Monthly Archives: June 2012

Vitamin B12 from Algae

One of the consequences of a vegetarian diet is an increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. This is because vitamin B12 is generally only found in foods of animal origin. Studies investigating the ingestion of diets devoid of animal product … Continue reading

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Vegetarian Diets and Inflammation

High concentrations of arachidonic acid (AA, C20:4 (n-6)) in cell membranes are increasingly being associated with chronic disease and degeneration. Arachidonic acid is released from cell membranes by the action of phospholipase A2, and converted to pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, that can … Continue reading

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Nutrient Losses During Processing

Loss of minerals and vitamins during processing of whole foods is well reported and is likely one of the reasons that research shows that consumption of whole grain food provides health benefits when compared to refined cereals. For example, researchers1 … Continue reading

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Carotenoids from Papaya and Mangos

Some carotenoids such as α-carotene and β-carotene have provitamin A activity following cleavage in humans, but many of the carotenoids such as lutein and lycopene act mainly as antioxidants. The carotenoid content of plants vary, with β-carotene and cryptoxanthine being … Continue reading

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Brazil Nuts for Selenium?

Evidence suggests that selenium at intakes greater than recommended are beneficial to the health in terms of reduction in chronic disease and improved immune status. For example, evidence reported by Clark1 showed that 200µg of selenium per day reduces the … Continue reading

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Vanadium

In nature, vanadium is a group V transition metal found mainly in its pentavalent state as vanadate (VO3-) and its trivalent state as the vanadyl ion (VO2+).  The different oxidation states of vanadium produces a range of colours in solution … Continue reading

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Nickel

Nickel is an ultra-trace element that is known to be essential in some animals, but its role in the health of humans is not clear. Early studies carried out in the 1970s suffered from some methodological problems that makes the … Continue reading

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Chromium and Chromodulin

Chromium is an essential trace mineral in mammals that is required for the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates due to its role in the function of the insulin receptor. Chromium is needed by mammals in its trivalent form [Cr(III)], but … Continue reading

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Molybdenum Safety

Molybdenum is an essential trace mineral in humans that forms a compound known as molybdopterin that is required as a cofactor for the metalloenzymes xanthine oxidase, xanthine dehydrogenase, sulphite oxidase and aldehyde oxidase. Deficiency has been recorded in only one … Continue reading

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Manganese Deficiency

Manganese is an essential element in humans, with deficiency being characterised by nausea, growth retardation, skeletal abnormalities, decreases hair growth, impaired reproductive function, impaired glucose tolerance and low blood cholesterol concentrations. Manganese is essential because it is needed for the … Continue reading

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