Vitamins & Supplements Archive

People can reduce their LDL cholesterol in three ways. One strategy involves dietary changes, such as eating more fiber-rich foods and swapping saturated fats for unsaturated fat. Another is to take one of several dietary supplements, including psyllium, plant sterols, or red yeast rice. The third entails taking a prescription medication, such as a statin. Many factors can affect whether these different strategies are advisable or useful, including a person's age and other risk factors for heart disease, their current dietary habits, and the quality of the supplements they take.

Brain iron deficiency should be one of the first considerations when treating restless legs syndrome (RLS). But many doctors don't know that iron deficiency is one cause of RLS and don't test for it, particularly in men, in whom iron deficiency is uncommon.

High-dose niacin (vitamin B₃) is no longer recommended to improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Different forms of niacin, such as niacinamide (nicotinamide), are sold as supplements; the potential benefits and risks remain unclear.

The demand for semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and similar weight-loss drugs has renewed interest in the dietary supplement berberine. Some people say berberine suppresses appetite and promotes weight loss, but no rigorous evidence supports that claim.

A 2024 study found that dietary supplements of galantamine—which is used to treat Alzheimer's symptoms—had an inaccurate amount of the plant extract listed on the label, ranging from less than 2% to 110% of the labeled quantity.

A 2024 randomized controlled trial provides more evidence that taking a daily multivitamin pill offers protection against cognitive decline. The study involved more than 5,000 people (ages 60 or older). Some took a daily multivitamin pill. Others took a placebo. After two years and tests measuring cognitive ability before and after the study period, people who took the vitamins showed slower cognitive decline than people who took a placebo. This was seen consistently in all groups of people.

In the US, supplements are not tested in the way prescription medicines are, and their manufacturers can make claims about their abilities that may or may not be true. But there are some rules supplement makers must follow, and the FDA's plan to revamp its regulation of dietary supplements is a step toward improving consumer protection.