Food & Function Blog

Low vitamin D status has been suggested to contribute to the development of several chronic diseases. However, controlled studies have ruled out any link between vitamin D insufficiency and conditions such as arterial hypertension, multiple sclerosis or metabolic disorders. The uncertainty about the actual role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases has increased recently as  conditions such as chronic pain and  gastrointestinal dysfunction were suggested to be linked to vitamin D deficiency. The belief that many of these diseases could be prevented or cured by vitamin D has created a hype about the beneficial effects of supplemental vitamin D. However, in reality, high doses of vitamin D can cause serious health problems because of the U-shaped dose–response relationships.

In this review, Meinrad Peterlik from Medical University of Vienna, Austria, summarizes the evidence surrounding the link between intake of vitamin D and chronic diseases. While many people praise vitamin D as a remedy for many diseases, sceptics say that vitamin D could only be useful for the prevention of osteoporosis. He summarises that the truth may lie in between these extremes as there is evidence from clinical studies indicating that vitamin D in combination with calcium could also protect from other diseases such as colorectal and breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

To read the review in full for free until , please click the link below:

Vitamin D insufficiency and chronic diseases: hype and reality, M. Peterlik, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2fo10262e

You may also be interested in the article below, also free until

Stability and bioavailability of vitamin D nanoencapsulated in casein micelles, Michal Haham, Sophia Ish-Shalom, Marina Nodelman, Irit Duek, Elena Segal, Marina Kustanovich and Yoav D. Livne, Food Funct., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10249H

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Isoflavonoids are a class of secondary metabolites mainly found in Leguminosae (also known as the legume, pea or bean family). Many isoflavanoids can bind the human estrogen receptor so have been termed phytoestrogens.  Dietary intake of phytoestrogens has been associated with positive effects on menopausal complaints, hormone-related cancers and osteoporosis.  The prenylation of some isoflavonoids results in tissue-specific activity much like selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS) and they may have potential in food or pharma applications.

This review from Jean-Paul Vincken and co-workers in the Netherlands gives, for the first time, a detailed overview of the effect of isofavonoid structural features and the position and extent of their prenylation on thir estrogenic activity, demonstrating that anti-estrogenic and SERM activity of isoflavonoids was always associated with prenylation. Data on dietary occurrence, bioavailability and metabolism of prenylated isoflavonoids is also presented.

Read the full article for free until 11^th July by clicking on the title below:

Prenylated isoflavonoids from plants as selective estrogen receptor modulators (phytoSERMs)
Rudy Simons, Harry Gruppen, Toine F. H. Bovee, Marian A. Verbruggen and Jean-Paul Vincken
Food Funct., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C2FO10290K

You may also be interested in this Food & Function article which is also free to acces!

The metabolism and analysis of isoflavones and other dietary polyphenols in foods and biological systems
Stephen Barnes, Jeevan Prasain, Tracy D’Alessandro, Ali Arabshahi, Nigel Botting, Mary Ann Lila, George Jackson, Elsa M. Janle and Connie M. Weaver
Food Funct., 2011,2, 235-244, DOI: 10.1039/C1FO10025D

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