Monthly Archives: March 2011

Vitamin C provision improves mood in acutely hospitalized patients.

Posted on by aileen

Why was the study done?
Vitamin C and vitamin D insufficiency are very prevalent in hospitalized patients, and both vitamins have been linked to psychological abnormalities, including abnormal mood states. Researchers suspected that supplementation might therefore improve mood in hospital in-patients.

Mayo Clinic finds low blood levels of vitamin D in CLL patients – and links them to cancer progression and mortality

Posted on by aileen

You exercise, you eat well, and feel lucky that you seem fitter and healthier than many of your contemporaries. Then a routine blood test shows an abnormally high white blood cell count. After more tests you get a diagnosis of …

Probiotic ice cream?

Posted on by aileen

Probiotics are currently receiving a lot of attention from the food industry. At the supermarket, probiotics are to be found in yogurt, but are also showing up in orange juice and even cereal. But ice cream? Wouldn’t freezing kill these delicate organisms?

Omega-3 fats appear to enhance the effect of anti-cholesterol (statin) drugs: Does this study tell the whole story?

Posted on by aileen

A new study from Korea suggests that combining high dose omega 3 fats – 4g/day providing 1.86 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1.4 grams of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – may be more effective in managing patients with mixed dyslipidemia …

Posted in Newsletter Articles, In Brief | Comments Off on Omega-3 fats appear to enhance the effect of anti-cholesterol (statin) drugs: Does this study tell the whole story?

Watch your waist to avoid diabetes

Posted on by aileen

You have just had the results of your annual physical and have been told that your fasting blood glucose has come back high, putting you at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. And if you are also overweight you know that your risk of developing diabetes is greatly increased. But if your weight and waist circumference are in the normal range you may think you have nothing to worry about.

“Healthy” lab rats are really sick

Posted on by aileen
The use of laboratory animals – usually rats and mice – as “stand-ins” for human conditions, or to test new drugs for safety and efficacy can be criticized on many grounds. Laboratory animals have different nutritional needs. For example, rats