January 30, 2018

5 At-Home Remedies for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a condition which is estimated to impact about 20% of Americans each year. It’s a serious form of depression, which can range from mild to severe, and last anywhere from 3-6 months. While the direct cause of SAD hasn’t been proven, deficiencies in sunlight and vitamin D, and the disruption of our circadian rhythm that comes with wintertime are major factors in the development of SAD. Since a lack of sunlight is a major part of SAD, it makes sense that more people are affected by the condition in the north; an estimated 10% of people in […]
January 23, 2018

Health Benefits of Baobab

Nutritionists have identified baobab popularly called ‘Kuka’ in Hausa language as one of the foods with health benefits. The tree, which is widely grown in the northern part of the country, is said to be high in fibre , vitamin C and nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus. Baobab fruit is also high in calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, thiamin, B6 and bioflavonoids. It also acts as a prebiotic, that is a type of dietary fibre that feeds the friendly bacteria in your gut. This helps the gut bacteria produce nutrients for your colon cells and leads to a healthier […]
January 9, 2018

B-12 and You: How Critical Is It?

Remember when Pac-Man became super powerful after eating power pellets? That’s how vitamin B12 acts with
November 20, 2017

Smart To Be Taking Vitamins Before Pregnancy?

Women of childbearing age need more education about the benefits of taking certain vitamins — even before they become pregnant — to prevent birth defects, according to a survey released last month by the March of Dimes. While 97 percent of women surveyed who have been or are currently pregnant reported taking prenatal vitamins or multivitamins during their current or last pregnancy, only 34 percent say they started taking the prenatal vitamin or multivitamin before they knew they were pregnant, the survey shows. That number drops to 27 percent for Hispanic women and to 10 percent for black women. The […]
May 16, 2017

Vitamin B Helps Protect The Heart From Pollution

On April 3, 2017, Scientific Reports published the findings of researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health of an association between B vitamin supplementation and protection against the effects of fine particulate matter pollution on the cardiovascular and immune systems. “Ambient PM2.5 pollution is one of the most common air pollutants and has a negative effect on cardiac function and the immune system,” explained lead investigator Jia Zhong, PhD, who is a postdoctoral research officer in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia’s Mailman School. “For the first time, our trial provides evidence that B vitamin supplementation might […]
June 9, 2015

Vitamin K2 Improves Artery Health

Despite it being known as the “blood-clotting” vitamin, research shows vitamin K has anti-aging, anti-cancer, and even bone-building effects. Within the last couple of years, it has garnered even more attention for its potential role in preventing heart disease. Impressively, a recent study found that one of its sub-fractions, vitamin MK-7, improved arterial health. The results were published in the journal,Thromobosis and Haemostasis. Vitamin K2 Reduces Arterial Stiffness and Improves Elasticity A fundamental role of vitamin K is to keep calcium out of arteries and into bones. With aging, the reverse is frequently seen, which could explain why older people are stricken with […]
June 9, 2015

Folic Acid Lowers Risk for Summer Heat Cardiac Events

Now that you’re older, you may be having a hard time tolerating summer heat, especially when the humidity is high. A new study shows that supplementing with a certain vitamin may be what you need to feel better in summer heat. Folic Acid Helps Older People Tolerate Summer Heat When you were a kid you could probably handle summer heat pretty well. You stayed out playing all day with your friends without a second thought. But, after age 50, you may have noticed that you don’t tolerate summer heat, especially high humidity, the way you used to. In addition, summer […]
April 28, 2015

Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid Improve Memory

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of an analysis of a trial which found that supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 improved immediate and delayed memory in older men and women. The study analyzed data from a trial of 900 participants with elevated psychological distress who received 400 micrograms of folic acid plus 100 micrograms vitamin B12, or a placebo for two years. Cognitive function was assessed at the beginning of the study and at 12 and 24 months. While orientation, attention, verbal memory and processing speed remained unchanged, greater improvements from baseline in immediate and delayed recall […]
March 17, 2015

Vitamin C Turns Stem Cells Into Heart Cells

The role of vitamin C in the body may be even greater than previously believed. New research has found that vitamin C helps convert mouse embryonic stem cells growing in the laboratory into heart muscle cells. Embryonic stem cells are unspecialized cells that are derived from the very early stages of fetal development. These cells can convert into any type of cell in the body through a process termed differentiation. Researchers hope that the ability to transform these cells into viable heart cells in the laboratory can lead to effective treatments for heart failure—the inability of the heart to pump […]