Research highlights 19
Vitamin D inadequacy in UK teenagers
A joint Surrey study with the University of Copenhagen and University College Cork has shown high levels of vitamin D inadequacy in UK teenagers, and identified the intake needed to maintain adequate levels during the winter time.
Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones but adolescents are particularly vulnerable to a deficiency as they are less likely to spend time outdoors than younger children and so experience less exposure to the sun - how we naturally obtain vitamin D. It is vital that teenagers have sufficient levels of vitamin D to achieve peak bone mass and help reduce age-related bone loss in later life.
In the trial, 110 teenagers, aged between 14 and 18, were given varying levels of vitamin D3 supplements. It revealed that intakes of between 10 and 30 micrograms per day are required to avoid vitamin D deficiency.
Regular meals can help avoid jet-lag
Jet-lag in long-haul cabin crew is alleviated when meal times are regulated on their days off, Surrey research has found.
Long-haul cabin crew frequently suffer from jet-lag with symptoms including fatigue, impaired sleep, moodiness, loss of appetite and an effect on cognitive performance.
For the study, 60 long-haul crew members took part in one of two tests – either eating regular meals on their days off or not. The results found that regular meal times were important for the general wellbeing of cabin crew and for helping to adapt the body clock to fit in with home life.
Genetic mutation key to living longer
Surrey researchers, in collaboration with the Universities of Reading and Cologne and the Royal Berkshire Hospital, have discovered that it is possible to stop the activation of a group of proteins known to cause most of the diseases of ageing.
Chemistry researchers believe they have found the key with an SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism). To make new cells, an existing cell divides in two but first it copies its DNA so the new cells will each have a complete set of genetic instructions. Cells sometimes make mistakes during the copying process and these variations in the DNA sequence are called SNPs.
The new research has found that SNPs protect against cardiovascular disease and also affect the activation of the proteins that cause most of the diseases of ageing. By identifying the molecular mechanism of an SNP, new drugs can be designed to treat heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and dementia, and also fibrosis in the lungs.
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