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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?
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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.