Low vitamin D poses teen health risk
Teenagers with low levels of vitamin D, the so-called sunshine drug, are at greater risk of heart disease and diabetes, and are far more likely to have high blood pressure and blood sugar levels, say US researchers, based on a study of more than 3,500 adolescents. The Johns Hopkins University team found significant links between low vitamin D levels and poor health. The vitamin is known to help keep bones strong, but the researchers aren't sure what connection it has with the cardiovascular system, AFP reports.
Fish makes adolescent boys
brainier Boys who eat fish regularly in their mid-teens appear to do significantly better in intelligence tests years later, according to Swedish researchers who say the omega-3 fats in fish appear to be important to early brain development and long-term maintenance. The Goteborg University team based their findings on a three-year study of almost 4,800 boys who were surveyed when they were 15 about their diet and lifestyle, and then given intelligence tests when they were 18. On average, those who ate fish more than once a week scored higher than those who ate less of it, Reuters reports.
Early Alzheimer's test created
US researchers have devised an accurate test for Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages by measuring proteins in spinal fluid. 'The general consensus is you're going to have the best chance to improve Alzheimer's if you can catch it early, when there's more brain function to preserve,' says team leader Leslie Shaw of the University of Pennsylvania. The test focuses on two classic hallmarks of the disease in the brain: amyloid beta protein, which forms sticky brain plaques; and another protein, tau, which forms fibrous tangles in the brain, Reuters reports.