SUBJECT: J Nutrition May, 2014

1. Vitamin Kintake is inversely associated with mortality risk – Vitamin K has been related to cardiovascular disease and cancer risk. Vitamin K includes a group of fat-soluble vitamins that occur in 2 natural active forms: 1) phylloquinone (vitamin K-1), mainly found in green leafy vegetables and vegetable oils; and 2) menaquinone [vitamin K-2 or menaquinone], produced by intestinal bacteria and found in fermented foods. An increase in dietary intake of vitamin K is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular, cancer, or all-cause mortality.

2. High fiber intake reduces colon cancer risk – High dietary fiber intake was associated with reduced risk of colorectal polyps. This association was found to be stronger among cigarette smokers.

3. Insufficient Vitamin D increases atherosclerosis risk – Vitamin D insufficiency is highly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Collectively, the findings imply low vitamin D status as a causal factor for vascular calcification and atherosclerosis.

4. Getting fish oil daily is better than weekly – Consumption of oily fish is sporadic, whereas controlled intervention studies of n–3 (ω-3) fatty acids usually provide capsules containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as a daily dose. At the end of the 12-mo intervention, the daily dosage group had higher EPA, DHA, and EPA + DHA in platelets and white blood cells.

5. Mediterranean diet improves health of older men – Few studies have investigated the relation between diet quality and the risks of CVD and mortality in older adults. Encouraging older adults to adhere to the guidelines inherent in the Mediterranean criteria may have public health benefits.

6. Get enough folate to keep your DNA healthy and reduce inflammation – Folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism is essential for DNA synthesis, repair, and methylation. Perturbations in one-carbon metabolism have been implicated in increased risk of some cancers and may also affect inflammatory processes.

7. Vitamin E reduces risk of prostate cancer – Vitamin E (α-tocopherol) plays a key role in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation and has been studied as a potential chemopreventive agent for prostate cancer.

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Roc Ordman, Professor Emeritus, Biochemistry Program
A student may think that he cannot be satisfied until he gets his diploma. But when he gets it, he is only happy for a few days before he says”I need to get a job.” So nothing can satisfy a person if he is always running.  Stopping and learning to be happy in the present moment is the key. We call this aimlessness. It is enlightenment.