Recent Blog Articles

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

Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease

What? Another medical form to fill out?

How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do

Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline

Concussion in children: What to know and do

Vitamins & Supplements Archive

Staying Healthy

FTC orders refunds to people who purchased anti-aging products

Published February 1, 2022

The Federal Trade Commission called on companies to issue refunds to people who purchased anti-aging products due to unsubstantiated marketing claims.

Heart Health

How stimulants may affect your heart

Published February 1, 2022

Stimulant medications, which are usually prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder in children, are being prescribed increasingly to older adults. These drugs may cause a short-term spike in the risk of heart-related problems, including heart attacks, strokes, and arrhythmias. Dietary supplements that promise weight loss or better physical or mental performance may contain prohibited, unlisted, and potentially dangerous stimulants.

Staying Healthy

Treating low vitamin D levels may help people live longer

Published January 1, 2022

Treating people who have low levels of vitamin D with supplements may reduce their risk for heart attacks and death from any cause.

Medications

Tips to help you stay on your cholesterol drug

Published January 1, 2022

Many people who start a cholesterol drug wind up discontinuing its use. That’s because statins, a common type of medication that lowers cholesterol, have both real and perceived side effects, such as muscle aches. To stay on a statin, one can ease into use with a low-dose or an alternate-day dose strategy, consider if other medications or circumstances are to blame for discomfort, try gentle stretching, take coenzyme Q₁₀, or replenish low vitamin D levels. Another strategy is to take a non-statin drug that lowers cholesterol.

Staying Healthy

Essential nutrients your body needs for building bone

Published January 1, 2022

Older adults must pay special attention to their intakes of calcium, vitamin D, and protein. These important nutrients are crucial for maintaining bone health. Doctors say it’s probably best to take a supplement to get enough vitamin D. Calcium and protein are best when they come from foods, such as canned salmon with bones, sardines, beans, dairy products (cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk), leafy greens, or nuts. Other important nutrients for bone health, such as magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium, can be obtained by simply eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins.

Nutrition

Pumpkins aren’t just for carving

Published October 1, 2021

Pumpkins are a good source of nutrition and can be used like a vegetable in many meals, even though they are technically a fruit. The soft flesh of the pumpkin is high in vitamin A and potassium, and contains 3 grams of fiber per cup when cooked. It’s also low in calories, has no fat and no sodium, and is high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that is converted by the body into vitamin A. Foods that act as antioxidants may bring health benefits.

Nutrition

Adults who skip morning meal likely to miss out on nutrients

Published September 1, 2021

People who regularly skip breakfast miss getting vital nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin C, and fiber found in typical breakfast foods. They also are less likely to get the recommended daily amounts of folate, iron, and vitamins A, B₁, B₂, B₃, and D.

Pain

Vitamin D deficiency might affect recovery from knee surgery

Published September 1, 2021

A study published online May 5, 2021, in the journal Menopause found that women with a vitamin D deficiency experienced a more painful recovery from knee surgery than women with normal levels of the vitamin.

Staying Healthy

Supplements to prevent heart disease and cancer not justified

Published August 1, 2021

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found insufficient evidence for using most vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent heart disease and cancer in most healthy adults.

Staying Healthy

I recently became vegan. Should I be concerned about iron-deficiency anemia?

Published August 1, 2021

Vegetarians can ensure they are getting enough iron in their diets by eating iron-rich foods such as beans, tofu, and dark leafy greens.

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Recent Blog Articles

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

Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease

What? Another medical form to fill out?

How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do

Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline

Concussion in children: What to know and do

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