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Stay Healthy with Vitamins and Supplements?
Created on 11/18/2011
Let's say you're in your 50s, have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and a family history of heart disease and diabetes -
what would you do to stay healthy?
There's a lot you can do, starting by working with a good primary care doctor.
But there's also plenty you can do at home to help control blood pressure and cholesterol, and to help prevent illnesses that other family members have experienced.
It comes down to diet and lifestyle, maybe even a few vitamins / supplements.
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Is Mixing Meds and Vitamins Okay?
Created on 11/11/2011
Let's say you've been prescribed a medication.
And that you take vitamins and supplements, maybe even some herbal medicine.
Why not just take them all together?
Because it may not be safe to do so!
Just because something is "natural" does not make it safe, and any agent with activity in the body might also interefere with a prescription drug's actions.
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Is Taking a Multivitamin Bad for You?
Created on 11/4/2011
You may have read the recent news regarding the taking of multivitamins.
Most of that news has not been good.
Does everyone even really need to take a multivitamin?
No - if you follow a healthy diet you likely don't require a multivitamin, which functions essentially as insurance against a nutritional gap in your diet.
But I still believe that many people can benefit from good multivitamins.
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What is CoQ10?
Created on 8/9/2011
CoQ10 is a compound found in most every cell of the body.
So why consider taking it as a supplement?
Because levels can decline with age, and because some medications (notably statin drugs) can lower CoQ10 levels even further. CoQ10 may help promote good heart function, especially in the setting of heart failure, and some data suggest it plays an important role in brain function, too.
Safe? Mostly - but be cautious if you're taking the blood thinning medication called coumadin / warfarin.
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Added Calcium Does a Heart Good? Maybe Not...
Created on 7/19/2011
Calcium is a mineral that is very important to our health, especially for our bones and teeth.
But a year ago researchers suggested that taking calcium supplements alone (no added vitamin D) might actually increase the risk for heart disease.
Strange... And yet a recent review came to the same conclusion.
Most people may not need to take calcium as a supplement - the preferred way to get calcium into our bodies is through good dietary choices. If you do take a calcium supplement consider also taking vitamin D.
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Multivitamins - With or Without Iron?
Created on 6/24/2011
A good multivitamin can be considered a hedge against nutritional gaps in the diet.
Some multivitamins contain everything but the kitchen sink! And many contain iron. Do you really need extra iron?
For most people the answer is "no." In some instances, however, your doctor may recommend supplemental iron (as with iron deficiency anemia).
But taking added iron when you don't need it may be harmful.
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Vegan and Vitamins
Created on 4/15/2011
A lot of folks are becoming interested in a vegan diet, especially young people.
And a vegan diet can be very healthy for you - BUT it is deficient in a few important nutrients.
So, if you go vegan, strongly consider meeting with a nutritionist early on, AND be sure to supplement your diet appropriately.
Read on to see what kinds of supplements you should be taking.
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Best Advice on Supplements? Ask Your Doctor and Pharmacist
Created on 9/24/2010
Recent lay press articles have called into question the wisdom of using supplements for health, citing concerns about safety and lack of regulation.
There are reasons for caution, just as there are when considering the use of pharmaceuticals.
In the case of drugs we first seek advice from our doctors and pharmacists.
The same should be true for the use of supplements, herbs and vitamins.
There are many good supplementa products on the market - your doctor or pharmacist should be able to help you identify them.
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Sunshine for Your Vitamin D - Maybe Not So Easy
Created on 8/20/2010
Vitamin D is also called "the sunshine vitamin," and for good reason. When the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays hit our skin vitamin D is produced.
Experts have for years been recommending 15-30 minutes of unprotected sun exposure to help people obtain adequate levels of vitamin D.
However, these recommendations don't take a number of factors into account, and the amount of sun exposure time needed to generate sufficient vitamin D might be much longer, increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Your best bet? A daily vitamin D supplement.
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Need help when choosing vitamins and supplements?
Created on 8/3/2009
Once we've made a decision to take a given vitamin or supplement, we are faced with so many product choices it can be overwhelming. Where to get help?
One place is consumerlab. com - for a moderately-priced annual fee you get access to information about vitamins and supplements, as well as information about the specific products available and their manufacturers.
When considering how much we can spend in a year on vitamins and supplements, the investment towards subscribing to consumerlab.com seems worthwhile. (By the way, I have no financial relationship with the organization!)
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