Lutein (luteus means”yellow” in Latin) is a xanthophylls and one of 600 known naturally occurring carotenoids. Lutein is synthesized only by plants and like other xanthophylls is found in high quantities in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale. Zeaxanthin is one of the most common carotenoid alcohols found in nature. Synthesized in plants
Vitamin D status may be related to the tendency to develop diabetes during pregnancy, according to a study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing (volume 41, Issue 3, pages 328–338, May/June 2012). This was a meta-analysis that looked at six studies performed between 1999 and 2011. Five of the studies
A study involving 40 subjects with coronary artery disease was published in Nutrition (Volume 28, Issue 3, March 2012, Pages 250-255). The subjects were randomly divided into three groups and given 150 milligrams of CoQ10 per day, 60 milligrams of CoQ10 per day or a placebo for a period of 12 weeks. At the end
A study, appearing in the British Journal of Psychiatry (Epublished ahead of print, July 12, 2012) found that depression may be linked to low levels of vitamin D. The study looked at 230 depressed subjects with low vitamin D levels and compared them to 114 individuals with high vitamin D levels. They were evaluated with
Research appearing in Diabetes Care (2012 Jul; 35(7): 1544-51) looked at two cohort studies, involving over 7,000 men and women. The subjects were free of type 2 diabetes and heart disease at the start of the study (one study started in 1982-83, the other in 1986-87). Selenium levels were measured in the toenail. Questionnaires were