News

Vitamin D may help with depressive symptoms

A review of randomised clinical trials suggests that supplementing with vitamin D can result in a small but significant improvement in depressive symptoms, particularly for people who start out with a deficiency. The researchers, from Qilu Medical University in Shandong, China, found that the overall effect was modest and varied between studies, so they have stressed that vitamin D isn’t a replacement for therapy or medication. The authors of the review commented: “Our findings indicate that vitamin D supplementation is associated with a moderate but statistically significant improvement in depressive symptoms. These results support the potential role of vitamin D as an adjunctive treatment for depression, particularly in individuals with baseline deficiency.” The review calls for more targeted, well-powered trials focusing on deficient groups and standardised dosing to clarify who is most likely to benefit. The results were published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Dehydration may raise stress

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University have reported that even mild dehydration can increase feelings of stress and negative mood. The researchers discovered that people who drank less than 1.5 litres of fluid, or seven cups of tea, per day had a cortisol response to stress that was over 50% higher than those who met daily water intake recommendations.

Study lead Professor Neil Walsh, a physiologist in LJMU’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, said: “Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone and exaggerated cortisol reactivity to stress is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression. If you know you have a looming deadline or a speech to make, keeping a water bottle close could be a good habit with potential benefits for your long-term health.”

Leafy greens may lower cardiovascular risk

Eating more leafy green vegetables could help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study reveals.

The study was carried out by researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU), the University of Western Australia and the Danish Cancer Institute. Lead researcher Montana Dupuy said: “Leafy green and cruciferous vegetables, like spinach, kale and broccoli, contain vitamin K1 which may assist in preventing vascular calcification processes that characterise cardiovascular disease. The great news is that these vegetables can be easily incorporated into your daily meals.”

ECU Senior Research Fellow Dr Marc Sim noted that “a cup and a half of such vegetables is an easy way to increase our daily vitamin K intake and may lower our risk for cardiovascular disease”. The findings were published in the European Journal of Nutrition.

Ultra-processed foods linked to more health concerns

A study by researchers from the University of Copenhagen has found that ultra-processed foods lead to weight gain, disrupted hormones and have even been linked to declining sperm quality in men.

The scientists recruited 43 men aged 20 to 35 to participate in the study, The men were either allocated to a diet of unprocessed foods, or a diet of ultra processed foods for three weeks. The men gained around 1 kg more of fat mass while on the ultra-processed diet compared to the unprocessed diet. Several other markers of cardiovascular health were also affected. The scientists also discovered a worrying increase in the levels of a hormone-disrupting substance used in plastics in the men on the ultra-processed diet. Men on this diet also saw decreases in their levels of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which are crucial for sperm production. The findings were published in Cell Metabolism.

The Mediterranean diet linked to good gum health

People who eat a Mediterranean diet tend to have better gum health and less inflammation, a new study has shown.

The study, carried out by researchers from King’s College London, revealed that people who ate a diet mostly consisting of plant-based food, such as legumes, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, showed lower levels of various inflammatory markers. But people who did not follow a Mediterranean-style diet tended to have more severe gum disease, especially if they frequently ate red meat, and showed higher levels of circulating inflammatory markers.

The researchers evaluated 200 hospital patients enrolled in the King’s College London Oral, Dental and Craniofacial Biobank by performing dental exams, taking blood samples, and asking them about their diets through questionnaires.

Dr Giuseppe Mainas, first author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London, said: “Our findings suggest that a balanced, Mediterranean-type diet could potentially reduce gum disease and systemic inflammation. We observed that there may be a connection between periodontal disease severity, diet, and inflammation. These aspects should be holistically considered when assessing the treatment for periodontitis in patients. Our research offers an important starting point that can lead to more research to better understand the relationship between foods intake and gum disease.” The research was published in the Journal of Periodontology.

Diet demonstrates effects of inflammation

A new study has demonstrated how diet plays a major role in the way that chronic diseases accumulate with age. While healthy diets can protect the heart and brain, inflammatory diets can increase the risk of disease. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden examined how four different diets affected the accumulation of chronic diseases in older adults. Three of the diets studied were healthy and focused on the intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, legumes, unsaturated fats and reduced intake of sweets, red meat, processed meat and butter/margarine. The fourth diet was pro-inflammatory and focused on red and processed meat, refined grains and sweetened beverages, with fewer vegetables, tea and coffee.

The researchers followed the diets of just over 2,400 older adults for 15 years. They found that those who followed the healthy diets had a slower development of chronic diseases, including dementia and cardiovascular disease. Those who followed the pro-inflammatory diet increased their risk of chronic diseases.

Co-first author Adrián Carballo-Casla said: “Our results show how important diet is in influencing the development of multimorbidity in ageing populations.” The results were published in the journal Nature Aging.

Exercise maintains vitamin D levels in winter

Regular, moderate-intensity exercise helps to maintain vitamin D levels during the winter, according to a recent study.

The study involved over 50 people who were overweight and obese, who completed a 10-week indoor exercise programme over the winter. The programme involved four sessions per week: two treadmill walks, one longer steady-state bike ride, and one high-intensity interval bike session. The people who exercised experienced significantly smaller drops in vitamin D levels compared to those who didn’t exercise, even though their body weight was deliberately maintained. Notably, the people who exercised maintained healthy levels of the active form of vitamin D, which helps support the immune system and bone health. In the non-exercising group, levels of this active form fell by 15%.

The study was conducted by a research team from the University of Bath, the University of Birmingham, the University of Cambridge and others. Lead author Dr Oly Perkin from the University of Bath said: “This is the first study to show that exercise alone can protect against the winter dip in vitamin D. It’s a powerful reminder that we still have lots to learn about how exercise benefits our health.” The findings were published in Advanced Science.