Nutrition News

ATLANTA – At a press conference here at SECO, ZeaVision announced that it is offering a complimentary online assessment to help identify visual risks.

ATLANTA – Macular Health introduced an oral film coated with supplements targeted to patients with age-related macular degeneration here at SECO.

Macular Health’s Visual Advantage introduced MacuStrip Premier, an oral thin film delivery method designed to help slow vision loss for those with age-related macular degeneration.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a final report at the end of February, Vitamin, Mineral and Multivitamin Supplements for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer, which concluded that evidence is insufficient to recommend the use of vitamin supplements as primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

In an 11-year study of nearly 15,000 U.S. male doctors 50 years or older, researchers found that long-term daily multivitamin use decreased the risk of cataract but had no significant effect on visually significant age-related macular degeneration.

As today is Valentine’s Day, the thoughts of “sweet for my sweet” came rushing forth, as it does for everyone in love. However, for many years, I remember hearing that sugar is pro-inflammatory.

The use of palm oil has skyrocketed in recent years and it is the most heavily utilized vegetable oil. It is used in about half of all packaged foods and personal care and cleaning products in developed markets.

I recently caught wind of a movement by the food industry’s lobbying arm that has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to rule that food companies can officially label their genetically modified organism-contaminated products as "natural" or even "all natural." Just so you know, most food companies are already doing this. Even though the FDA says the word natural means "nothing artificial or synthetic . . . has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in the food."

Vitamin A is indispensable for the health of one's eyes and immune system. Children in developing countries have difficulty accessing sources of vitamin A, which we normally obtain from milk, liver, eggs, fruits and other green vegetables, due to their economic and social circumstances. If children are not able to gain their necessary daily dose of vitamin A, it can lead to various eye diseases, such as night blindness and illnesses, due to a lowered immune system.

A trio of studies published in Annals of Internal Medicine received much press by casting doubt on the value of vitamin supplements. In addition, an accompanying editorial concluded that they do not prevent chronic disease or death and not only is their use not justified, but they should be avoided.