A growing number of children and teenagers suffer from anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. Although there may be a number of underlying causes, it appears that vitamin D deficiency may be a contributing factor, according to a study that is published in the Journal of Nutrition. The problem is only made worse by the fact that many youngsters get too little sunlight during the summer period and that sun awareness campaigns warn against sun exposure without informing people about alternative ways of getting vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for bones but also for the brain, the nervous system, the immune defense, and many other physiological processes.

- and there is focus on nutrient deficiencies

The whole climate debate has made it increasingly popular to become a vegetarian or a vegan. However, according to a new and comprehensive study from Oxford, this choice of lifestyle may have grave health consequences and can increase your risk of apoplexy, also known as stroke, cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral thrombosis. The study is published in British Medical Journal. Earlier studies also give rise to concern, as a plant-based diet often lacks protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine, selenium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, and that can increase the risk of thyroid disorders, neurological disorders, infections, chronic inflammation, impaired fertility, growth disturbances in children etc. Some of these deficiencies are insidious and difficult to link to the diet.

Alcohol is one of the most compromising factors when it comes to public health, and alcohol abuse comes at an enormous cost, both to the individual and to society. A large alcohol consumption contributes as a factor to insidious dementia, but according to a new study from Taiwan, supplementing with vitamin B1 (thiamine) may prevent alcohol-induced dementia. The scientists that have conducted the study therefore point to vitamin B1 supplementation as having an important role in the treatment plan for people with alcohol abuse problems and to prevent dementia from developing or progressing.

Each Dane consumes 12.3 kilos of candy on average every single year, which makes Denmark the single largest candy eaters worldwide, according to Euromonitor that has studied candy consumption in 100 different countries. This rather unhealthy champion status has a number of grave health consequences, as it affects our blood sugar levels, energy levels, and ability to concentrate. In the long run, it may lead to dependence on these quick “energy fixes” and contribute to problems with the immune system, insulin resistance, overweight, diabetes, digestive disorders and other lifestyle diseases. To make things worse, there is all the concealed sugar that we get from our diet. A new science project aims at developing methods for helping families improve their daily health. In the following, you can read more about the dangers of consuming too much sugar and what you can do to stabilize your blood sugar by distributing your energy intake and taking a supplement of the trace element chromium.

- and why are certain exposed groups at risk of deficiency: new report

Vitamin C plays a key role in our energy turnover, immune defense, connective tissue, wound healing, antioxidant protection, cardiovascular health, brain, and a host of different enzyme processes. An English population study has shown that having low blood levels of vitamin C is associated with poor physical condition and that may spawn a number of different symptoms. The researchers behind the study also found that people from lower social classes, smokers, men, and older people in general are more likely to be deficient. Alcohol abuse, sugar abuse, stress, and poisoning may also increase the need for the nutrient, which means that many people may benefit from taking a supplement or improving their diet. The big question is how much vitamin C do we actually need for optimal health?

Involuntary childlessness has become increasingly common. Many women find themselves in a race against time, and their biological clock keeps ticking louder and louder. Fertility therapies, miscarriages, preeclampsia, and other complications during pregnancy contribute to the physical and emotional burden. In a new Australian study that is published in Nutrients, the authors write about selenium and zinc and how these nutrients play an important role in fertility and a healthy pregnancy. They also address the problems with widespread selenium deficiency and point out that environmental toxins like mercury deplete levels of vital selenium-containing proteins in the body. The scientists point to supplements for fighting deficiencies, just like folic acid and iron are routinely recommended to pregnant women. It pays off to choose selenium yeast with multiple organic selenium compounds and organic zinc to help improve the bioavailability and utilization of the nutrients.

A growing number of people suffer from overweight and type 2 diabetes, both of which are problems that come at a cost both to society and to the individual. The traditional dietary guidelines are not of much use, and many people find themselves in a hopeless battle because they also suffer from insulin resistance with impaired cellular glucose uptake. Countless epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the widespread lack of vitamin D contributes to the problem. In a review article that is published in Nutrients, the scientists address vitamin D’s many functions with relation to blood glucose regulation, satiety, body weight, and prevention of type 2 diabetes. It should be noted that overweight people and type 2 diabetics may have an increased need for vitamin D, and magnesium is also required for activating the vitamin.

Those with a higher dietary intake of vitamin A than what is officially recommended are 17 percent less likely to develop the second-most common skin cancer compared with those who get limited quantities of the nutrient, according to a study from Brown University in the USA. Beware that vitamin A is found in different forms in various foods and that one of these forms (retinol) can be overdosed.