Vitamin, Mineral & Herb Remedies
Dietary supplements can be surprisingly helpful for many common disorders. There is substantial science supporting the use of herbs, vitamins, minerals and other supplements.
Should You Take A Multivitamin? You Bet!
There are a lot of contentious issues in medicine but one that has been center stage for decades seems puzzling to us. It is the question: Should you take a multivitamin? For some doctors it is a give…
Is St. John’s Wort Safe & Effective F…
Q. I have been reading about the problems of hormone replacement therapy on your website. Since discontinuing HRT I have been using St. John's wort and it has relieved many symptoms, including sleeple…
Too Many Supplements Had Scary Results
Q. I used to rush out and buy any supplement I read about to get its purported health benefits. At one point, I was taking handfuls of supplements each day. I thought I was healthy. When I had to have…
Fish Oil Fails to Save Lives
Fish oil fails to deliver on its promise. For years, millions of Americans have swallowed capsules filled with omega 3 fatty acids from fish. They expected, based on preliminary epidemiological eviden…
Ginkgo Fizzles for Memory
It may not matter if you forget to take your ginkgo. A new study from France and published in The Lancet Neurology included 2,800 people over 70 who were complaining about memory problems. Half were g…
Too Much Licorice Could Be Deadly
I am a licorice lover, I admit it. Black Australian Licorice from Kookaburra is quite good but I am especially fond of Gustaf's Dutch Licorice CATS. There's something about the texture and the taste t…
Beware Dangerous Dietary Supplement!
Many folks assume that so-called "natural" dietary supplements are a great way to bolster their health or treat an annoying problem without a pricey prescription drug. It is imperative to be informed …
Natural Remedies (& Vitamin E) for Scars?
Q. I have scars on my arms and legs after a bad outbreak of poison ivy. Are there any natural remedies for scars? A. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons report that no single therapy has been proven e…
Does Calcium Carbonate Pose Risk?
Q. My doctor has taken me off calcium because of studies showing that calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart disease. Is it safe for me to take calcium carbonate for heartburn? What else c…
Too Much Calcium Could Be Deadly
Q. I was just visiting my mother, who took Fosamax for eight years. About three years ago, she decided to stop it and simply take calcium supplements. She is taking large quantities of calcium (5,000 …
St. John’s Wort May Interact with Prescrip…
Q. I am thinking about taking St. John's wort for mild depression. My only other medication is aspirin for atrial fibrillation. Is there an interaction? A. It is smart of you to check for interactions…
Vitamin D Deficiency Raises Risk of Dying
Vitamin D deficiency could hasten death in frail older people. Researchers collected data from more than 4,300 American over 60 around the country. Those who were frail, with weak muscles, unintended …
Can Curcumin Prevent Diabetes?
Curcumin is the active ingredient in the yellow spice turmeric that is used in curry and mustard. Researchers have found that this compound has powerful anti-inflammatory activity that may make it hel…
Zinc Banishes Foot Odor
Q. My 17-year-old granddaughter has a problem with smelly feet. My son had the same problem at that age. Do you have any home remedies to recommend? A. Readers have shared lots of home remedies for fo…
Does Arthritis Remedy (Glucosamine) Raise Choles…
Q. I have been taking glucosamine for a year after reading that it could help repair cartilage in joints. I had knee surgery and my recovery was excellent. I believe this is due to taking the suppleme…
Ample Vitamin D Wards Off Infection
If you need to spend time in the hospital for a planned operation, it may make sense to boost your vitamin D levels first. Recent research indicates that people with good levels of circulating vitamin…
Ice Addiction Leads to Hospitalization
When a reader shares a story about a common problem, sometimes it saves someone else's life. That is what happened when readers wrote about their compulsion to chew on ice, like an ice addiction. Ice …
Watermelon Extract for Healthier Blood Vessels
As people age, their arteries often become less flexible. Atherosclerosis is associated with heart disease and high blood pressure. New research from Florida State University shows that people at risk…
Black Cohosh Helped Hot Flashes
Q. You had a question from a reader having trouble with hot flashes. I too was on hormones and finally got off, despite the hot flashes coming back. Remifemin-brand black cohosh has helped me a lot. I…
Calcium from the Diet vs. Supplements
Q. Is it true that calcium from supplements can build up in the arteries, causing heart problems? Would calcium from plant sources do the same thing? A. The most recent research on this issue comes fr…
Do Supplements Help Survival?
Although women have recently been told that vitamin D and calcium supplements won't help them avoid fractures, a new analysis from Denmark suggests these supplements are associated with a longer life.…
Using Laxative Landed Mother in Hospital
Q. Is it dangerous to take aloe for a long time? My 84-year-old mother read about the benefits of aloe for detoxification and thought she should try it. She took it faithfully and over a period of tim…
Don’t Count on Supplements to Strengthen B…
The US Preventive Services Task Force has done it again. This panel of medical experts has issued a new guideline that is likely to confuse or annoy many health professionals and consumers. In this ca…
Can Calcium Contribute to Heart Risk?
Q. I have been taking a calcium and magnesium supplement for many years. About a year ago I added 1200 IU of vitamin D at the suggestion of my primary care doctor. I will be hospitalized soon to have …
B Vitamin Reduces Recurrent Headaches
Q. I have suffered from tension headaches for many years. The pursuit for a cure included many trials of medications, acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractic, Botox injections, epidural steroids a…
Zinc Speeds Recovery from Colds
Some people are enthusiastic about zinc supplements for the common cold, and a new analysis of research shows that zinc can indeed reduce the amount of time some people spend suffering with sniffles. …
Omega-3 Fats May Protect the Brain
Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flaxseed and walnuts seem to have heart healthy effects. Researchers have also been studying the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the brain. A new study in the jour…
Vitamins Ineffective in Preventing Eye Disease
Eye doctors have been more enthusiastic about nutrient supplements than most other physicians. That's because some studies suggest that antioxidants protect the eyes from damage. A new study in the jo…
Vitamin B Derivative Eases Painful Feet
Q. I have suffered from sharp pains in my feet diagnosed as peripheral neuropathy. I heard on your radio show that a supplement called benfotiamine might help. I tried it and feeling has returned and …
Vitamins Helped Hives
Q. I have been suffering with hives for eight years. No drugstore remedy worked. After reading on your website that vitamins might help, I started to take vitamin C and vitamin D supplements. I am ama…
Overdosing on Vitamin D Can Be Dangerous
Q. My father was told he had low levels of vitamin D and that he should take a supplement. He read about vitamin D helping lots of problems, including diabetes, arthritis and the muscle pain from stat…
Will Ginkgo Help Short Term Memory Problems?
Most people worry about their memory, especially when they forget things they shouldn't, like an important birthday or a PIN number or a password. There's nothing much scarier than the fear of dementi…
Supplements Fail Cancer Test
B-vitamins and fish oil do not appear to offer protection against cancer. A study of more than 2,500 French people compared the supplements to placebo for five years. The investigators found that the …
Supplements Help Prevent Heart Rhythm Changes
Q. After 30 years of atrial fibrillation (A-fib), I started taking magnesium, fish oil and vitamin D daily. I think this regimen keeps my A-fib spells down to one every few months, usually triggered b…
Can Lecithin Keep Arteries Clean?
Lecithin was discovered over 100 years ago. It is a major constituent of egg yolks. The active ingredient in this natural substance is phosphatidylcholine. Some readers have reported that this compo…
Can St. John’s Wort Beat the Blues?
Q. This time of year, when the weather is bad and there isn't much sunlight, I get really down in the dumps. I have found that St. John's wort can help me out of my funk and it doesn't ruin my sex lif…
Vitamin D No Panacea for Lung Condition
Investigators in Belgium were testing the ability of vitamin D to control flare-ups in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. Previous research has shown that nearly 75 percent of patients wit…
B Vitamins to Boost Brain Power
B vitamins may help maintain memory in healthy older adults. That's the conclusion of Australian scientists after they conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 700 individuals between 6…
Cinnamon Lowers Cholesterol
Q. I am curious about the health value of cinnamon. A year ago, I ran across a Web site suggesting cinnamon to reduce bad LDL cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes. I do not have this disease, bu…
Magic Mineral Helps Her Sleep
Q. I suffered from insomnia for three miserable years during menopause. My doctor prescribed Sonata but could not guarantee more than four hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly. I decided not to spend …