Neurological diseases are on the rise and Alzheimer’s disease is one of the leading causes of dementia. Now, scientists from Boston University have discovered that slow-moving brain waves during our sleep initiate a cleansing process in the brain that protects against Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other neurological disorders. Also, a study of men conducted by scientists from Uppsala University in Sweden demonstrated that as little as a single night without sleep increases levels of proteins that serve as biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. It is therefore essential to sleep properly every single night so that we can remain mentally alert and vital. In cases where the normal guidelines for healthy sleep prove to be of little use, supplementing with the “sleep hormone” melatonin may turn out to offer relief.

Coronary occlusion is the leading cause of death worldwide. Type 2 diabetes is spreading like a bushfire and this disease is characterized by atherosclerosis and early death. Diet and lifestyle are of vital importance and the same goes for vitamin D. According to a new American study that is published in Nutrients, people whose blood levels of vitamin D are above the official threshold levels have fewer biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

A lot of sports and fitness disciplines are indoor activities. According to a new American study, this increases the risk of becoming vitamin D-deficient. Not only can a vitamin D deficiency hamper your performance, it can also increase your risk of acute infections, chronic inflammation, osteoporosis, cancer, and a number of other health problems. To make matters worse, people living at northern latitudes can only synthesize vitamin D in their skin during the summer period where the sun sits high in the sky, and the body’s vitamin D stores are limited during the winter period.

The blood supply to the retina of the eye is crucial for good vision. For that reason, experts recommend taking antioxidant supplements against eye diseases caused by an impaired blood supply to the retina. Although there is lacking evidence for the effectiveness of such supplements it appears now that Q10 and other antioxidants may improve vision when used in combination with conventional therapies, according to a Spanish study that is published in Nutrients. Because the body has difficulty with absorbing Q10 from supplements it is important to choose a supplement that has good bioavailability.

As you grow older your skeletal muscle slowly dwindles, you lose muscle strength, and your figure changes. This phenomenon is known as sarcopenia and is one of the main reasons why older people gradually become frail and perhaps even invalid. Both diet and exercise play an important role and according to a new study from Trinity College Dublin, lack of vitamin D also plays a major contribution to the development of poor muscle control in people from 60 years of age and older. It doesn’t make things easier that we are only able to synthesize vitamin D in our skin during the summer period and the ability to do so decreases with age. For that reason, older people should pay careful attention to getting plenty of vitamin D all year round to maintain as much muscle mass as possible and ensure that their muscles function properly.

- but fish oil helps as prevention

Breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. The diet has huge importance and according to a new Polish study, eating more fish with omega-3 fatty acids may help lower the risk of developing the disease. The study supports earlier research by showing that in order to prevent breast cancer, it is vital to consume plenty of omega-3. The best sources of these essential fatty acids are oily fish and fish oil supplements. The preventive effect of omega-3 is increased additionally if you also get plenty of vitamin D and selenium.

The number of children and adolescents with ADHD has skyrocketed in the past decade, and the human and socioeconomic costs are enormous. A major cause may be the widespread problems with vitamin D deficiency, according to a study from Turku University in Finland. It does not make things any easier that sun awareness campaigns fail to give people an alternative way of getting enough vitamin D all year around, and it is also a problem that many pregnant women don’t take their supplements as recommended.

The mitochondria are the energy-producing powerplants in cells that have numerous essential functions. They need plenty of vitamin D, which we get from the sun, but they also require melatonin, a substance that we synthesize in response to nightfall. Around the clock, these two compounds complement each other in protecting the mitochondria and the cells. But ageing and our modern lifestyle may reduce the body’s ability to produce the two substances and this may lead to insomnia and a host of different diseases such as infections, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, dementia, and cancer. Of course, older people are more vulnerable. However, with supplements it is possible to compensate for the reduced endogenous synthesis of melatonin and vitamin D, according to an article that is published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

An international science team from the University of Surrey in England has found a link between low selenium levels in the soil and the risk od COVID-19 infections becoming lethal. Professor Margaret Rayman, who headed the study, has spent decades studying the global lack of selenium that is known to impair the ability of the immune system to tackle virus infections and new epidemics. The farmlands in large parts of the world, including Europe and China, are low in selenium, and it is vital to have more focus on this essential nutrient.

Australian scientists are about to initiate the first clinical trial of intravenous zinc therapy for COVID-19 patients. Zinc is important for our immune capacity but it also helps counteract organ damage caused by an impaired oxygen supply to the cells and hyperinflammation. Zinc deficiencies are common, especially among older people, chronically ill, and other exposed groups.

Lack of vitamin D is rather common and taking large quantities of the nutrient can not only protect against virus infections like COVID-19 but even counteract the life-threatening complications in those affected with the disease, according to a new, comprehensive, Irish report (TILDA) from Trinity College Dublin (University of Dublin in Ireland). The TILDA report supports many other published studies showing that the immune system is unable to function without vitamin D. The main focus in the battle against COVID-19 is hygiene, isolation, and delayed immunization with vaccines. However, it is also essential to bolster the immune defense, as this determines the difference between being able to ward off the infection, suffer mild symptoms only, or succumb. The scientists recommend that all adults take a high-dosed vitamin D supplement, especially older people, nursing home residents, chronically ill people, hospital patients, health professionals and other exposed groups. That way, we are better protected against future epidemics.

Sleep removes toxic waste products from the brain and lack of deep sleep increases the risk of poor well-being, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and a host of other diseases. According to the American sleep researcher, Dr. Stasha Gominak, poor sleep quality is often linked to vitamin D deficiency. First of all, we need vitamin D to synthesize acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is necessary for reaching the deep sleep stage. Secondly, certain gut bacteria need vitamin D in order to produce vitamin B5 and other B vitamins that are necessary for proper sleep. On the other hand, taking high-dosed supplements with vitamin B5 and B12 may in some cases make it difficult to fall asleep. A healthy sleep pattern requires both vitamin D and B vitamins in the exact right amounts.