Carotenoids are oil-soluble plant pigments that the body can convert to vitamin A. They are responsible for the bright colors of produce. The best known carotenoid is beta-carotene. Beta carotene also has the most vitamin A activity of all of the carotenoids. Other carotenoids include alpha carotene, lycopene, lutein, astaxanthin, beta crpytoxanthin, and zeaxanthin. A
A triglyceride molecule consists of a glycerol molecule with three fatty acids attached. After a meal, your body converts calories it does not need to triglycerides. Your body uses them for energy. Eating more calories than you can use, especially in the form of refined carbohydrates, can cause your triglycerides to become elevated. High triglycerides
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, appearing in Clinical Infectious Diseases (2012 Feb; 54(3): 340-6), 263 children who had been treated for urinary tract infections were given either cranberry juice or a placebo daily for a period of six months. Only 16% of children in the cranberry juice group contacted at least one urinary tract infection,
Research appearing in the Journal of Physiology (Published online before print April 2, 2012, doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.230078 May 1, 2012) looked at sugar consumption in rats and how it affected their ability to learn complex tasks. Scientists at UCLA conducted a five-day training session, teaching the rats how to navigate a complicated maze. After the training
We seem pretty clear on the idea that diet can prevent certain diseases, like heart disease and diabetes. Diet can also effect the brain. It can influence mood and cognition. A diet that is high in refined carbohydrates, for example, can create insulin insensitivity. Insulin insensitivity can make a person prone to mood swings or
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was published in the Clinical Nutrition (2012 Aug 31; S0261-5614(12)00185-9). The subjects were 96 children who were under the age of six. Over a period of two months they received either 10 mg of zinc gluconate or a placebo. The subjects were evaluated every two weeks over a period of
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (1999;341:549-555, 601-602), if a woman is pregnant and has hypothyroidism, the IQ of the child may be adversely affected. Women with untreated thyroid deficiency during pregnancy are 4 times more likely to have children with lower IQ scores. 19% of the children whose
Nearly a third of migraine sufferers have low intracerebral magnesium, and the levels decrease drastically during an attack, according to a study appearing in the journal, Headache (2002; 42:242-248). Using magnesium to prevent migraines has had mixed results. In research appearing in the journal, Neurology (1998;50(suppl 4):A340) magnesium levels could be increased intravenously, but a
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (1999;341:549-555, 601-602), if a woman is pregnant and has an underactive thyroid, the IQ of the child may be adversely affected. Children between the ages of seven and nine, with mothers who had untreated hypothyroidism, scored an average of seven points lower on
Research has shown a link between magnesium deficiency and fibromyalgia. In The Journal of Nutritional Medicine (1994;4:165-167) research on 100 fibromyalgia patients and 12 controls with osteoarthritis found that the patients with fibromyalgia had very low red blood cell magnesium levels. Other research published in The Journal of Nutritional Medicine (1992;3:49-59) 15 patients with fibromyalgia