. The patients were allocated to two intervention…
Summary This Iranian study aimed to assess the effects of selenium supplementation on the metabolism of pregnant women with gestational diabetes. The study was performed on 70 women with gestational diabetes who were not treated with conventional medication. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either 200 µg of selenium (35 patients) or a placebo…
Summary Gestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy (gestation). This Iranian study aimed to determine the effect of zinc supplementation on glucose (sugar) levels and lipid (fat) concentrations in women with gestational diabetes. The study was performed with 58 women (aged 18 to 40 years) diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Patients were…
Summary High blood sugar (glucose) levels are associated with diabetes and prediabetes. Prediabetes is when blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. This study, conducted by two Indian research departments, evaluated the effect of 12 months of vitamin D supplementation on glucose levels and the progression of prediabetes to…
Summary This study, conducted by medical universities in Rome, Italy, and London, UK, aimed to evaluate whether inositol, a vitamin-like substance, plus folic acid, may improve glucose levels and reduce insulin resistance in overweight or obese type 1 diabetes patients. Insulin resistance is when cells in muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin…
Summary High blood glucose (sugar) levels are a common problem for people with diabetes. This Iranian study aimed to evaluate changes in glucose levels following vitamin D3 supplementation in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and vitamin D deficiency. Before the study, after three months, and at the end of the study, vitamin D levels…
Summary Vitamins and trace elements are essential for a well-functioning human body, and micronutrient deficiencies can lead to widespread health problems. This review, conducted by American research departments, discusses the consequences of micronutrient deficiencies in diabetes and insulin resistance. The level of micronutrients in the human body depends on many factors, like the origin and…
Summary Researchers from Brazil studied the preventive effects of omega-3 fatty acids on migraine. To this end, they examined 60 chronic migraine patients who were divided into two groups. One group of patients received an omega-3-fatty acids supplement; the other group was administered a placebo in addition to conventional treatment. Two-thirds of the patients taking…
Summary This study aimed to determine the prophylactic effects of vitamin B2 on migraine in children. 90 children with migraine were allocated into three groups: placebo, low-dose, and high-dose vitamin B2. Frequency, intensity, and duration of headaches were measured at the start of the study and after 12 weeks of supplementation. The results showed a…
Summary This review, performed by researchers from the USA, China, and Abu Dhabi, aimed to evaluate the effects of supplements, containing, for instance, coenzyme Q10, vitamin B2, and magnesium, on migraine attacks. The review included studies conducted in participants aged between 18 and 65 years and showed a beneficial and effective role of herbal supplements…
Summary This trial, executed by two Italian research departments, aimed to evaluate and compare various food supplements to prevent headaches. Patients of all ages and with diverse types of headaches were involved. The participants received different combinations of micronutrients, including, among others, magnesium, various B-vitamins, vitamin D, and coenzyme Q10. The results showed that the…
Summary This review, conducted by a research department in New York, USA, evaluated the evidence for complementary and alternative therapies (e.g., vitamin and mineral supplements) to prevent migraine, including micronutrients such as magnesium, vitamin B2, and coenzyme Q10. The review shows that alternative non-pharmaceutical treatment options could be used as a replacement or supplementary therapy…
Summary Due to the common side effects and financial burden of current treatments, there has been increased research interest in new therapies for headaches. Potential alternative therapies include micronutrients like vitamin B2, coenzyme Q10, magnesium, and vitamin D. An increasing number of high-quality studies on this subject shows that alternative treatments like nutritional supplements are…
Summary This German study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a supplement containing 600 mg of magnesium, 400 mg of vitamin B2, and 150 mg of coenzyme Q10 as prophylactic treatment for migraine. 130 adults aged 18 to 65 years with 3 or more migraine attacks per month were divided into a supplementation group or…
Summary Researchers from Iran aimed to assess the effects of micronutrients in reducing deficiencies of various micronutrients like B-vitamins, magnesium, coenzyme Q10, and vitamin D, which are associated with migraine. This review indicates that supplementation with diverse micronutrients has prophylactic and therapeutic effects on migraine patients. More details can be found in the review. References…
Summary Despite the high prevalence of migraine and its health, social, and economic burdens, few effective prophylactic medications have been available. This clinical trial, executed by Iranian research departments, aimed to assess the potential beneficial effects of coenzyme Q10 in migraine prophylaxis. During this trial, 80 patients with migraine headaches received either only their current…
Summary Two reviews, conducted by researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio, USA, summarize the role of various nutrients and specific diets in preventing migraine attacks and as their potential trigger. Part two of these reviews showed the beneficial effects of micronutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and folate. Diets containing a…
Summary Researchers from Saudi Arabia studied the role of vitamin B2 in protecting different mechanisms within the nervous system. Studies have shown that vitamin B2 can significantly tackle the developing mechanisms of neurological disorders such as migraine. For instance, it was found that vitamin B2 ameliorates oxidative stress and inflammation of the nervous tissue. Further…
Summary American researchers executed this study to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin B2 in children and adolescents with migraine. 42 patients with migraine, aged between 6 and 18 years, were involved. Doses of vitamin B2 were based on weight and recommended for migraine prevention. Patients treated with vitamin B2 showed a significant reduction in headache…
Summary Can vitamin D3 supplements improve the immune system of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)? To shed light on this question, 40 MS patients received a high-dose vitamin D3 supplement containing 10,400 IU (260 µg) of vitamin D3 or a lower-dose supplement with 800 IU (20 µg) of vitamin D3 daily for 6 months. It…
Summary Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are characterized by problems to perform activities of daily living and walking difficulties, among others. To test whether micronutrient supplementation can improve these symptoms, 51 MS patients received either 20 ml of a dietary formula (containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin A, and vitamin E) or 20 ml…
Summary This Iranian study aimed to determine whether vitamin A supplementation can improve psychiatric health in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. 101 MS patients were enrolled in this study and allocated to a treatment or placebo group. The treatment group was administered 25000 IU (7500 µg) of vitamin A per day for 6 months, followed by…
Summary This study aimed to determine the impact of vitamin A on disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. 101 MS patients participated in this study, which lasted one year. The treatment group received a supplement containing 25000 IU (7500 µg) of vitamin A for 6 months daily, followed by 10000 IU (3000 µg) of…
Summary This study, conducted by the Oregon Health and Science University and the Colorado State University in the USA, aimed to evaluate the effects of the antioxidant lipoic acid on gait and balance in multiple sclerosis patients. The study participants took 1200 mg of oral lipoic acid or a placebo for 2 years. Walking performance,…
Summary Multiple sclerosis is associated with vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment. This clinical trial, conducted by the University of Beirut, Lebanon, evaluated the cognitive performance in vitamin D-deficient MS patients and its potential improvement after 3 months of vitamin D3 intake. 88 MS patients were enrolled. The researchers found that vitamin D3 supplementation improved…
Summary Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Anti-inflammatory drugs are among the medicines used to treat MS. In the present study, an Iranian research department evaluated the effect of high-dose vitamin D on a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine (protein), IL-10, in patients with multiple sclerosis. 94 MS patients were…
Summary This study explored the effect of high-dose vitamin D intake on the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. 94 patients with multiple sclerosis were allocated to two groups: The first group received 50000 IU (1250 µg) of vitamin D3 every five days for 3 months. The second group received a placebo. The…
Summary This study, conducted by the University of Rome, Italy, aimed to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of vitamins B1, B6, and B12 in multiple sclerosis patients. 16 patients were involved and treated with oral nutritional supplements containing 300 mg of vitamin B1, 450 mg of vitamin B6 and 1500 µg of vitamin B12 for…
Summary Scientific evidence shows that a deficiency of different micronutrients, including vitamin D, is associated with coronary artery disease, which occurs when the heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries. Therefore, this Chinese study researched the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the severity of…
Summary High blood glucose levels are associated with the development of diabetes, which is a common disease in Western societies. Researchers from Sweden and Germany examined whether a specific nutritional supplement containing various amino acids improves blood glucose levels in non-diabetic adults. To this end, 60 overweight healthy participants were administered with the mentioned supplement…
Summary This trial investigated the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on vascular function and inflammation levels in patients with arterial diseases, which influence the risk of cardiovascular events. 70 patients received 4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids or a placebo daily for 3 months. After treatment with omega-3 fatty acids, a significant improvement was observed…
Summary Low magnesium levels may increase the risk of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). A trial, conducted by two American universities, therefore aimed to assess the effect of oral magnesium (400 mg magnesium oxide daily) on atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm. A total of 59 participants received either 400 mg/day magnesium orally…
Summary In this Italian study, 36 individuals with early-stage high blood pressure received a mixture containing several vitamins and magnesium or a placebo for 16 weeks. The results showed significantly reduced blood pressure levels in patients in the supplementation group compared to patients in the placebo group. This study demonstrated that specific nutrients can reduce…
Summary According to this Australian study, omega-3 fatty acids improve the vascular condition, including the aorta, by decreasing vascular inflammation and preventing the risk of heart attacks due to their anti-inflammatory properties. The study, which involved participants with a high risk for severe cardiovascular diseases, evaluated the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on vascular condition…
Summary This Japanese study aimed to evaluate the effects of magnesium and taurine supplementation on oxidative stress and the function of specific cells involved in cellular repair processes. Healthy men and rats received taurine, magnesium, or placebo for 2 respectively 4 weeks during this study. The study showed that magnesium and taurine supplementation increased the…
Summary This study, executed by Chinese research departments, investigated the effects of the amino acid taurine on high blood pressure and vascular function in patients with early-stage high blood pressure. 120 individuals received either a taurine supplement or a placebo for 12 weeks. Taurine supplementation showed, among others, a significant decrease in blood pressure levels…
Summary The present study was conducted by Chinese and Swedish research institutes and evaluated whether B vitamins improve various factors related to coronary artery disease. The participants received either a supplement containing B vitamins or a placebo for 12 weeks. Blood tests were performed before supplementation and at the end of the study. The study…
Summary This study aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D on the function of the cardiovascular system in patients who underwent a minimal coronary procedure. During this study, 41 coronary artery disease patients were allocated to a group receiving the standard treatment in combination with a vitamin D supplement or a group receiving only…
Summary Researchers from the University of Kathmandu, Nepal, investigated the causal effects of several micronutrients, including zinc, on coronary artery disease. Dietary intakes of 466 male participants were evaluated with a specific questionnaire. Several analyses were performed to determine the relationship between coronary artery disease and the intake of micronutrients. This study showed that zinc…
Summary This trial, executed by several Iranian research departments, aimed to assess the effects of folic acid alone and in combination with vitamin B6 on migraine attacks in adult migraine patients with aura (i.e., sensory disturbances including flashes of light, blind spots, and other vision changes). During this trial, 95 Iranian migraine patients with aura,…
Summary This study, conducted by different medical institutions in Iran, examined the effect of zinc supplementation in migraine patients. To this end, 80 participants with migraine received either a zinc supplement (220 mg/day) or a placebo for 8 weeks. The researchers assessed zinc concentrations and characteristics of migraine attacks at the start and end of…
Summary This Danish study investigated whether vitamin D supplementation could benefit adult patients with migraine. 24 out of 48 participants received a vitamin D3 supplement (100 µg/day), the other 24 participants received a placebo. Migraine attacks and related symptoms were assessed by self-reported diaries. After 24 weeks of treatment, a significantly reduced frequency of migraine…
Summary This Iranian trial explored the effects of vitamin D supplementation in migraine patients. 80 patients received either a daily dose of vitamin D (2000 IU/50µg) or a placebo for 12 weeks during the trial. At the start and after the trial, headache characteristics (by diaries) and inflammation parameters (by blood analysis) were determined. The…