Minerals News and Research

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Increases in macronutrient consumption during pregnancy can lead to increased birthweight

Giving pregnant women in the developing world a daily supplement containing 10 vitamins and five minerals could help increase the birthweight of their babies, concludes a study published online by The Lancet.

3 Mar 2005

Third of cancer patients in Europe make use of complementary and alternative medicine

More than a third of cancer patients in Europe make use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to one of the largest surveys undertaken of CAM in cancer.

3 Feb 2005

Calcium boost to youths' bones could reduce osteoporosis risk

New research on calcium and bone development suggests that efforts to prevent osteoporosis, generally considered a geriatric disease among women, could actually start before puberty.

26 Jan 2005

Bacteria can use a sonar-like system to spot other cells

For the first time, scientists have found that bacteria can use a Sonar-like system to spot other cells (either normal body cells or other bacteria) and target them for destruction.

23 Dec 2004

Revised safety advice on chromium picolinate supplements

The Food Standards Agency has revised its advice on the safety of chromium picolinate supplements. It is no longer advising people to avoid this type of chromium.

14 Dec 2004

Low-dose antioxidant supplementation may reduce the risk of cancer among men, but not in women

According to the article, antioxidants including beta carotene, ascorbic acid, vitamin E, selenium, and zinc may prevent some of the harmful effects caused by free radicals – reactive molecules produced by metabolism in the body.

23 Nov 2004

Walnut supplementation favorably affects cholesterol and other lipids that are signs of cardiovascular risk

A Penn State study has shown that a diet rich in alpha-linolenic acid from walnuts, walnut oil and flaxseed oil not only lowered bad cholesterol but also decreased markers for blood vessel inflammation in men and women representative of typical Americans at cardiovascular risk.

8 Nov 2004

Researchers have identified a protein that transports the essential nutrient boron into cells

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have identified a protein that transports the essential nutrient boron into cells, where it is important for cell growth and bone development. The findings are in the Nov. 5 edition of the journal Molecular Cell and are online.

5 Nov 2004

Smokers face a significant risk of developing colon polyps

Smokers can add pre-cancerous growths in the colon to the host of increased health risks they face, according to two studies presented at the 69th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

1 Nov 2004

New journal offering free access publishing and what is believed to be a unique development in the field of scientific publishing

Uniquely providing totally free access to scientific publications, and offering financial rewards for both authors and peer reviewers

19 Oct 2004

Africa is fighting back against vitamin and mineral deficiencies

A report released yesterday says that Africa is fighting back against vitamin and mineral deficiencies, saving millions of women and children from death and debilitation through simple, cost effective strategies such as fortifying staple foods. But millions of children can still be helped if current strategies and partnerships are extended to reach every country and every child.

8 Oct 2004

Added sugars have little or no substantive effect on diet quality

Since the dietary guidelines are relying heavily on what we believe to be a flawed interpretation of the data by the IOM, our study is a very important analysis for the nutrition community as a whole, and particularly for nutrition policy," said Maureen Storey, director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, who coauthored the study with Richard Forshee, research assistant professor at the CFNP.

7 Oct 2004

Spitting into a cup could someday be an alternative to blood testing

Researchers have identified the largest number of proteins to date in human saliva, a preliminary finding that could pave the way for more diagnostic tests based on saliva samples. Such tests show promise as a faster, cheaper and potentially safer diagnostic method than blood sampling, they say.

5 Oct 2004

Research aims to improve the health and safety of construction workers

In 1990, accidents were responsible for 6 to 7 percent of the world's mortality rate. In industry, the highest injury rate occurs in the construction sector, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

4 Oct 2004

New statement published on nonmalignant diseases related to asbestos exposure

In its first official statement since 1986 on the topic, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) has published a document entitled “Diagnosis and Initial Management of Nonmalignant Diseases Related to Asbestos.”

4 Oct 2004

We could soon be curing our athlete’s foot with alfalfa

We could be soon be curing our athlete’s foot with a common type of cattle feed, according to research reported today at the British Pharmaceutical Conference.

29 Sep 2004

Stem cell science and orthopedic surgery may reduce failure rate in hip replacements

By combining stem cell science with orthopedic surgery, a team of researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute aims to reduce the 10 per cent failure rate in hip replacements and make repeat replacements and other joint repairs obsolete within 10-15 years.

16 Sep 2004

In the last two years alone, more than 1500 new low-carbohydrate products have been introduced in U.S. food markets

With approximately 30 to 40 million Americans trying to control their weight by counting carbohydrates, "low-carb" has become big business. As a result, food manufacturers have been busy introducing a variety of low-carbohydrate products at record pace.

2 Aug 2004

Brewing expert examines health potential of beer

Beer is often dismissed as a mere pleasant libation, at best, or an evil abomination, at worst. Few people stop to consider that the age-old beverage "is very much a food" with genuine benefits when consumed intelligently, writes a UC Davis brewing scientist.

29 Jul 2004

Hair cloning could be the cure for baldness

Researcher Kevin McElwee -- one of only a few people in the world who hold a doctoral degree in hair biology -- thinks a cure for baldness that uses the technique of hair cloning could be commercially available within 10 years.

24 Jun 2004