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.
Can You Lower Blood Pressure with Nitric Oxide?
Nitric oxide is a gas originally thought to be important to human health only as an air pollutant. In the 1980s, however, scientists began to realize that this molecule plays many important roles in h…
Is Sunshine the Best Source for Vitamin D?
Vitamin D has long been known as the sunshine vitamin because skin creates this hormone when exposed to ultraviolet light. However, winter in northern latitudes does not allow much vitamin D to be cre…
Clindamycin and C. Diff Infection: A Devil’s R…
The FDA has a black box warning in the prescribing information for clindamycin (Cleocin). That represents the highest alert for physicians and patients about this antibiotic. It says in part: “Becau…
Will Horse Chestnut Extract Ease Tired Legs?
You can see varicose veins as lumpy twisted veins under the skin. They tend to stick up from the surface of the limb (usually the leg or foot). That distinguishes them from spider veins that are visib…
Why Choose Certified Organic Probiotic Products?
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., recently announced that the agency will be “modernizing and reforming FDA’s oversight” of dietary supplements. In essence, he has admitted that the F…
Rat Poison Is Not Relevant to People
We recently answered a question from a reader about vitamin D3 used in high concentrations as a mouse or rat poison. At the toxic levels found in the bait, vitamin D3 can lead to kidney damage, heart …
Will Rosemary and Turmeric Help Your Arthritis P…
People with arthritis pain face a difficult dilemma. Arthritis is a chronic condition, but the usual NSAID pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) should be used only …
FDA Cracking Down on Dietary Supplements for Dem…
The Food and Drug Administration has just taken action against many companies that advertise their dietary supplements for dementia. The commercials often imply that these products could be used to tr…
Why KayaBiotics from Germany? Certified Organic!
We are delighted that Kaya Biotics has decided to extend its relationship with The People’s Pharmacy. This German company is now underwriting our nationally syndicated public radio show. We are very…
Should You Take Magnesium to Boost Vitamin D?
We don't usually think of nutritional supplements acting in concert, but that is due to a failure of imagination. Food hardly ever supplies a single nutrient. A reader recently alerted us to an intere…
Will Magnesium Improve Your Vitamin D Level?
People with a low vitamin D level may benefit from increasing their magnesium intake. The relationship between these two nutrients is more complex than you might think, however. Vitamin D Level Dips i…
How Will You Get Adequate Vitamin D?
You may have heard that vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin. That is because skin exposed to sunlight makes this crucial hormone. However, when nights are long and days are short and cold, we c…
Is There a Natural Remedy for Cold Sores?
During cold season, many people suffer from outbreaks of cold sores, also called fever blisters. Perhaps when the immune system is busy fighting off another infection, the herpes simplex virus that ca…
Did Turmeric Help Man Overcome Dupuytren’s…
Middle-aged and older men sometimes suffer from a condition known as Dupuytren's contracture. Their fingers may curl in to the palm. They may find it difficult if not impossible to open the hand fully…
Can Fish Oil Really Help Your Heart?
Fish oil is one of the most popular supplements on drugstore shelves. People take it to promote heart health, ease joint pain and relieve dry eyes. The value of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil has b…
Study of Vitamin D Supplements Results in Disapp…
Millions of Americans are low in vitamin D, but taking vitamin D supplements may not do any good. A study of vitamin D supplements recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine (online, No…
Vitamin D Strikes Out Against Heart Attacks and …
Millions of Americans are low in vitamin D. They are at higher risk for a range of health problems, from asthma to osteoporosis, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. These individuals may b…
Can You Prevent Alzheimer Disease with L-Lysine?
Intriguing research suggests that the dementia we call Alzheimer's disease may be triggered by a common infection: herpes virus. Although the story is not yet complete, the brain's immune response to …
Is Fish Oil Linked to Heart Rhythm Changes?
Could a supplement that people take for heart health actually lead to heart rhythm changes? Most people take fish oil with the expectation that it will lower their likelihood of a heart attack or stro…
KayaBiotics: High-Quality Organic Probiotics fro…
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce our new sponsor, KayaBiotics. You may be wondering about the probiotics stories you’ve been seeing and hearing over the past few years. In July, a…
Will Pumpkin Seed Oil Help Your Urinary Problem?
How often do you have to get up at night to visit the bathroom? Some people sleep through the night with no difficulty but others have their sleep disrupted because they need to urinate every few hour…
Could a Magnesium Supplement Conquer Your Leg Cr…
Nighttime leg cramps can be quite a challenge. They may well wake you with pain in the middle of the night, and easing the pain can take time. We have written about a number of home remedies that may …
Will Alpha-Lipoic Acid Help Your Nerve Pain?
Nerve pain (neuropathy) can be excruciating, and the medications doctors prescribe to alleviate the pain don't always help a great deal. However, alternative medications such as alpha-lipoic acid can …
Januvia Joint Pain | A Disabling Side Effect
Sitagliptin (Januvia) is a type 2 diabetes drug that has been on the market for more than a decade. It belongs in a class of drugs called gliptins or DPP-4 inhibitors. These meds enable the body to ma…
Should You Be Taking Vitamin Supplements?
There is growing consensus among health professionals that most people should not be taking vitamin supplements. Their view is that this is a waste of money that will do no more than lead to expensive…
Do People Who Eat Fish Grow Old More Healthfully…
Does eating fish or taking fish oil make any difference for your health? For decades, researchers have touted the anti-inflammatory benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. They have sug…
Will Vitamin D Boost Your Mood This Winter?
Vitamin D, sometimes known as the sunshine vitamin, is renowned for its contribution to bone strength. It may also help ward off lung infections, particularly among people who are especially susceptib…
Will Fish Oil Supplements Ease Your Anxiety?
Fish oil has gotten a lot of bad press lately. After a decade or two of enthusiasm for its benefits in preventing heart disease, arthritis and dry eyes, scientists concluded that there is little or no…
Are Your Dietary Supplements Contaminated with D…
The Food and Drug Administration has been testing dietary supplements for years. “From 2007 through 2016, 776 adulterated dietary supplements were identified by the FDA and 146 different dietary sup…
Should You Take Vitamin D Supplements for Strong…
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones. When young children don’t get enough vitamin D, they can develop a bone deformity called rickets. This nutrient acts as a hormone in the body. It is vital fo…
Could a Supplement Help You Lose Belly Fat?
Belly fat (aka abdominal adiposity) is not just a matter of looking unattractive. A disproportionately large waistline can indicate excess visceral fat that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, he…
Is Melatonin Safe for Night Shift Nurse?
People who do shift work put their bodies through a lot of stress. Most of us adapt to getting up in the morning and going to bed at night. If we are reasonably regular about the times, our body clock…
Do Turmeric Supplements Have a Downside?
The yellow spice turmeric is extremely popular both as a food ingredient and as a supplement. When it is used to flavor food like yellow mustard or curry, turmeric is considered safe. A case report de…
Can You Cool Your Hot Flashes with Maca?
Just because menopause is a natural part of life doesn't mean it is easy. Some women have intense hot flashes for only a few years, but others may suffer for a decade or more. Estrogen is the gold sta…
Can Quercetin Control Your Allergy Symptoms?
Hay fever season is looming, and many allergy sufferers may be wishing they had a way to prevent the misery of sneezing and sniffling. One reader made a serendipitous discovery: quercetin taken for gl…
How Are Vitamin D and Rheumatoid Arthritis Linke…
Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) is essential for good health. Human beings can make this hormone when skin is exposed to sunlight. In addition, vitamin D is found in a few foods: oily fish (and espec…
Should You Take Probiotics with Antibiotics? New…
Health professionals in the U.S. have been slow to embrace probiotics. European doctors have been recommending probiotics with antibiotics for a long time. For reasons that puzzle us, American physici…
Do Vitamin D Pills Lower Your Chance of Cancer?
Epidemiological studies have shown that people with low levels of vitamin D are more susceptible to various cancers. What can you do to reverse your risk? The answer is not clear. We do not know if …
Multivitamins No Help Against Heart Disease
Are multivitamins no help against heart disease? Millions of Americans take multivitamins, perhaps as many as 40 percent of older adults. A new study suggests that mixed vitamin and mineral formulatio…
Will Benfotiamine Ease Your Foot Pain?
Have you ever dropped a heavy can of food on your toe? The nail turns purplish-black and the foot hurts like crazy. After a few days, though, the pain calms down and only hurts when you wiggle or stub…