Vitamins do not reduce cancer risk and heart disease, but exercise may be able to do what supplements can't. Exercise is proven to achieve the benefits claimed for vitamins, even for people who eat properly, reports the November 2007 issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch.

"Current evidence suggests that exercise may be a crucial weapon in reducing the risk of some cancers," the report claimed. "Studies show that active people are less likely to develop colon cancer than sedentary individuals, and that women who exercise can reduce their breast cancer risk

According to a new study people who eat rice have more nutritious diets that are higher in 12 essential vitamins and minerals, including folic acid, potassium and vitamin C and lower in saturated fat and added sugar, than the diets of non-rice eaters. The study also shows that rice eaters have a lower risk of high blood pressure and of being overweight, and may have a reduced risk of heart disease, type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

"We saw a trend toward healthier eating and more favorable risk factors for disease, such as lower blood pressure and waist circumference for all age groups, with the most significant findings among adults aged 19-50," said study contributor Julie Upton, MS, RD, who presented the data at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo 2007 (FNCE) meeting. "This is good news for Americans looking to make a change in their diet because it suggests that adding rice to the diet may promote healthier food choices

The American Heart Association has issued new guidelines for parents to have a healthy child even before the conception of the baby. The recommendations include taking prenatal vitamins with a higher than average dose of folic acid as the folic acid can reduce not only heart defects, but defects in the nervous system of the baby.

Experts believe that many congenital problems can start in the first month of pregnancy, even before the conception of a fetus hence the Heart Association advices women to consult doctors before they first think of becoming pregnant

Canadian researchers have discovered the gene mutation that causes the developmental disorder spinal bifida in a new study.

However, the researchers were not surprised to find there was a genetic element to the disorder - they've apparently known for years that a genetic factor was a major contributor

A recent study suggests that pregnant women should be given multi-vitamins to help boost the health and weight of their unborn babies. Low birth weight is associated with serious health consequences for an infant including infant mortality and poor growth and cognitive development.

Researchers found that higher levels of folate (found in some vegetables, fruits and cereals, and also known as vitamin B9, or folic acid) were linked with increased birth weights