The essential nature of vitamins and minerals for human health was demonstrated more than a hundred years ago. Recommendations for appropriate dietary intakes aim to ensure that most of the population receive amounts fulfilling their physiological needs. Getting regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, maintaining low stress levels and getting enough sleep each night can […]
Obesity is an epidemic and a worldwide problem. It can lead to some chronic diseases such as dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, fatty liver and cardiovascular diseases. It is a complex condition, one with serious social and psychological dimensions that affects virtually all age and socioeconomic groups and threatens to overwhelm both developed and developing […]
Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight and over 30 is obese. The issue has grown to epidemic proportions, with over 4 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese […]
Salt substitutes with reduced sodium levels and increased potassium levels have been shown to lower the blood pressure, but their effects on cardiovascular and safety outcomes are uncertain. A group of researchers in China, published an article in The New England Journal of Medicine in which they included nearly 21,000 participants from over 600 villages […]
A high percentage of children, teens and young adults with migraines appear to have mild deficiencies in vitamin D, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and coenzyme Q10, a vitamin like substance found in every cell of the body that is used to produce energy for cell growth and maintenance. Migraine affects 18% of women and 6% of […]
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting approximately 17.7 million people in 2015. Importantly, CVDs are susceptible to behavior modifications. In this sense, a healthy diet is one of the lifestyle components that could be promoted to […]
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of death worldwide with an increasing trend in developing countries. The general risk factors associated with the diseases are known to be hypertension, smoking, and hyperlipidemia. Worldwide, high cholesterol levels cause some 56% of ischemic heart disease and 18% of strokes, amounting to 4.4 million deaths annually. Ig […]
Vitamin A deficiency affects 190 million preschool-aged children and 19 million pregnant women worldwide. It is the underlying cause of 650,000 early childhood deaths and has become recognized as an important problem among women of reproductive age in many developing countries. Chronic vitamin A deficiency may increase the risks of complications and death during pregnancy […]
A new study shows that people who eat a diet that includes at least half a serving per day of foods high in flavonoids like strawberries, oranges, peppers and apples may have a 20% lower risk of cognitive decline. The research was published in the journal Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of […]
Currently, there are more than 50 million Americans aged 65 years or more, and that is projected to more than double by 2060. A consequence of this increase in older adults is the escalation of age-related diseases. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias, a group of symptoms in which there is progressive deterioration in cognitive […]