Nutraceutical: Calcium

Indication: Bone fracture/structure

Source: Arch Intern Med, April 24, 2006;166:869-875.

Research: Researchers investigated whether or not increased calcium intake, which has been proposed as a population-based public health intervention, could prevent osteoporotic fractures. Nearly 1500 women over the age of 70 participated in this study. They were randomized to receive calcium carbonate (600 mg twice daily) or an identical placebo. The primary endpoints included clinical incident osteoporotic fractures, vertebral deformity and adverse events ascertained in five years. Bone structure was also measured using dual x-ray absorptiometry of the hip and whole body, quantitative ultrasonography of the heel, and peripheral quantitative computed tomography of the distal radius.

Results: Among the patients, just over 16% sustained one or more clinical osteoporotic fractures. In the intention-to-treat analysis, calcium supplementation did not significantly reduce fracture risk. However, 830 patients (57%) who took 80% or more of their tablets (calcium or placebo) per year had reduced fracture incidence in the calcium compared with the placebo groups. Calcium-treated patients had improved quantitative ultrasonography findings of the heel, femoral neck and whole-body dual x-ray absorptiometry data, and bone strength compared with placebo-treated patients. Researchers believe that supplementation with calcium carbonate tablets supplying 1200 mg/d is ineffective as a public health intervention in preventing clinical fractures in the ambulatory elderly population owing to poor long-term compliance, but it is effective in those patients who are compliant.

Nutraceutical(s): Omega 3, vitamin E and niacin

Indication: Cardiovascular disease (CVD)

Source: Journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 2006;16:121-127.

Research: Fifty-seven subjects participated in a blinded, randomized trial over a period of four months. The subjects were divided into three groups—the first received a placebo, the second received a supplement containing omega 3 fatty acids (660 mg EPA, 440 DHA) and vitamin E (4 mg) and the third group received the same as the second group plus niacin (18 mg) and gamma-oryzanol (40 mg).

Results: Over the study period, total antioxidant capacity increased significantly. Specifically, total antioxidant capacity in group two increased by 33.55 mm/ml, while in group three total antioxidant capacity increased 84 mm/ml. Pro-inflammatory cytokines also decreased as a result of supplementation. Researchers concluded that supplementation particularly for group three was successful at mitigating a lot of the risk factors that lead to CVD. They said further this was likely due to the number of complementing mechanisms.

Nutraceutical: Vitamin K

Indication: Osteoarthritis (OA)

Source: Arthritis Rheum, Mar 29, 2006;54(4):1255-1261.

Research: Investigators conducted an analysis of 672 participants in the Framingham Offspring Study, a population-based prospective observational cohort. Levels of plasma phylloquinone (the primary form of vitamin K) had previously been measured in these participants, for whom researchers also had bilateral hand and knee radiographs. The main outcomes were 1) prevalence ratios (PRs) of OA, osteophytes, and joint space narrowing (JSN) per quartile of plasma phylloquinone level for each joint, adjusting for correlated joints using generalized estimating equations, and 2) adjusted mean number of joints with each feature per quartile of plasma phylloquinone level. Analyses were conducted in hands and knees separately and adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, total energy intake, plasma vitamin D, and femoral neck bone mineral density.

Results: The PRs for OA, osteophytes, and JSN and adjusted mean number of joints with all three features in the hand decreased significantly with increasing plasma phylloquinone levels. For example, as plasma phylloquinone levels rose, the PR for hand OA decreased from 1.0 to 0.7. For the knee, only the PR for osteophytes and the adjusted mean number of knee joints with osteophytes decreased significantly with increasing plasma phylloquinone levels (PR decreased from 1.0 to 0.6). Researchers concluded that observational data support the hypothesis of an association between low plasma levels of vitamin K and increased prevalence of OA manifestations in the hand and knee.