Vitamin A deficiency increases the risk of disease and death from severe infections. A recent study suggests that avocados – which are rich in lipids – may help with the absorption of vitamin A from beta-carotene rich foods.

Participants in the two-part study included 12 healthy men and women. For the first study, the participants were given a meal with beta-carotene rich tomato sauce and then a second meal that included the tomato sauce, plus 150 g of avocado. The researchers found that the addition of avocado increased beta-carotene absorption by 2.4 times and increased the conversion of provitamin A to vitamin A by 4.6 times.

In the second study, the same process was followed but with raw carrot taking the place of the tomato sauce. They found that the avocado consumption was associated with a 6.6 times increase in beta-carotene absorption, a 4.8 times increase in alpha-carotene absorption, and a 12.6 times increase of conversion from provitamin A to vitamin A.

A provitamin is a substance that may be converted within the body to a vitamin by normal metabolic substances.

Researchers from Ohio State University conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on June 4, 2014,in Journal of Nutrition.

Vitamin A has been shown to improve diarrhea and the symptoms of respiratory disease, and to reduce the risk of measles. People who are deficient in vitamin A are also at risk for vision problems and many chronic diseases.

This essential vitamin can be found in beef liver, egg yolk, cheddar cheese, and fortified milk. If you think you’re not getting enough of these foods in your daily diet, try a high quality supplement.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 55. While it was previously thought to be an illness that only occurred in later years, a recent study suggests that AMD may start as early as 35.

Participants in the study included 4,340 people between the ages of 35 and 74 who underwent a five-hour examination in 2007. In 2010, the participants were contacted by a computer-assisted telephone interview in order to assess which diseases and health problems they had developed in the intervening years. Finally, in 2012, the researchers conducted another extensive examination, similar to the five hour one conducted at the onset of the study.

The researchers found that 3.8% of the participants aged 35-44 years old had early stages of AMD. This number was higher than expected, as AMD is usually defined as a disease that occurs in people in their fifties or older.

When they examined incidences of AMD for all the participants in the study, they found that approximately 12% suffered from the illness.

Researchers from Mainz University Medical Centre conducted the study. It was published in the February 2014 issue of Graefes Archive for Clinical Experimental Opthalmology.

Previous studies suggest that supplements that contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin may help slow the progression of AMD. Lutein and zeathanthin are the only carotenoids able to build macular pigment. Some good dietary sources of these carotenoids are egg yolk, corn, kiwi, grapes, spinach, zucchini and different types of squash.

If your diet is low in fruits and vegetables, or if you smoke cigarettes and/or regularly consume alcohol, you are at higher risk for developing AMD.

Deterioration of physical performance is normal as people age but a recent study suggests that taking a daily magnesium supplement may improve the physical performance of healthy, moderately active mature women.

Participants in the study included 124 women with an average age of 71.5. Over the course of 12 weeks, 53 of the women took 300 mg daily of magnesium while the other 71 took a placebo. All of the participants underwent the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) at the onset and conclusion of the study.

The researchers found that the magnesium group had significantly higher SPPB scores, improvements in chair stand times, and improvements in four meter walking speeds when compared with the placebo group.

They also noted that the positive effects of the magnesium supplement were even more pronounced in the women who dietary intakes of magnesium that were below the recommended dietary allowance.

Researchers from the University of Padova in Italy conducted the study. It was published in the September 2014 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Magnesium is necessary for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Previous studies have found that higher intakes of magnesium may reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

Eating more magnesium rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains, nuts and milk is one way to increase your magnesium intake. Taking a supplement is also a good option.

Periodontitis (more commonly known as gum disease) is one of the most common diseases in the world and some studies report that between 30% and 50% of Americans suffer from it. A recent study suggests that taking a daily supplement of DHA omega-3 fatty acids may help improve the symptoms associated with periodontitis.

Participants in the study included 55 adults with moderate periodontitis who were given either 2,000 mg of DHA or a placebo of soy/corn oil every day for three months. Both the DHA and placebo group were given 81 mg of aspirin daily as well.

Out of the 46 people who completed the trial, DHA levels in red blood cell membranes increased from 3.6% to 6.2%. No increases were observed in the placebo group.

In regards to gum health, the DHA group had a decreased average depth in the pockets between the teeth and the gums. They also had a lower gingival index, which is the test used to assess how far periodontitis has progressed. Finally, inflammatory markers in the gum tissue of the DHA group were significantly reduced when compared to baseline and to the placebo group.

Researchers from Harvard University conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on June 26, 2014, in the Journal of Dental Research.

DHA is one of the two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil; the other is EPA. Omega-3s have been linked to a number of health benefits, including improved joint mobility, helping with age related macular degeneration, better moods, and aiding your immune system.

Because omega-3 fatty-acids are not found naturally in the human body, it is especially important to make sure that they are a part of your daily diet. Oily, dark fish such as tuna and salmon are high in omega-3s. For vegans like the ones in this study or for folks who just don’t like fish, consider taking a daily high quality non-fish supplement that has been tested for purity and potency.

As milk consumption has decreased in the adolescent population, so have calcium levels. Low levels of calcium during pubescent may lead to increased risk of bone fracture later in life. A recent study suggests that consuming a soluble corn fiber supplement may boost calcium absorption in teens.

Participants in the study included 24 boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 15. For a period of 3 weecorn ks, they all consumed diets that contained less than the recommended amount of calcium, which is 600 grams per day. Additionally, half of the group was given 12 grams of soluble fiber while the other half took a placebo.

At the conclusion of the study, the soluble corn fiber group had an average increase in calcium absorption of 12%. The researchers calculated that continuing the soluble corn fiber supplementation would result in an additional 41.4 mg/day retained calcium and an overall additional 15.1 g of calcium in a year, which is 1.8% of total body calcium.

Researchers from Purdue University conducted the study. It was published in the August 2014 issue of British Journal of Nutrition.

Previous studies have linked soluble fiber consumption with blood sugar regulation, prevention of heart disease and breast cancer prevention.

If you are unable to find a corn fiber supplement, other sources of soluble fiber include beans, oatmeal, carrots, apples, lentils, flaxseed, berries, and nuts.

People who are not genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease may be able to conserve brain volume. A recent study suggests that taking fish oil supplements may prompt structural changes in the brain that conserve brain volume and improve cognition.

Participants in the study included 819 people who took part in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Of those participants, 229 were cognitively normal, 397 had mild cognitive impairment, and 193 had Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, 117 of the participants reported regular fish oil supplement use.

The researchers conducted neuropsychological tests and brain MRIs every six months. They also compared cognitive functioning and brain atrophy for patients who reported taking fish oil supplements and those not taking fish oil supplements.

They found that taking a fish oil supplement was associated with better cognitive functioning during the duration of the study. That result was only seen for those participants with normal baseline cognitive function and for people who tested negative for AP0E4, the gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, the participants who were APOE4 negative and took fish oil supplements had less brain atrophy than those who did not take fish oil.

Researchers from Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on June 18, 2014, in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Fish oil has also been linked to numerous other health benefits, including combating diabetes, lowering cholesterol, improving vision,reducing the risk of dementia and relieving depression.

If you’re looking to increase your fish oil intake, try adding darker fish, such as salmon or tuna, to your diet. If you don’t like the taste of fish or are just finding it hard to work it into your meal plans, consider taking a high quality supplement. Make sure your supplement is tested for purity and potency.

A recent study suggests that blueberry powder supplements may boost the immune system and lower blood pressure in sedentary men and women.

Participants in the study included 25 men and postmenopausal women who were given either the equivalent of 250g of blueberries in the form of blueberry powder or a placebo daily for six weeks.

The researchers measured blood pressure, vascular performance testing, and blood samples at the onset and conclusion of the study.

At the conclusion of the study, the supplement group saw a 4% increase in natural killer cells levels. Natural killer cells are a type of while blood cell that kill infected or tumor cells while sparing healthy cells.

The supplement group also showed reductions in aortic systolic blood pressure when compared with the placebo group. Additionally, participants in the supplement group who were classified as pre-hypertensive at the beginning of the study (blood pressure over 120/80 mmHg) saw significant decreases in diastolic blood pressure compared to baseline values.

Researchers from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on July 10, 2014, in Nutrition Research.

Previous studies suggest that blueberries may help decrease the risk of dementia, aid in weight management, improve blood vessel function, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.
They are easy to add to your diet because they go well with pancakes, salads and smoothies.

A recent study suggests that taking a special French melon extract high in the antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) may lower stress and fatigue levels and also improve cognitive performance.

Participants in the study included 61 volunteers who were given either a placebo or 10mg of the melon extract which contained 140 IU of f SOD, daily. The researchers tested all of the participants before the supplementation period started, 28 days after the start, and again 84 days after.

The researchers found that the SOD supplement group had an 8.8% reduction in stress, a 9.4% reduction in physical fatigue, a 13.9% improvement in cognitive performance, and a 6.4% improvement in overall life quality.

The researchers theorized that the positive effects of SOD from the melon extract may be due to the increased antioxidant activity it produces and subsequent reduction of oxidative stress.

Researchers from Bionov Company and Lariboisiere Hospital in France conducted the study. It was published on June 19, 2014, in the journal Nutrients.

Previous studies have found that melon-derived superoxide dismutase may help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), lower internal inflammation, and reduce pain associated with conditions like arthritis.

While the extract comes from melon, you need to take the hyper-concentrated supplement version in order to get the full health benefits.

Vascular dysfunction is one of the major causes of cardiovascular mortality. There are certain dietary steps you can take to possibly reduce your risk of heart disease. In fact, a recent study found that almonds may improve vascular function and increase blood levels of the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E.

Participants in the study included healthy young and middle-aged men with two or more cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure or being overweight. They were given either 50 g daily of almonds or a control for 4 weeks. The control group continued with their normal diet.

At the conclusion of the study, the almond group had higher levels of alpha-tocopherol, improved blood flow, and lower blood pressure when compared with the control group.

There were no changes in plasma lipids or markers of oxidative stress between the two groups.

Researchers from Aston University in the UK conducted the study. It was published in the May 2014 issue of Free Radical Research.

Previous studies have found that almonds may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. They’re also a great source of magnesium, manganese, and protein.

Almonds can easily be added to your daily diet as a mid-day snack, in breakfast cereal, or even sprinkled over a small serving of ice cream for dessert. Consider substituting a less healthy snack such as potato chips or cookies for a handful of almonds.

High cholesterol can lead to heart disease and type-2 diabetes, two of the increasingly common health conditions in the United States. A recent study suggests that taking a supplement of the omega-3 rich algae chlorella may reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people with slightly elevated cholesterol.

Participants in the study included 63 people with mildly elevated cholesterol. Over the course of four weeks, they took either 5 grams of chlorella algae supplement or a placebo.

At the conclusion of the study, the algae group had a 1.9% reduction in total cholesterol and a 10.3% reduction in triglycerides. In comparison, the control group had increases of 0.03% and 11.9%, respectively.

Additionally, the chlorella algae group had an 11% reduction in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, whereas the control group had a 12% increase. The algae group also had a 1.5% decrease in apolipoprotein B levels, while the control group showed an increase of 1.7%.

Finally, the algae group had a very significant 90% increase in lutein/zeaxanthin levels and a 164% increase in alpha-carotene, while the control group had a decrease of 1.7% and increase in 15%, respectively.

Researchers from Ewha Womans University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, and CHA Bundang Medical Center in South Korea conducted the study. It was published on June 11, 2014, in Nutrition Journal.

Algae isn’t just good for improving your blood profile; research has also shown that it may be effective for a wide range of health benefits including improving blood sugar,lowering cholesterol, boosting immune system, alleviating joint pain, colon and liver health, and boosting the immune system.

As algae isn’t a common part of the western diet, your best bet for obtaining all of these benefits is to find a high quality supplement. Make sure your supplement is from a certified source to avoid impurities.