Biotin, one of the B vitamins, is essential for numerous metabolic processes, and a biotin deficiency may be associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). According to a new study that is published in Nutrients, a biotin deficiency can also have a negative impact on the intestinal flora and result in a suppression of symbiotic bacteria and a replication of harmful, dysbiotic bacteria. The scientists say that a disrupted gut flora caused by a biotin deficiency may contribute to inflammatory bowel disorders.

Yes, according to a new study published in Free Radical Biology & Medicine, lack of selenium lowers the kidneys’ sodium excretion via different mechanisms, and that leads to elevated blood pressure. The study results are highly relevant because hypertension and subsequent premature death is a growing global problem. Selenium deficiency is also a widespread problem. One billion people worldwide are believed to be lack this essential nutrient, primarily because of the selenium-depleted agricultural soil in large parts of China, Europe, and other places.

According to a new study based on a number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the widespread lack of vitamin D increases the risk of being infected with COVID-19. It also increases the risk of complications and death as the result of a derailed immune defense. At the same time, supplementation with vitamin D appears to reduce both disease severity and death among COVID-19 patients, provided blood levels of the nutrient are optimal.

Both physical traumas and critical illnesses are associated with inflammation and oxidative stress where free radicals can cause potentially life-threatening damage to cells and tissues. Traumas are estimated to be the cause of one in ten deaths. New research suggests that early intervention with selenium may shorten the hospital stay including the days spent in intensive care and reduce total mortality. This was shown in a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition where the researchers looked closer at selenium’s unique antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory effect.

- and vice versa

All the different B vitamins are of vital importance to our energy levels, nervous system, skin, hair, and health in general. Our daily diet is the primary source of the vitamins but the intestinal flora is able to synthesize, consume, and compete for vitamin B in the host. Interactions between the body and the gut flora is therefore important for how we absorb and utilize the different B vitamins. On the other hand, lack of B vitamins or supplementation with B vitamins can also affect our gut flora, according to a review article that is published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

Seniors have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death. It is commonly known that diet plays a key role in preventing these diseases, and a team of scientists therefore decided to look closer at zinc because of this nutrient’s many functions in the heart and cardiovascular system. The scientists found that older people often lack zinc for different reasons. Therefore, the dietary guidelines for zinc in old age should be reconsidered with regard to cardiovascular health and other zinc-dependent functions.

People suffering from the Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder, often lack folic acid and vitamin B12. It is also known that this disease can be triggered by an infection with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), a type of bacteria that can survives in pasteurized milk. A new study that is published in Nutrients has found why lack of folic acid and vitamin B12 disrupts the immune defense, thereby contributing to chronic inflammation that can occur in the wake of an infection with MAP.

Selenium is an essential trace element of vital importance to our general health. The nutrient is also important for our gut flora, and being selenium-deficient may increase the risk of irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory gut diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerous colitis, and even bowel cancer. Our intestine is also called our “third brain” because both our gut flora and digestion have a significant influence on our mental well-being, according to a review article published in Frontiers in Nutrition. The authors focus on selenium because selenium deficiencies are common in China, Europe, and many other places, and supplementation may be necessary.