Nutritional Foods and Drink
Iron Supplementation Improves Cognitive Function
April 2012 It is estimated that 25% of the world’s population, and approximately 50% of pre-school children worldwide have anaemia. 50% of anaemia cases are due to iron deficiency. Studies have shown that iron deficiency in infancy is related to poorer cognition in childhood. Iron is an essential mineral that plays key function in [...]
Korean Ginseng Helps to Enhance Cognitive performance
April 2012 Korean Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) is an adaptogenic herb that has been used as potent energy tonic for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Modern clinical study has provided scientific evidence on its benefit in enhancing cognitive performance. Although we do not yet fully understand the mechanism for many of Ginseng’s medicinal [...]
Dietary Supplements and Fortified Meal Replacements Help Ensure Nutritional Adequacy during Energy-Restricted Diets for Weight Loss
Weight control strategies that are both safe and effective are needed to reduce the rate of the current obesity epidemic. People incorporating fortified meal replacements are more likely to have adequate essential nutrient intakes compared to a group following a more traditional food group diet. A study published in the Nutrition Journal compared the macronutrient [...]
BMI, Waist Circumference and Chronic Disease Risk Factors in Australian Adolescents
The prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents is increasing worldwide. Studies have shown that obese children and adolescents have an increased prevalence of metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and, more recently, fatty liver disease. In parallel with increasing prevalence of obesity in adolescents, it is expected that long-term morbidity in [...]
Ensuring Adequate Vitamin D intake for Bone Health and Muscle Strength during Adolescence
A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency has been reported in healthy growing children and adolescents in a number of countries. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an elevation of PTH concentration in blood and an increase in the blood concentration of markers for bone turnover. Such changes in growing children and adolescents suggest that [...]
Eat Well for a Happier Life in Adolescents
With festive and the holiday seasons, teenagers often party hard and are more likely to ignore their nutritional requirements. A recent Australian study emphasized the importance of ensuring diet quality in adolescence and its potential role in modifying mental health over the life course. Studies have demonstrated inverse relationships between diet quality and the common [...]
Calcium supplementation for the Prevention of Pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is a major cause of death in pregnant women and newborn babies worldwide. Preterm birth is often caused by high blood pressure and is the leading cause of newborn deaths. Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are common causes of serious morbidity and death. Calcium supplementation may reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia through a number of mechanisms, [...]
Diet Low in Saturated Fat Important for Lowering ‘Bad Cholesterol’
Health authorities worldwide have uniformly stressed the importance of diet and lifestyle as the primary means of lowering serum lipids and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Combining foods with known cholesterol-lowering properties can help to reduce serum cholesterol effectively under metabolically controlled conditions. To assess the effect of a dietary portfolio on percentage change in [...]
Organic Coconut Oil
30 May 2011 Coconut oil is of special interest because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations. Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be the cure for most illnesses. Attacks viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, [...]
Iodine Deficiency Still a Concern in Pregnant Women
14 May 2011 Iodine deficiency during pregnancy and breastfeeding negatively affects brain and nervous system of the unborn infants, particularly reduced IQ. Despite recent legislation changes to make iodine fortification in bread mandatory across Australia since 2009, a recent study found that many women still aren’t getting enough iodine during pregnancy. Researchers at Monash University [...]
