Chromium Picolinate benefits brain function, coordination, and memory in older adults that are loosing their memory

Older people experiencing a decline in their memory at a relatively earlier age can benefit from a daily Chromium Picolinate (CP) supplement. In this new study presented recently at a peer-reviewed medical conferences older adults with an average age of 72.5 years were given either 1000 mcg of CP a day or inactive placebo for 12-weeks. The double-blinded study was performed at the University of Cincinnati. Functional magnetic resonance imaging measured their brain activity while the participants worked on a challenging cognitive task that involved holding in mind and manipulating visual information. The MRI showed improved function in parts of the brain involved with organizing information, coordination, speech and touch, memory, attention and language. The study result was presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Neuropsychiatric Association.

Having sufficient Vitamin K improves the bone strength of adolescents and may decrease the risk of fracture later in life

Having a sufficient level of vitamin K improves the bone health of adolescents and this better status may protect them from osteoporosis later in life, suggests a new study. An improved status of the vitamin was found to improve bone mineral content and bone mass in the whole body, according to the study of 307 healthy children with an average age of 11.
"As children grow the increase in bone mass may fail to keep up with the increase in height, or length of the bone, and as a consequence, this imbalance may result in fracture," said lead author Marieke Summeren from University Medical Centre Utrecht. "But the main threat of a long-term shortage of K vitamins is that peak bone mass may be compromised, and as we age and begin to lose bone density, the risk of fracture in later life is increased." About 35 per cent of a mature adult's peak bone mass is built-up during puberty.
The new study followed the children for two years and correlated vitamin K status to bone mineral content (BMC) and markers of bone metabolism. Large variations were observed in the vitamin K status of the children, both at the start and end of the two-year study. An improved vitamin K status over the time period, as was observed in 281 children, was associated with a significant increase in BMC.
The research adds to a growing body of science linking the vitamin to improved bone health, particularly in post-menopausal women. The Maastricht-based researchers previously reported that daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained hipbone strength in postmenopausal women, while placebo was not protective and bone continued to weaken. The double-blind, placebo controlled study followed 325 healthy women with no initial osteoporosis for three years and also found that vitamin K2 supplements boosted the women's bone mineral content compared to placebo. That study was published in Osteoporosis International. The new study is published online ahead of print in the current issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.