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Do Nutrition

Dave Okupniak, MS CNS, has over 30 years of experience helping people of all fitness levels achieve their wellness goals.

11/10/2025

Blueberry for cognition, metabolism
In a first-of-its-kind study, 35 men and women, slightly underweight to obese, but otherwise healthy, drank a beverage containing 25 grams of freeze dried whole wild blueberry powder, equal to one cup of fresh blueberries, or a placebo beverage, along with a breakfast meal.
After this single dose at breakfast, doctors tested learning, memory, reaction time, and the ability to maintain attention while being challenged by stressful distractions. All of these functions improved compared to placebo up to eight hours later.
In addition, two hours after the meal, those taking blueberry had lower glucose and insulin levels than placebo, which doctors said could help people looking to control blood sugar and metabolism after meals.

Reference: European Journal of Nutrition; 2020, s00394-020-02336-8

11/04/2025

GABA for memory, mood, and spatial awareness
In a world with an aging population, doctors wanted to find ways to prevent cognitive decline. In two separate, coordinated studies, each with 60 healthy adults over age 40, participants took a placebo or, in one study, 100 mg of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and in the second, 200 mg of GABA, per day.
After 12 weeks, compared to placebo and to the start of the study, those taking 100 mg of GABA could better identify and analyze space, visual forms within it, and the relationship between the two. Delayed memory—the ability to recall after a period of time—also improved. In addition to these benefits, the 200 mg group saw improvements in non-verbal reasoning, which is the capacity to understand music and math, and to identify objects through touch.
Quality of life also improved in both GABA groups, including better physical function, self-reported vitality, and feelings of mental well-being. In addition, those taking 200 mg of GABA had increased levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which enters the brain, activating brain function, and which doctors believe may be GABA’s mechanism of action.

Reference: Japanese Pharmacology and Therapeutics; 2020, Vol. 48, No. 3, 461-74
Message from Dave the Nutritionist.
Please check with you doctor before taking any GABA supplements, as they can interact with medications.

10/27/2025

Good Digestion

Probiotics eased irritable bowel syndrome

More regularity, less pain
People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience chronic large-intestine abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, excess gas, and diarrhea or constipation. In this study, 330 adults with IBS, aged 18 to 70, took a placebo, lactobacillus acidophilus, or bifidobacterium animalis lactis, with each probiotic dose at 10 billion colony-forming units per day.
After six weeks, overall IBS symptom scores improved for both probiotics groups compared to placebo, with those taking probiotics reporting significantly less pain and more normal stool consistency. Also, more participants taking probiotics had a clinically significant response: 52.3 percent for lactobacillus and 28.2 percent for bifidobacterium, compared to 15.6 percent for placebo.
Discussing the findings, doctors said the high responder rates in the IBS study suggest probiotics may provide relief from occasional episodes of abdominal pain and irregularity in the healthy, general population, since the main difference between healthy people and those with IBS is the frequency and severity of symptoms.

Reference: Nutrients; 2020, Vol. 12, No. 2, 363

10/20/2025

Probiotics reduce bacterial vaginosis

When beneficial and harmful bacteria in the va**na are out of balance, bacterial vaginosis can develop. In this study, 82 women who had cured bacterial vaginosis with metronidazole within the last 48 hours, took a placebo or multiple strains of lactobacillus, twice per day for the next seven days, and once a day from the eighth to the 120th day.
By the end of the four-month study period, infection recurred in 18.3 percent of the women who had taken probiotics compared to 32.1 percent of the women taking the placebo.
Doctors said bacterial vaginosis can affect women of any age, but is most common during the reproductive years, and that taking probiotics may help maintain a healthy bacterial balance.

Reference: Journal of Lower Ge***al Tract Disease; 2020, Vol. 24, No. 3, 284-9

10/13/2025

Magnesium increased survival in post menopause

Women in post menopause are more susceptible than other male and female adults to heart and circulatory diseases, including sudden cardiac death. Magnesium is important for healthy heart function, and nearly half the U.S. population does not meet the dietary reference intake recommendation.
In this study, doctors measured magnesium in the diets of 153,369 women and followed up for an average of 10.5 years. Overall, women who got the least, no more than 189 mg of magnesium per day, were 19 percent more likely to have died from coronary heart disease, and 24 percent more susceptible to sudden cardiac death, compared to women who got the most magnesium.
Discussing the findings, doctors said adding magnesium to the diet, including magnesium supplementation, may be a simple, effective way to increase survival in postmenopausal women.

Reference: Journal of Women’s Health; 2020, Vol. 29, No. 1, 7775

10/10/2025

Low vitamin D linked to higher COVID-19 mortality rates

Earlier studies found a link between low levels of vitamin D and susceptibility to acute respiratory infections. Good vitamin D levels help regulate the immune response of white blood cells, preventing excess release of inflammatory cytokines, a factor in severe cases of Covid-19.
In this study of 20 European countries, doctors determined Spain and Italy had high Covid-19 mortality rates, and below-average vitamin D levels; less than 23 nanograms per milliliter of blood, or 57 nanomoles per liter.
Northern European countries have the highest average levels of vitamin D because of cod liver oil and vitamin D supplementation, and Scandinavian nations were among the European countries with the lowest numbers of Covid-19 cases, and lowest mortality rates per population, doctors said.

Reference: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research; July, 2020, Vol. 32, No. 7, 1195-8

09/29/2025

Vitamin K low in COVID-19 patients
Vitamin K plays a role in regulating the blood clotting function, which can become impaired in severe cases of Covid-19. For this reason, doctors in this study theorized vitamin K levels might be low in patients with severe Covid-19. To determine vitamin K status, doctors measured a type of protein, dp-uc matrix Gla, which increases when vitamin K levels are low.
Levels of matrix Gla protein were significantly higher in 122 people with Covid-19 compared to 184 healthy people, and were also higher in those with unfavorable outcomes compared to those with less severe infections, indicating vitamin K levels were low in those with Covid-19.
Healthy lung function depends on elastin fiber, and doctors also found a link between low levels of vitamin K and impaired elastin fiber in Covid-19.

Reference: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research; July, 2020, Vol. 32, No. 7, 1195-8

09/22/2025

Vitamin E improved diabetic neuropathy

In diabetes, chronic high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, impairing movement and feeling, often in the legs and feet. In this study, 80 participants with this type of diabetic peripheral neuropathy took a placebo or 200 mg of tocotrienol-rich vitamin E twice per day.
After eight weeks, those taking vitamin E had significantly increased nerve-signaling speed in the leg calf muscles and in the adjacent tibial bone motor nerves. There was also an increase in levels of a protein—nerve growth factor (NGF)—which maintains, regulates production, and protects the survival of certain neurons.
Discussing the findings, doctors said this is the first clinical trial to demonstrate tocotrienol-rich vitamin E improves diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Reference: Nutrients; 2020, Vol. 12, No. 5, nu12051522

A NOTE FROM DAVE;
I have included a number of food sources of vitamin E here.
There are mixed opinions regarding vitamin E supplements for diabetic individuals.
Please consult your physician if you are diabetic and considering supplementing with vitamin E.
Also note that a tocotrienol-rich vitamin E supplement was used in this study. Most vitamin E supplements out there are not tocotrienol-rich vitamin E.
Oats, barley, wheat germ, and corn are tocotrienol-rich food sources of vitamin E.

09/15/2025

Selenium increases blood flow and circulation

There is a thin, single layer of cells that lines the blood vessels, called the endothelium, which allows fluids and cellular material to pass from the bloodstream to the tissues. The endothelium also controls the ability of blood vessels to expand and contract, and is very sensitive to oxidative stress. Age, weight, lipids, high blood pressure and other factors can impair endothelial function.
In this study, doctors measured endothelial function, total antioxidant status, and selenium levels in 141 participants with high blood pressure. Those with lower selenium levels had stiffer blood vessels—impaired endothelial function—compared to those with higher selenium levels. The same was true for those with lower, rather than higher, total antioxidant status.
Selenium levels independently predicted antioxidant status, and doctors said the selenium level was a more accurate predictor of endothelial function than total antioxidant status.

Reference: Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology; April, 2020, Vol. 75, 103332

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