The Nutrition Examination Research Digest (NERD) aims to provide rigorous, unbiased analysis of the latest and most important nutrition and supplementation studies. Click here to subscribe or login if already a subscriber .
Study under review: Magnesium status and supplementation influence vitamin D status and metabolism: results from a randomized trial.
Introduction
Vitamin D plays many important roles[1] in the human body besides its well-known effect on bone health. Most cells, including those from the immune system, express the vitamin D receptor, highlighting the multiple roles of this vitamin for human health.
In humans, vitamin D is synthesized[2] from exposure to sunshine. Ultraviolet B radiation converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3, which is then rapidly converted to vitamin D3. Vitamin D can also be obtained through natural (fish, egg yolks, etc.) or fortified food sources (dairy, etc.) or supplements containing either D3 or D2.
Who and what was studied?
What were the findings?
What does the study really tell us?
The big picture
Frequently asked questions
What should I know?
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Other Articles in Issue #51 (January 2019)
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Vitamin K for vascular health
How does vitamin K supplementation impact vascular calcification and stiffness? And does observational evidence suggest an association between vitamin K status and cardiovascular disease and death?
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NERD Mini: Do longer term, large doses of vitamin D have any adverse effects?
As more people take vitamin D, doses can creep up, whether from daily supplementation or large, periodic bolus doses. This meta-analysis examined whether larger doses of vitamin D over longer periods of time have any adverse effects.
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Omega-3s for better pregnancies
While omega-3 supplementation has taken some dings against its efficacy for some conditions as of late, this Cochrane review found evidence that it can improve certain pregnancy outcomes.
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Investigating intermittent fasting for body composition and overall health
Intermittent fasting seems like a solid way to improve metabolic health outcomes like insulin sensitivity. But are these improvements accounted for by just the weight loss and caloric restriction alone?
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NERD Mini: Personalized weight loss diets for people with prediabetes
This secondary analysis of a clinical trial suggests that macros may matter when it comes to shedding pounds for people with prediabetes.
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Investigating curcumin for weight loss
This meta-analysis found that curcumin supplementation can lead to small amounts of weight loss.
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Is it all just fishful thinking?
We give the lowdown on the important VITAL trial, a large, long-term clinical study that examined vitamin D's and fish oil's effects on cancer and cardiovascular disease.
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