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Virtual mental health care visits: Making them work for you
How healthy is sugar alcohol?
A bird flu primer: What to know and do
New urine test may help some men with elevated PSA avoid biopsy
Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
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How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals
Vitamins & Supplements Archive
Articles
Sunscreen in a pill?
Research we're watching
The FDA is warning consumers not to buy in to the idea that a pill can protect your skin from the sun.
In a statement issued May 22, FDA officials said they've found companies selling pills that are labeled as dietary supplements and that claim to protect skin from the sun.
Precious metals and other important minerals for health
Make sure your diet meets the recommended mineral targets.
Image: © fstop123/Getty Images
Gold, silver, and platinum get all the attention as the world's most precious metals. But they're more precious for the global economy than for human health. Instead, other metals and minerals (metals are one type of mineral) are more important for our health (see "What essential metals do for us"). Indeed, some of them are so important that we can't live without them. "Each one plays a role in hundreds of body functions. It may take just a very small quantity of a particular mineral, but having too much or too little can upset a delicate balance in the body," says Dr. Bruce Bistrian, chief of clinical nutrition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
What essential metals do for usMany metals are used to make strong and durable everyday objects, like copper pipes or iron skillets. But they don't form such strong and durable objects in our bodies. Instead, many essential metals are needed to activate enzymes — molecules with important jobs in the body. And metals have many other essential roles as well. For example:
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Higher vitamin D levels linked to lower risk for diabetes
News briefs
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin; low levels are associated with poor bone and muscle health and other chronic conditions, such as heart disease and cancer. Now, a study published online April 19, 2018, by PLOS One has tied higher vitamin D levels to a lower diabetes risk. Researchers followed 900 older adults (average age 74) for 12 years, checking their vitamin D and blood sugar levels during clinic visits. Compared with people whose blood levels of vitamin D were below 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), people with vitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml or more had one-third the risk for developing diabetes, and people whose D levels were 50 ng/ml or more had one-fifth the risk. This study does not prove that taking vitamin D supplements to raise blood levels of vitamin D would reduce the risk of diabetes, although that is possible. The Institute of Medicine maintains that a blood level of 20 ng/ml or higher is sufficient for 97% of the population. Other authorities think that levels higher than 20 ng/ml are better for health. Large studies are under way to help resolve these differences of opinion.
Image: © cegli | GettyImages
Enough vitamin D may protect against some cancers
In the journals
Having a low blood level of vitamin D may be linked to a higher risk of developing some cancers, suggests a study published online March 7, 2018, by The BMJ. However, taking extra vitamin D to raise already normal levels does not appear to offer more protection.
Vitamin D is made by the skin from sunlight exposure and can also be obtained through fortified foods like cereal and milk, as well as from supplements. Researchers analyzed data from the Japan Public Health Center–based Prospective Study, involving 33,736 people ages 40 to 69. The people gave blood samples and were classed into four groups, ranging from the lowest to highest levels of vitamin D. They were then monitored for an average of 16 years, during which time 3,301 new cases of cancer were recorded among the participants.
Best source of vitamins? Your plate, not your medicine cabinet
Image: iStock |
Vitamin and mineral supplements from a bottle simply can't match all the biologically active compounds teeming in a well-stocked pantry.
By focusing on the big picture, it's easy to get plenty of the vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients you need to keep you healthy and prevent disease. Here are some tips.
Managing your medications before a medical procedure
You may need to stop taking blood thinners, certain painkillers, herbs, and supplements to reduce your risk for bleeding.
Image: © Steve Debenport/Getty Images
No one wants to have surgery, even minor surgery, but sometimes minor procedures, such as a tooth extraction or a colonoscopy, are unavoidable. When that happens, you may hear that it's important to stop taking certain medications. Understanding exactly which drugs to suspend — and when — can be confusing. "I get a lot of questions about this," says Joanne Doyle Petrongolo, a pharmacist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
Blood thinners
All surgery involves cutting body tissue, and that leads to bleeding. Blood thinners—medications like anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs—can boost the risk for bleeding by keeping the blood from clotting.
Omega-3 supplements might offer little help against heart attacks
In the journals
Taking a daily omega-3 fatty acid supplement might not reduce your chance of heart attacks or strokes if you already have heart disease or are at high risk for it, suggests a meta-analysis published online Jan. 31, 2018, by JAMA Cardiology.
The researchers compared 10 trials that included almost 78,000 people, approximately 47,000 of whom were men, with an average age of 64. Each trial involved at least 500 people who took daily doses of either an omega-3 fatty acid supplement or a placebo for at least a year. All participants had heart disease, had experienced a stroke, or were at high risk for these conditions.
Can vitamin K supplements help protect against heart disease?
On call
Q. I have read that vitamin K supplements can help prevent heart disease. Should I take them?
A. Vitamin K — which is found in high levels in green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and romaine lettuce — plays a role in helping the body make blood clotting proteins. Although some observational studies have suggested a heart benefit from diets high in vitamin K, studies of supplements have not shown a protective effect.
What are the best calcium sources for people who are lactose intolerant?
On call
Image: © Svetl/Thinkstock
Q. How can I get my daily requirement for calcium if I am lactose intolerant?
A. We usually associate high-calcium foods with dairy products, like milk, cheese, and yogurt. If you cannot tolerate these foods from a digestive standpoint, you can still meet your calcium requirement by increasing your consumption of certain green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified foods.
Recent Blog Articles
Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health
PTSD: How is treatment changing?
Virtual mental health care visits: Making them work for you
How healthy is sugar alcohol?
A bird flu primer: What to know and do
New urine test may help some men with elevated PSA avoid biopsy
Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
Why play? Early games build bonds and brain
Moving from couch to 5K
How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals
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