Optimal Health Insider
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Higher vitamin K intake helps lower blood pressure, according to study
Increased levels of vitamin K in the blood appears to improve cardiovascular health, according to new research conducted by cooperating scientists in Belgium and The Netherlands. Vitamin K was shown to provide benefits by reducing arterial stiffness and improving...
German study proves critical need of dietary supplements for elderly
Persons over the age of 65 are virtually guaranteed to have insufficient levels of at least one micronutrient in their blood. And odds are they are deficient in several critical micronutrients. This is the conclusion of an investigation conducted by researchers at the...
Study on EFA’s in flaxseed show myriad of benefits
Flaxseed was first cultivated in China and India some 5,000 years ago. Oil from flaxseed was used medicinally by ancient Greek and Roman populations over 2,000 years ago. So, it could be said that flaxseed has been prized as a “nutritional supplement” for literally...
Vitamin C supplements shorten hospital ICU stay
Providing a vitamin C regimen to ICU patients lowered the average stay by 8% according to meta-analysis research conducted at the University of Helsinki. The research was carried-out by Dr. Harri Hemilä from the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Dr. Elizabeth...
Zinc deficiency linked to high blood pressure
Inadequate zinc levels contributed to high blood pressure (hypertension) in a new study conducted on mice. The research demonstrated that lower-than-normal zinc levels altered the way the kidneys handle sodium. Zinc deficiency is common in people with chronic...
Vitamin A supplementation shortens hospital stay of children with pneumonia
A meta analysis of 3,021 patients determined that vitamin A supplementation was beneficial in treating pneumonia in children. At the same time, the research determined that vitamin A supplementation did not reduce the overall mortality of children with pneumonia. The...
Vitamin D deficiency linked to chronic headaches
If you’re suffering from chronic headaches, you may want to consider spending a little more time in the sun—or start taking a quality vitamin D supplement. According to a study from the University of Eastern Finland, vitamin D deficiencies are more common among people...
Antioxidant supplements reduce harmful effects of water contaminants
Rather than loading the nation’s water supplies with the neurotoxin fluoride, we’d be far better off if water policies dictated adding certain nutritional supplements to the water. This is what a reasonable person could deduce from new research by a U.S. university....
Essential fatty acids combat the number one killer of women
Thanks to endless pink “awareness” campaigns, most people think breast cancer is the number one killer of women. But it’s not. It’s not even close. Heart disease is the number one killer of women by a large margin. In fact heart disease kills six times more women than...
The three vitamins Scotland feels are crucial enough to hand out for free
The tide is turning. Just a few years ago news headlines ranted that vitamin supplements were of little to no value. In fact Forbes magazine publishes a long list of vitamin supplements they say you don’t need just about every year. Apparently someone forgot to tell...
B-vitamins offer protection against pollution according to U.S. research
Researchers in the U.S. have found that high doses of B-vitamin supplements may “completely offset” the damage caused by pollution. The study was small---only involving ten subjects---but the positive results provide hope that one more tool for fighting the effects of...
Antioxidant supplements become more mainstream as benefits recognized
According to research conducted by the Natural Marketing Institute, approximately 16% of the general population believes they are deficient in antioxidants. This stat demonstrates a growing awareness regarding the importance of antioxidants for general health. We have...