High blood levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 67 per cent, compared with low levels of the vitamin, says a new study from Finland. Researchers from the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki analysed data from 3,173 Finnish men and women aged between 50 and 79. Over an impressive 29 years of follow-up, the researchers documented 50 cases of Parkinson's disease.

  Research shows that spices such as Cinnamon could be used in the battle against type 2 diabetes, according to United States Agricultural Department (USDA) scientists. Nutrition researchers from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are purifying, characterizing and evaluating the components of cinnamon and other spices to explore their beneficial effects on insulin levels and related functions. Research by chemist Richard Anderson, at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), Maryland and colleagues suggests certain spices may be beneficial to some people with diabetes.

  A low dose of a Turmeric complex has been found to help relive pain and increase mobility in patients with osteoarthritis. The study tested the impact of supplementation with Curcumin – Soy Phosphatidylcholine complex on patients suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) in the knees.      A total of 50 people participated in the study, and were divided into two groups.

   A new human clinical trial of an extract of the Gymnema sylvestre (GS) plant has confirmed results from lab tests that the ingredient can help reduce blood glucose, adding weight to its diabetes benefits. The trial found that supplementation with the GS extract for 60 days resulted in increased levels of insulin and C-peptide, together with lower levels of blood glucose. These latest findings add further support to the potential of the ingredient to address type 2 diabetes.

    New research has observed the suppressive effects of Resveratrol on inflammation and oxidative stress in a human clinical trial. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are part of the root causes of many diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance and diabetes, auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease. The new study, published early online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, investigated the effects of Resveratrol-containing Polygonum Cuspidatum extract (PCE) on oxidative stress and inflammation, by measuring its suppressive effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and a range inflammatory mediators.