Environmental Nutrition: A Tough Pill to Swallow: Are Supplements Safe?
The dietary supplement industry brings in billions of dollars each year, with an estimated 90,000 products on the market, including vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, probiotics, or other substances in pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid form. About half of American adults take at least one dietary supplement for health or wellness, or […]
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Dietary Supplements Useful in Some Situations, but Also Can Be Harmful
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Why does my doctor want to know what supplements I’m taking, even if I don’t have any health problems and don’t take more than the recommended amounts? ANSWER: It’s important to tell your healthcare provider about any dietary supplements you take. Although you don’t need a prescription for most supplements, that doesn’t […]
Prenatal Vitamins: A small introduction to a big pill
Let’s play a game of word association. I say, “prenatal vitamins,” and some of you may say … let me guess, “horse pills”? Yes, prenatal vitamins may be large, but they’re packed with an abundance of nutrients that are essential for prenatal health. And it’s important to start taking them even before you get pregnant. […]
Picking the healthiest fruits
Anyone who thinks healthy food can’t taste good clearly doesn’t understand the power of fruit. Sweet, juicy and delicious, grab-and-go fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber associated with an impressively long list of health benefits, including heart health, weight control, digestive health and lowered dementia and diabetes risk. If you’ve heard you […]
How much calcium do women really need?
Like many women, you may have memorized the minimum daily calcium requirement — 1,000 milligrams (mg) a day for women ages 50 and younger and 1,200 mg for women over 50 — and followed it faithfully in an effort to preserve your bones. You’ll probably be surprised to learn that many health authorities don’t agree […]
How to take supplements safely
Environmental Nutrition Newsletter More than half of Americans use dietary supplements, including multivitamins and botanical supplements, in tablet, capsule, liquid and powder form, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While dietary supplements–products intended to add further nutritional value to the diet–may seem like a “natural” solution to health protection, as well as […]
Folic acid supplement prior to pregnancy can help ensure a healthy baby
By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: I’m hoping to get pregnant later this year. I consider my diet to be well balanced. Do I also need additional vitamins? A: It’s terrific that you’re thinking about how to have a healthy baby before you become pregnant. Eating a diet loaded with fruits, vegetables and healthy grains is […]
Don’t let their small size fool you: Seeds are nutritional giants
By Matthew Kadey, M.Sc., R.D., Environmental Nutrition Newsletter Seeds are proof that Mother Nature works in remarkable ways. The bearers of life from the ground up, seeds contain all the makings for an entire plant. And in turn, these little powerhouses are packed with nutritional treasures. “As a group, seeds offer healthy doses of fiber, […]
EatingWell: Enjoy the health benefits of citrus
By Karen Ansel, M.S., R.D., and Lori Longbotham, EatingWell.com Oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit aren’t just refreshing–they’re also super-nutritious. One medium orange packs more than 100 percent of the recommended daily dose for vitamin C (and some research suggests organic citrus packs up to 17 percent more vitamin C than conventional). Here are more healthy […]
Strive for a nutrient-dense diet
By Matthew Kadey, M.Sc., R.D., Environmental Nutrition Newsletter When you turn over a packaged product in the grocery store to read the nutritional breakdown, it’s tempting to look at the calories first. We’ve been bombarded for years with messages that calories count most when it comes to the battle of the bulge. Yet, nutrition experts […]
Supplements: Finding the Edge While Avoiding Snake Oil
There’s no shame in wanting to look better naked. But do shortcuts exist, as the $96 billion global supplement industry would have us to believe? Supplement shelves are flooded with products promising to deliver everything from washboard abs to more energy. But how do you know which of them are worth your time and dollars? […]
Putting Vitamins to the Test
Recent studies dismiss vitamin supplements’ worthiness, but experts find the data bloated with generalities By Donna Shryer With an emphatic whack that left the global $23.4 billion supplement industry reeling, the December 2013 journal Annals of Internal Medicine issued an editorial declaring “Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements.” The editorial was in response […]