Growing numbers of people are avoiding wheat and other grains because of celiac disease.

Gluten seems to be the food ingredient non grata these days. Bakers are coming up with recipes for gluten-free cupcakes and baguettes. Anheuser-Busch sells Redbridge, a gluten-free beer made from sorghum. And, of course, times being what they are, you can easily slip into an Internet swirl of blogs and Twittering about gluten-free foods. It's not just talk: cash registers are ringing. By some estimates, the sales of gluten-free foods have tripled since 2004.

Gluten-free food has become more popular partly because doctors are diagnosing ...

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Commonly asked questions about a nutrient that generates a lot of them.

We seem to get more mail about calcium than any other single nutrient. The questions and comments vary, but many reflect the same exasperation. On the one hand, we've been told to take calcium pills to keep bones strong, prevent osteoporosis, and reduce the risk of fracture. On the other, information seems to keep popping up that calls into question the value of calcium — and even suggests that large amounts might be counterproductive. Throw in the occasional query about calcium absorption and which calcium pills to ...

No matter what your politics, a conservative approach to medications is a good idea.

The old, jokey line was "take two aspirins and call me in the morning." But, of course, doctors prescribe a lot more than just aspirin these days. The medicine cabinet is crammed full: cholesterol-lowering statins, stomach acid–reducing proton-pump inhibitors, antidepressants, asthma drugs, diabetes drugs, sleeping pills, hormones. The amount of money that Americans spent on prescription drugs tripled between 1997 and 2007, although growth in our collective "pill bill" has slowed for many reasons (see sidebar).

People who genuinely need medications should take them; indeed, ...

Q. Finasteride has been prescribed for my BPH. I think that the most frequent side effect is erectile dysfunction or loss of sexual desire. Would Levitra or a similar drug (like Viagra or Cialis) overcome the side effects of finasteride?

A. BPH stands for benign prostatic hyperplasia — and, more simply put, BPH is an enlarged prostate gland. As men get older, it's common for their prostate glands to get bigger as a result of noncancerous growth of the gland's tissue. By itself, a large prostate isn't a problem. The trouble starts when a growing prostate presses against the urethra ...