Intestinal immune regulatory signals govern gut homeostasis and is tightly controlled by the interaction of gut microbial gene products with pattern recognition receptors. The breakdown of such regulatory mechanisms may result in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Lactobacillus acidophilus contains unique surface layer proteins (Slps), including SlpA, SlpB, SlpX and lipoteichoic acid (LTA), which interact with…

Researchers wishing to evaluate the safety profile and characterize the immunologic effects of high dose vs low dose cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) supplementation in patients with MS, conducted a double-blind, randomized study of 40 patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Patients received  10,400 IU or 800 IU of D3 daily for 6 months. Assessments were conducted at baseline,…

Researchers from Bern University Hospital and the University of Bern in Switzerland studied 174 patients with chronic pain. Serum 25(OH)D measurements revealed 71% of patients were vitamin D deficient with 25(OH)D levels <50 nmol/L); another 21% had insufficient vitamin D levels with 25(OH)D <75 nmol/L. Researchers found a significant inverse association between continuously scaled 25(OH)D…

Prospective epidemiologic data suggests higher levels of vitamin D are associated with improved survival in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), however the relationship between 25(OH)D (vitamin D status) and outcome in metastatic CRC specifically is unknown. Researchers prospectively assessed the association between plasma 25(OH)D and overall survival (OS) in previously untreated metastatic CRC patients enrolled…

Anecdotal animal and human studies have implicated the symptomatic and neuroprotective roles of niacin in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Niacin has a high affinity for GPR109A, an anti-inflammatory receptor. Researchers hypothesize that GPR109A message and expression are up-regulated in individuals with PD. Niacin is a precursor for NDA-NADH which is needed for dopamine production, therefor niacin…

A recent study helps explain how zinc deficiency impacts chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autism and cancers including prostate, lung, ovarian and breast cancer. Zinc status is especially important for seniors, 40% of whom do not consume enough zinc, and their bodies do not appear to use or absorb zinc efficiently. In one study…

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) is a syndrome characterized by intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms related to the ingestion of gluten-containing food, in subjects that are not affected by either celiac disease (CD) or wheat allergy (WA). Although NCGS is triggered by gluten-containing cereals, the offending dietary protein has not been identified yet, and could include other…

Depression, a mental disorder associated with decreased productivity, poor psychosocial outcomes, and decreased quality of life, is a significant public health problem affecting millions of people in the US and elsewhere. Epidemiological studies have examined the association of low zinc (Zn) status with depression, but clinical trials on the effect of Zn supplementation in depression…

Canadian Researchers from nine different research institutions participated in a two-year randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical study to measure the disease modifying effect of chondroitin sulfate (CS) vs. Celecoxib (CE) on cartilage volume loss (CVL) in knee osteoarthritis (OA), and compare the effects of CS and CE on the symptoms of knee OA. Patients were treated…

Researchers examined cross-sectional associations of dietary magnesium intake with fasting glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FI), associations of magnesium-related SNPs with FG and FI, and interactions between dietary magnesium (Mg) intake and both Mg-related and glycemia-related SNPs on FG and FI in meta-analysis of 15 cohort studies including more than 50,000 participants (Cohorts for Heart…