Folic acid is becoming the vitamin of the moment. Best known as a supplement for pregnant women to prevent birth defects in their unborn child, research has now linked it to reducing the risk of a host of health problems, including dementia, and experts say we should all raise our daily intake.
A review of studies in the journal Nutrients, published in June, found that taking a regular folic acid supplement reduced levels of inflammation, which lies at the root of chronic conditions including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and arthritis.
Another study earlier this year published in the Quarterly Journal of Medicine suggested getting enough folic acid also helps the body break down homocysteine, a compound made when proteins are digested high levels are linked to damaged blood vessels, reduced blood flow and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.
Jerri-Lynn here. It amazes me that one year into this pandemic, public health authorities are not already providing vitamin and mineral supplements to boost immune system function, not only for the elderly, but for everyone, and without relying on the rationale that such a course of action is necessary to boost the effectiveness of COVID vaccines.
By Margaret Rayman, Professor of Nutritional Medicine, University of Surrey, and Philip C Calder, Head of Human Development and Health and Professor of Nutritional Immunology, University of Southampton. Originally published at The Conversation.
If we’re going to rely on COVID-19 vaccines to bring an end to the pandemic, we need to maximise their effects. But one thing that risks undermining their protectiveness is nutritional deficiency, particularly in the elderly.
A study published in the
European Respiratory Journal looks at asthma in children and omega-3 dietary intake.
Dr Prasad Nagakumar, Paediatric Respiratory Consultant, Lead for Severe Asthma, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital NHS Trust, and Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Birmingham Clinic Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, said:
“In a study published in ERJ, Talaei and colleagues using data from two large birth cohorts have shown that in children aged 7 years with a specific variant in FADS gene, high dietary intake of long chain omega 3- fatty acids is associated with 51% reduction in risk of developing asthma at age 11-14. The study population included predominantly Caucasian subjects, mostly not from lower socioeconomic status. Few studies in the past have shown reduction in risk of offspring developing asthma when such dietary modifications are made in pregnant women or in infants. This well-designed study provides valuable data showing that dietar