Do Nutrition

01/01/2026

12/29/2025

12/29/2025

Vitamin C may prevent metabolic syndrome

Inflammation and oxidative stress are two factors in metabolic syndrome (MetS) that can trigger each other. In this review of 26 vitamin C human trials, doctors found consistent evidence the powerful antioxidant may help prevent MetS.
In one study of 22,671 adults, those with MetS consumed an average of 7 percent less vitamin C per day, while those with high vitamin C diets had smaller waist sizes and lower triglycerides.
In another study, those who regularly consumed 100-percent fruit juice drinks had lower body-mass index (BMI) scores, lower fasting and long-term average glucose levels, and smaller waist sizes. Four other studies linked higher vitamin C levels to lower BMI scores, lower blood pressure, and reduced chances for MetS.

Reference: International Journal of Medical Sciences; 2020, Vol. 17, No. 11, 1625-38

12/22/2025

Delta-tocotrienol vitamin E improved NAFLD
When fat builds up in the liver for reasons other than alcohol, such as obesity, it is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, 71 people with NAFLD took a placebo or 300 mg of delta-tocotrienol twice per day.
After 24 weeks, while the placebo group had not significantly improved, those taking delta-tocotrienol saw a 15 percent decrease in both fatty liver index scores and insulin resistance. A hormone, adiponectin, which helps regulate glucose levels, increased 44 percent, while another pro-inflammatory hormone, leptin, decreased 18 percent.
Body mass index scores decreased by an average of 2.4 in the delta-tocotrienol group, and waist circumference shrank by an average 1.1 inches. Doctors concluded delta-tocotrienol may be an effective therapy for treating NAFLD.

Reference: Complementary Therapies in Medicine; August, 2020, 102494

Delta-tocotrienol is a potent form of Vitamin E, distinct from the common alpha-tocopherol supplements.

12/15/2025

Selenium for mature muscle & bone

Having good selenium levels can help maintain aging muscle and bone. In this study of 791 men and women, aged at least 85, more than half were low, consuming less than 40 mcg of selenium per day, while only 14 percent got the adequate 75 mcg amount.
Women, at 73 percent, were much more likely than men, at 27 percent, to be low in selenium. In a test of hand-grip strength, those low in selenium of either s*x on average exerted six pounds less pressure compared to those with good selenium levels. In a second test of the time it takes to get up and walk from a seated position, the low-selenium group took an average 2.3 seconds longer compared to those with higher selenium levels.

Reference: Nutrients; 2020, Vol. 12, No. 7, 2068

12/07/2025

Probiotics improved performance

L. plantarum for triathlete endurance

In an earlier study by these doctors, the probiotic L. plantarum reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, improving athletic performance. Here, they wanted to understand how L. plantarum might help maintain healthy gut microbiota under the stress of a triathlon. Twenty triathletes, with a minimum five years of training, took a placebo or L. plantarum at 30 billion colony-forming units per day, along with their regular exercise program.
After four weeks, those taking L. plantarum saw running endurance increase 130 percent compared to placebo. In addition, doctors measured beneficial changes in gut microbiota, including increases in good bacteria, and decreases in unfavorable strains, in those taking L. plantarum probiotics.

Reference: Nutrients; 2020, Vol. 12, No. 8, 2315

11/24/2025

Omega-3 Heart Benefit

This review of 16 placebo-controlled omega-3 trials covered 81,073 people with previous, or higher chances of, adverse heart or vascular events. Studies ranged from one to seven years, at varying doses. Overall, compared to those who took less, those who took more than 1,000 mg per day of EPA with DHA from fish oil were 24 percent less likely to have an adverse heart or circulatory event. Among those with a previous major adverse event, taking at least 1,000 mg of omega-3 fish oil reduced chances of dying from another event by 35 percent. Doctors concluded that world health authorities recommending lower omega-3 intakes may need to update their advice.

Reference: Pharmacological Research; 2020, Vol. 160, 105060