The Fish And D Prove Dominant Again

There are some nutrients that just keep surfacing in the medical literature with more and more good news. Those two nutrients are fish oil and vitamin D. There were two studies recently published in the Archives of Ophthalmology regarding poor visual health that can lead to blindness in the elderly. In the first, researchers evaluated over 4,500 people between ages 60 and 80 who participated in a study by the National Institute of Health's National Eye Institute. Individuals completed a food questionnaire measuring various nutrients. One in particular was DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, found in fatty fish such as salmon and tuna. It was found that those who ate more than two servings a week of fish were least likely to develop poor visual health that can lead to blindness. Authors felt that the fatty acids might help promote cell health and survival as well as improve blood vessel function.

A second study published in the same journal issue reported on over 7,700 people who participated in a national study. Researchers noted that vitamin D intake was associated with a reduced risk of developing poor visual health that can lead to blindness. People were split into five groups based on the level of vitamin D in their blood. Those with the highest had a 40% reduced risk of developing poor visual health compared with those with the lowest amount of vitamin D in their blood. The authors felt that vitamin D was effective by promoting cell health and preventing abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina.

There was a meta-analysis published in the 2007 edition of the journal Pain. Authors reviewed seventeen randomized controlled trials looking at the effects of omega-3 fatty acids in regard to relieving joint pain. It was ascertained that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids for three or four months reduced reported joint pain intensity, minutes of morning stiffness, number of painful and/or tender joints along with reducing consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.

There was yet another study of the benefits of fish oil published in the May 2007 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In it, overweight volunteers with poor blood pressure and cholesterol health were randomly assigned to receive fish oil, fish oil and exercise, sunflower oil or sunflower oil and exercise. Subjects consumed 6 grams of tuna per day, equivalent to about 1.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Other subjects consumed 6 grams of sunflower oil a day. The exercise groups walked three days a week for 45 minutes. It was found that those in the fish oil supplemented group had healthier triglyceride and HDL cholesterol levels, as well as healthier function of the inner lining of the arterial walls. Both fish oil and exercise independently reduced body fat.

Another interesting study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine involved over 25,000 adults between ages 35 and 65 who were followed for over ten years up to 2005. During that time, 844 developed poor blood sugar health. Those with the highest cereal fiber intake had a reduced incidence of developing increased blood sugar by 28%. Magnesium intake showed no effect in the study. However, a meta-analysis involving nine clinical trials on fiber intake and eight on magnesium intake showed a 33% reduction in the risk of developing poor blood sugar health with highest cereal fiber intake. The meta-analysis also linked high magnesium intake to a 23% reduction in developing poor blood sugar health. Interestingly enough, fruit and vegetable fiber content did not appear to have any effect.