Explore the vast range of titles available.

Previous studies have revealed that diabetic patients have a decline in immunity and an increased risk of infections, and this may be associated with poor micronutrient status. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of dietary supplements on risk of infection in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. One hundred patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to receive an oral dose of daily B-group vitamins and antioxidant vitamins (n = 50) or an identical placebo (n = 50) daily for 90 days. Patients had baseline, three and 12 month assessment for nutritional status, fruits and vegetables intake, physical activity and self-reported infections. Supplementation with antioxidants and B-group vitamins significantly increased the plasma concentration of vitamin E and folate and reduced homocysteine in the intervention group (p-values were 0.006, 0.001 and 0.657, respectively). The number of infections reported by the treatment group after three months of supplements was less than that reported by the placebo group, 9 (27%) vs. 15 (36%) (p = 0.623). Corresponding numbers of infections at 12 months were 25 (67.5%) and 27 (56.3%), respectively (p = 0.488). Up to 90% of the diabetic patients were either overweight or obese with a sedentary life style, and their body weight increased further during three months of follow up. The study showed that multivitamin supplements improved vitamin blood concentrations; however, this did not reduce the number of infections in diabetic patients.

Background: The concept of vitamins has evolved over the past century from compounds preventing classical deficiency diseases to nutrients recognized for supporting long-term health. Despite their central role in science and public health, existing definitions often fail to clearly characterize and distinguish vitamins from other bioactive compounds and do not capture the complexity of their nutritional requirements. Method: This article reviews the historical origins and current definitions of vitamins. Results: We identify the limitations of existing definitions and present a contemporary, physiologically informed definition as a discussion proposal. Our proposal no longer relies solely on the prevention of classical hypo- or avitaminoses. Conclusions: By incorporating the concept of conditional essentiality, this framework also tries to clarify the distinction between classical vitamins and other bioactive substances, reflecting variable dietary requirements under different conditions.

Background Vitamin D status is associated with muscle strength and maintenance of muscle fibers. However, which serum vitamin D biomarker better reflects sarcopenia remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between various serum vitamin D biomarkers (total 25‐hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D], bioavailable 25(OH)D, 24,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D [24,25(OH)2D], and vitamin D metabolite ratio [VMR]) and sarcopenia. Methods The data for 83 hip fracture patients were finally included in the analysis. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria. Measurements of 24,25(OH)2D and 25(OH)D were made using solid‐phase extraction (SPE) and subsequent liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) concentration was measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The VMR was calculated by dividing serum 24,25(OH)2D by serum 25(OH)D and then multiplying by 100. Based on total 25(OH)D, VDBP, and albumin concentrations, bioavailable 25(OH)D concentrations were calculated using the equations from the other previous studies. Results Bioavailable 25(OH)D levels were significantly (p = 0.030) decreased in the sarcopenia group compared with the non‐sarcopenia group. Results of ROC analysis for the diagnosis of sarcopenia using serum level of bioavailable of 25(OH)D revealed that the cutoff point for bioavailable 25(OH)D was 1.70 ng/ml (AUC = 0.649, p < 0.001). In the group with a bioavailable 25(OH)D less than 1.70 ng/ml, the incidence of sarcopenia increased by 3.3 times (odds ratio: 3.33, p = 0.013). Conclusion We demonstrated that bioavailable 25(OH)D was associated with sarcopenia among the various serum vitamin D biomarkers. Bioavailable vitamin D might be helpful for assessing the risk of sarcopenia. We demonstrated that bioavailable 25(OH)D was associated with sarcopenia among the various serum vitamin D biomarkers. Bioavailable vitamin D might be helpful for assessing the risk of sarcopenia.

A large body of evidence supports a role of oxidative stress in Alzheimer disease (AD) and in cerebrovascular disease. A vascular component might be critical in the pathophysiology of AD, but there is a substantial lack of data regarding the simultaneous behavior of peripheral antioxidants and biomarkers of oxidative stress in AD and vascular dementia (VaD). Sixty-three AD patients, 23 VaD patients and 55 controls were included in the study. We measured plasma levels of water-soluble (vitamin C and uric acid) and lipophilic (vitamin E, vitamin A, carotenoids including lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α- and β-carotene) antioxidant micronutrients as well as levels of biomarkers of lipid peroxidation [malondialdehyde (MDA)] and of protein oxidation [immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels of protein carbonyls and dityrosine] in patients and controls. With the exception of β-carotene, all antioxidants were lower in demented patients as compared to controls. Furthermore, AD patients showed a significantly higher IgG dityrosine content as compared to controls. AD and VaD patients showed similar plasma levels of plasma antioxidants and MDA as well as a similar IgG content of protein carbonyls and dityrosine. We conclude that, independent of its nature – vascular or degenerative – dementia is associated with the depletion of a large spectrum of antioxidant micronutrients and with increased protein oxidative modification. This might be relevant to the pathophysiology of dementing disorders, particularly in light of the recently suggested importance of the vascular component in AD development.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency in early childhood is commonly defined using fixed 25(OH)D thresholds, most often <20 ng/mL. However, inclusion of the C3-epimer (3-epi-25(OH)D3) in total 25(OH)D measurements may influence classification, particularly in children with borderline concentrations. Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 128 children aged 0–36 months, vitamin D metabolites were quantified using LC–MS/MS in dried blood spot (DBS) samples. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as <20 ng/mL. Total 25(OH)D was recalculated after subtraction of the C3-epimer to assess changes in deficiency classification. Agreement was evaluated using Cohen’s κ, and systematic differences were tested with McNemar’s test. Diagnostic performance parameters were calculated using epimer-resolved 25(OH)D as the reference standard. Results: Mean 25(OH)D3 concentration was 20.3 ± 6.2 ng/mL, and 57% of children were classified as deficient. After epimer subtraction, deficiency classification changed in 22 of 128 children (17.2%). Agreement between classifications was substantial (κ = 0.67), but McNemar’s test demonstrated a significant systematic shift (p < 0.001). Sensitivity of total 25(OH)D including the epimer for detecting deficiency was 70.3% (95% CI: 59.0–80.0%), with specificity of 100% (95% CI: 94.3–100%). Reclassification was strongly concentrated among children with borderline 25(OH)D3 concentrations (18–22 ng/mL), where 54.5% were reclassified compared with 4.2% outside this range. Reclassification was not associated with age. Conclusions: In young children, inclusion of the C3-epimer in total 25(OH)D measurement leads to potentially clinically relevant misclassification of vitamin D deficiency, particularly near diagnostic thresholds. Epimer-resolved assessment may improve diagnostic precision in cases with borderline vitamin D concentrations.

Objective: To describe how a risk analysis can be applied to food fortification, with emphasis on voluntary fortification and intake levels that might exceed usual dietary levels. Design: Use of the risk analysis model as a frame to classify nutrients according to the risk of exceeding upper safe intake levels. Furthermore, to apply the model when discussing possible consequences of liberal fortification practices on eating behaviour and disease patterns. Setting: The discussion on food fortification presently going on internationally. Results: Micronutrients can be classified according to their safety margin, i.e. the size of the interval between the recommended intake and the upper safe level of intake. We suggest that nutrients with a small safety margin, i.e. for which the upper safe level is less than five times the recommended intake, be placed in a category A and should be handled with care (retinol, vitamin D, niacin, folate and all minerals). Category B comprises nutrients with an intermediate safety margin (vitamins E, B6, B12 and C), while nutrients that according to present knowledge are harmless even at 100 times the recommendation (vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and biotin) are categorised as C. Discussion: The risk analysis model is a useful tool when assessing the risk of both too low and excess intakes of single micronutrients, but can also be applied to analyse the consequences of fortification practices on eating behaviour and disease patterns. Liberal fortification regulations may, for example, distort the conception of what is healthy food, and drive consumption towards a more unhealthy diet, contributing to the plague of overweight and concomitant increased risk of degenerative diseases. Conclusion: The impact of fortification practices on the total eating pattern of a population should become an integrated part of the discussions and regulations connected to the issue.

There is increased interest in accurately assessing the total dietary intake of vitamins from all sources, including foods and dietary supplements. Consequently, a Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (DSID), based upon analytical values, is being established by USDA with support of the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), NIH. The DSID necessitated the development of a new SRM, 3280 -- Multivitamin/Multimineral Tablets, by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with support from the ODS. As a continuation of a long-term project to develop and validate new methods of determining water-soluble B vitamins in foods and dietary supplements, and as part of a collaborative effort with NIST to characterize SRM 3280, values for the vitamin contents of SRM 3280 have been generated by a liquid chromatographic isotope dilution mass spectrometric (LC/IDMS) method. Isotope-labeled (¹³C and/or ²H) B vitamins (B1-thiamine, B6-pyridoxine, B3-nicotinamide, and B5-pantothenic acid) were obtained from commercial sources, with the support of the ODS/NIH. Our LC/IDMS method uses a C18 reversed phase column, an Agilent 1100 HPLC system, and a Quattro Micro triple-quad mass spectrometer (MS). B vitamin determination was achieved using a gradient LC profile combined with MS/MS detection in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Stock solutions of the isotope-labeled vitamins were calibrated against USP standard solutions. The SRM tablets, with added amounts of the four isotope-labeled B vitamins, were extracted and the vitamins simultaneously determined in a single LC run, in contrast with the single-component determinations performed via IDMS. Unknown vitamin concentrations were calculated by comparing the ratios of the integrated LC peaks at the different masses of the unlabeled and labeled vitamins.

One of the most alluring and fascinating molecules in the world of science and medicine is vitamin B12 (cobalamin), which was originally discovered as the anti pernicious anemia factor and whose enigmatic complex structure is matched only by the beguiling chemistry that it mediates. The biosynthesis of this essential nutrient is intricate, involved and, remarkably, confined to certain members of the prokaryotic world, seemingly never have to have made the eukaryotic transition. In humans, the vitamin is required in trace amounts (approximately 1 microg/day) to assist the actions of only two enzymes, methionine synthase and (R)-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase; yet commercially more than 10 t of B12 are produced each year from a number of bacterial species. The rich scientific history of vitamin B12 research, its biological functions and the pathways employed by bacteria for its de novo synthesis are described. Current strategies for the improvement of vitamin B12 production using modern biotechnological techniques are outlined.

Hazelnut and cocoa spread is an Italian product containing cocoa and hazelnut. Several epidemiological studies suggest that cocoa and hazelnuts cocoa exert beneficial cardiovascular effects. To investigate whether in smokers, hazelnut and cocoa spread elicits artery dilatation via down-regulation of oxidative stress. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), oxidative stress (as assessed by serum isoprostanes excretion, Nox2 activation and NO bioavailability) and antioxidant status [as assessed by vitamin E levels, plasma total polyphenols and H2O2 breaking down activity (HBA)] were studied in 20 smokers in a crossover, single-blind study. Patients were randomly allocated to 60 g of Hazelnut and cocoa spread or 60 g of milk chocolate (≤ 35% cocoa). FMD, serum isoprostanes, Nox2 activation, NOx, vitamin E, HBA and total polyphenols were assessed at baseline and 2 h after chocolate ingestion. After Hazelnut and cocoa spread intake, FMD and NOx significantly increased (from 4.3 ± 2.8 to 8.0 ± 3.2%, p < 0.001 and from 23.1 ± 5.5 to 32.0 ± 12.6 µM, p = 0.016, respectively); conversely, serum isoprostanes and Nox2 activation significantly decreased (from 302.8 ± 59.8 to 240.7 ± 90.8 pmol/l, p = 0.03 and from 25 ± 4.4 to 22.6 ± 3.2, p = 0.03, respectively). After Hazelnut and cocoa spread intake, serum total polyphenols, vitamin E and HBA significantly increased (from 133.8 ± 49.7 to 202.5 ± 69.5 mg/l GAE, p = 0.001; from 3.56 ± 1.4 to 4.5 ± 1.0 μmol/mmol cholesterol, p = 0.002 and from 63.3 ± 13.2 to 74.2 ± 12.4%, p = 0.003, respectively). No changes in the above variables were observed after milk chocolate intake. A linear correlation analysis shows that Δ (expressed by difference of values between before and after chocolate intake) of FMD correlates with Δ of total polyphenols and Δ of vitamin E. This study shows that Hazelnut and cocoa spread improves FMD with a mechanism potentially involving downregulation of oxidative stress and eventually increased NO generation in smokers.

Background: The antibody reactivity against Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status have been associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) risk. Interaction between these two factors has been proposed. Objectives: The objective of this paper is to examine the association between antibody reactivity against EBNA-1 and five EBNA-1 domains, and the risk of MS, and to examine if these antibodies and 25(OH)D status interact regarding MS risk in prospectively collected blood samples. Methods: Antibody reactivity and 25(OH)D levels were measured using ELISAs in n = 192 MS cases and n = 384 matched controls. The risk of MS was analysed using matched logistic regression. Interaction on the additive scale was assessed. Results: The risk of MS increased across tertiles of antibody reactivity against EBNA-1, domain EBNA-1402–502, and domain EBNA-1385–420; p trends < 0.001. In young individuals (below median age at sampling, < 26.4 years), these associations were stronger, and 25(OH)D levels correlated inversely to antibody reactivity against EBNA-1 and the EBNA-1 domains. No statistical interaction was found. Conclusions: We confirm that increased antibody reactivity against EBNA-1 is a risk factor of MS. 25(OH)D status might influence the immune response towards Epstein-Barr virus in young subjects, and thereby modulate MS risk.