Category: Supplements
Should I take vitamin C to ward off colds, lower blood pressure or reduce cancer risk?
Vitamin C is one of the most iconic nutrients in popular health culture, often credited with preventing colds, boosting immunity and even fighting serious diseases.
But while it’s essential for our bodies to function, its benefits are often misunderstood or overstated. Before you stock up on supplements, here’s what to consider.
Continue reading
Antioxidants help stave off a host of health problems – but figuring out how much you’re getting can be tricky
Although your body produces some of these antioxidants, you can get them from the foods you eat, and they’re better for you than supplements.
In fact, researchers found that antioxidant supplements did not reduce deaths, and some supplements in excessive amounts contribute to oxidative stress, and may even increase the risk of dying.
In contrast, increased antioxidant intake from whole foods is related to decreased risk of death.
Continue reading
Some US protein powders contain high levels of lead. Can I tell if mine is safe?
This week, the United States non-profit Consumer Reports released its investigation testing 23 protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes from popular brands to see if they contained heavy metals.
More than two-thirds of the products contained more lead in a recommended serving size serving than the Californian guidlines recommend in a day: 0.5 micrograms (mcg or µg).
Continue reading
A brief guide to vitamin and mineral supplements – when too much of a good thing can become toxic
Here’s what you need to know about the benefits and risks of some of the most common vitamins and minerals.
Continue reading
Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience Aimee
Continue reading
Osteoporosis, the silent disease, can shorten your life − here’s how to prevent fractures and keep bones healthy
With some simple lifestyle changes, you can lower your risk of osteoporosis.
Continue reading
For healthy adults, taking multivitamins daily is not associated with a lower risk of death
The analysis showed that people who took daily multivitamins did not have a lower risk of death from any cause than people who took no multivitamins. There were also no differences in mortality from cancer, heart disease, or cerebrovascular diseases.
Continue reading
Prenatal supplements fall woefully short in providing crucial nutrition during pregnancy – and most women don’t even know it
Prenatal supplements are not the insurance plan that many doctors believe them to be.
Continue reading
A natural deception: 3 marketing myths the supplement industry wants you to swallow
The business of supplements is booming, and with all the hype around them, it’s easy to forget what they actually are: substances that can powerfully affect the body and your health, yet aren’t regulated like drugs are.
Continue reading
Dietary supplements and protein powders fall under a ‘wild west’ of unregulated products that necessitate caveats and caution
Under a 1994 law, dietary supplements are classified as food, not as drugs. This means dietary supplements are not required to prove efficacy, unlike drugs. Regulators also don’t take action on a product until it is shown to cause harm.
Continue reading
Congressman’s Wife Died After Taking Herbal Remedy Marketed for Diabetes and Weight Loss
he wife of a Northern California congressman died late last year after ingesting while mulberry, a plant that is generally considered safe and is used as an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments, including diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.
Continue reading
An expert panel has recommended against taking vitamin E or beta carotene supplements for the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease – here’s why
The panel of experts concluded that with regard to the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer, the harms of beta carotene supplementation outweigh the benefits and that there is no net benefit of supplementation with vitamin E for those purposes.
Continue reading
Do athletes really need protein supplements?
Protein and amino acids indirectly affect performance by building muscle to improve performance. But there is little evidence to suggest consuming extra protein directly aids physical performance in either endurance or resistance exercise.
Continue reading
The dietary supplement you’re taking could be tainted with prescription medications and dangerous hidden ingredients, according to a new study
Many over-the-counter dietary supplement products – particularly those used for sexual enhancement and weight loss – are tainted with undisclosed pharmaceutical ingredients.
Continue reading
CBD and parents’ attitudes about giving it to children
“Anecdotal stories of children benefiting from CBD may sound alluring but just because it’s a plant product doesn’t necessarily make it safe or effective in children.”
Continue reading