Food & Drink
Mushrooms: another natural source of vitamin D
Eating mushrooms that have been exposed to the sun can increase levels of vitamin D in the blood as effectively as taking supplements of vitamin D2 or D3, says a recent study from Boston University School of Medicine.
Thirty healthy adults were split into three groups for 12 weeks during the winter months (when the volunteers would have been getting limited exposure to vitamin D from sunlight). One group received 2,000 units of vitamin D3, another was given 2,000 units of vitamin D2 and the third group received 2,000 units of powder from mushrooms containing vitamin D2. Continue reading
Cherries could reduce arthritis
Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is known to reduce the risk for several chronic inflammatory diseases. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition looked at the impact when men and women supplemented their diets with Bing sweet cherries for 28 days. The scientists measured markers in the blood before, during and after the study and found that some markers for several chronic inflammatory diseases were decreased and one anti-inflammatory marker increased.
The results imply that eating cherries potentially reduces inflammation, risk of arthritis, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Continue reading
People With Rheumatoid Arthritis Can Still Get Gout
It has long been believed that people with rheumatoid arthritis cannot get gout, but a new study from the Mayo Clinic has shown different.
The reason it was thought that people with rheumatoid arthritis didn’t get gout was probably because of the way that rheumatoid arthritis used to be treated, says Dr Eric Matteson who led the research. These people used to be given high doses of aspirin, which also helped their kidneys get rid of uric acid. But because aspirin is now used less for rheumatoid arthritis, gout in this group is on the rise. Continue reading
