Women taking a calcium supplement could reduce the amount of lead passed to their fetus or nursing baby, according to a new study. Researchers found that lead levels in the blood were reduced by 16% in those women taking a calcium supplement. The research stems from a...
pregnancy
Think Zinc! Many Canadians may be low, say researchers
One out of every four Canadians eat diets that are low in the mineral zinc, according to researchers from McGill University who analyzed data from the Food Habits of Canadians Study. Zinc plays a key role in immune function where it is needed for the body to develop...
Vitamin C may help boost fertility
Women that are having trouble conceiving due to luteal phase defect may be helped by supplementing with vitamin C, according to researchers. Luteal phase defect is marked by insufficient progesterone levels during the luteal phase, the time between ovulation and the...
B-vitamin beating kids’ cancer
A Canadian research team has shown that folic acid food fortification has resulted in a 60% reduction in neuroblastoma, a deadly childhood cancer. “Our research indicates that this is the first pediatric cancer that can be prevented through maternal diet,” said Dr...
EFAs give boost to kids’ brains
Attention all moms-to-be: Did you know that supplementing with essential fatty acids (EFAs) during the last trimester of pregnancy can increase your child’s IQ? At the Institute for Nutrition Research at the University of Oslo in Norway, a study with 262 pregnant...
Magnesium intake critical in pregnancy
Pre-eclampsia is a condition that causes pregnant women to retain water and swell at their ankles, hands, feet and face. Other symptoms include high blood pressure, headaches and light sensitivity. If left untreated, pre-eclampsia may result in vomiting, convulsions...
Moms-to-be need to watch zinc levels
One-quarter of all Canadians eats a diet that is low in the mineral zinc, according to researchers from McGill University. Zinc plays a key role in immune function where it is needed to develop natural “killer” cells to fight infection. It also has many other...
Moms-to-be: Don’t miss out on B-6!
Most women have heard that folic acid is an essential nutrient before and during pregnancy to help prevent birth defects. But science tells us that another B-vitamin, B-6 or pyridoxine, is also important during and after pregnancy to ease the symptoms of morning...
Calcium needs change with age
We all need calcium, but there are times in our lives when our intake of this mineral is most critical, according to scientists at the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre at Texas Children’s Hospital. Using numerous techniques to establish calcium requirements and...
Vitamin C: Protection during pregnancy
If you’re pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, you may want to look into your daily intake of vitamin C. According to a recent study, women with the lowest intakes of vitamin C are at greater risk for suffering a ruptured membrane and going into premature...