Vitamin D boost won't help bone density

Vitamin D supplements do not help prevent fractures, increase bone mineral density or prevent falls in adults, a large review of studies has found. Dosage made no difference. In controlled trials using dosages above and below 800 units a day, they found no clinically significant differences between the groups. The lead author, Dr. Mark J. Bolland, said that aside from people with severe vitamin D deficiency, there are few people who need supplements. The findings come from an analysis of data involving more than 53,000 participants.

Omega-3 may help ease diagnosed anxiety

Omega-3 supplements may help reduce anxiety symptoms, a review of studies has concluded. The analysis, in JAMA Network Open, concluded that people with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders who took large doses of the supplement — up to 2,000 milligrams a day — benefited most. The senior author, Dr. Yutaka Matsuoka, said omega-3 is not a substitute for evidence-based therapies but could be a promising alternative for patients who do not respond to psychotherapies.

Obesity linked to early colon cancer risk

Obesity is linked to an increased risk for colorectal cancer in younger women, research found. In an observational study in JAMA Oncology, researchers prospectively tracked the health of more than 85,000 women for 22 years, and found that the higher a woman's body mass index, the greater her risk for early-onset colorectal cancer. Compared with women of normal weight — a body mass index between 18.5 and 22.9 — obese women, with a BMI over 30, had a 93 percent increased risk for the disease. Weight gain from age 18 on was also associated with colorectal cancer. Compared to women who gained 10 pounds or less, those who gained 44-88 pounds had a 65 percent increased risk, and those who gained more than that had more than double the risk.

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