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.
Linden Blossom Tea for Congestion
When colds and flu are rampant, it's good to have a few herbal remedies handy that can provide comfort for congested airways. One reader wrote that she uses linden blossom tea for this purpose. Elder …
How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?
Q. My doctor prescribed 50,000 IUs of vitamin D a week for about five weeks. After reading the recent news on vitamin D, I'm concerned that I am getting way too much. A. A panel of experts recently mo…
Does Marijuana Cause Breast Enlargement?
Q. You told a concerned grandmother that her 16-year-old grandson's breast enlargement might be due to marijuana. I can only wonder what you were smoking! Contrary to government propaganda, marijuana …
Controversial New Recommendations About Vitamin …
A long awaited recommendation about appropriate levels of vitamin D and calcium has created controversy. Scientists from the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine have called for tripl…
Excess Vitamin Caused Neuropathy
Q. When I was a teenager I had a brief bout with acne. A friend of my mother said I should take baker's yeast. I took it for two weeks and it cleared up my skin. I hated the taste, though, so I switch…
Yohimbine–Help or Harm?
Q. What's the scoop on yohimbine for impotence? I've read that it has no serious side effects--though it may not work in humans. But I've also heard that there may be side effects. What is right? I ha…
Will Garlic Ward Off Colds?
As the days grow shorter and the weather colder, many of us are looking for ways to ward off colds. Some families have strong traditions that they have used to try to avoid sniffles and sneezes. Perha…
D-Ribose for Heart Failure
Q. I have been fighting congestive heart failure since I had a serious heart attack 10 years ago. I saw a mention of the benefits of D-ribose for people with heart failure. I have found this supplemen…
How Much Vitamin D?
Q. I have read recently that low levels of vitamin D could make people more likely to get cancer. But I have also read that too much vitamin D is dangerous. Can you tell me what is an appropriate amou…
What Are the Consequences of Excess Zinc?
Q. Some years ago, I read about the benefits of zinc in reducing the frequency of respiratory tract infections. I have been taking 100 mg of the mineral daily ever since, along with 1,000 mg vitamin C…
Can Flaxseed Ease Prostate Symptoms?
Q. Has anyone investigated the use of flaxseed oil to ease symptoms of prostate enlargement? When I was 35 I had a near fatal stroke caused by a neck injury. Although I recovered fairly well, I began …
Search for Acne Remedy
Q. My son has acne and seborrheic dermatitis. He has been treated with antibiotics that help somewhat but never completely clear it. I have heard that applying milk of magnesia (MoM) to the face is a …
Magnesium May Help Blood Sugar Problem
Q. I have reactive hypoglycemia. Though doctors didn't help, a nutritionist did. Eating smaller, more frequent meals of protein and healthy fats, easy on carbs, seems to avert my hypoglycemic symptoms…
Pine Bark Extract No Help for Heart
Pine bark extract is rich in antioxidants and it has been touted as a natural way to lower blood pressure. A new study compared a Japanese version of the supplement to placebo and found no cardiovascu…
How Much Vitamin B12 for Vegetarian?
Q. I currently follow a strict vegetarian diet and consume no animal products at all. Since vitamin B12 is missing from the vegan diet, I wonder how many micrograms of it I should take. I've seen B12 …
Arthritis Supplements Don’t Work
Researchers are patting themselves on the back for finally proving that the popular arthritis supplements glucosamine and chondroitin don't work. Too bad physicians don't have much else that eases pai…
Did Calcium Pills Cause a Heart Attack?
Q. Thank you for writing about calcium supplements. I have been taking 1000 mg calcium supplement daily for years. About a year ago, September 2009, I had what my doctor called a mild heart attack. I …
Natural Options for Treating High Blood Sugar
Q. I am continually intrigued by all the various home remedies I read in your column. As a borderline diabetic, I am especially interested in non-drug approaches to help keep my blood sugar under cont…
Arthritis Supplement Raised Cholesterol
Q. I took glucosamine and chondroitin for about seven months. I had gotten little relief for my back pain, but I was willing to continue it to see if eventually it would help. Around that time I had b…
Calcium Study Creates Controversy and Frustratio…
Several weeks ago we reported on a fascinating article published in the British journal BMJ. It was a meta-analysis of 11 studies that included over 12,000 people over the age of 40. The investigators…
Health Hazards from Dietary Supplements
Some ingredients in dietary supplements may pose health hazards. That's the conclusion of a review by Consumer Reports working in collaboration with the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. The s…
Can Resveratrol Reverse Inflammation?
A dietary supplement that is gaining in popularity has new evidence to support its potential benefits. Resveratrol is a compound found in many plants, but peanut and grape skins are particularly rich …
Are Calcium Supplements Safe?
Calcium supplements have long been promoted as essential for strong bones. A new analysis in the British journal BMJ calls into question both the safety and effectiveness of this common supplement. T…
Calcium Supplements & Heart Attacks?
We've been worried about this for years and now it appears to have come to pass. Based on very sketchy data, manufacturers of calcium pills have touted their benefits for strong bones. And many physic…
Will Arginine Cream Boost Sexual Response?
Q. At my 40th high school reunion, we indulged in some "girl talk." My dear friend told us about arginine cream. She got a prescription for this to improve her sexual response and swears it is working…
Experience Challenges Glucosamine Study
Several weeks ago, we reported on a study from Norway demonstrating that the popular dietary supplement glucosamine was no more effective than placebo for an arthritic back. This study reinforced the …
Glucosamine No Help for Bad Back
Q. My husband and I are in our 50s. We are having much pain from arthritis. His is in his knees. I have had my thumb joint removed due to osteoarthritis and now I am told I need hip replacement surger…
Pycnogenol Praised for Asthma
Q. I have used Pycnogenol for almost two years. I tried it for horrible hot flashes and night sweats. I read that most women get results taking 200 mg, so I started with that dose. It did stop those s…
Drugs Affect Vitamin D and Bone Health
Q. My physician recently found that my vitamin D level is very low. I find this hard to believe since I drink nearly a gallon of milk weekly and take a multi-vitamin and calcium plus D each day. I als…
Probiotics Eased Heartburn
Q. For twenty-five years I have suffered with acid reflux and have taken strong acid-suppressing drugs, both prescription and over the counter. I have also suffered five fractures at different times a…
Seeking Science on St. John’s Wort
Q. Many years ago I took St. John's wort for mild anxiety for about six months with definite success. I don't like to take any herb or medication longer than necessary so I slowly stopped taking it. I…
Super High Dose Vitamin D Hurt Instead of Helpin…
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a higher risk of falls and fractures, especially among the elderly. Studies of supplementation have not given consistent results, though, so Australian scientis…
Supplements to Prevent Kidney Stones
Q. Back in the 1970s I had an attack of kidney stones while on vacation. I was rushed to the hospital, where I was told that at 32 I was young for kidney stones but that they were caused by calcium de…
Vitamin E Helps Liver Condition
Vitamin E came out first in a test of treatments for fatty liver not due to alcohol abuse. Nearly 250 patients with fatty liver were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: the diabetes drug Act…
Milkweed Juice as Wart Remedy
Q. You sometimes get questions about how to get rid of warts. I've had horses all my life, and warts on a horse's muzzle are common. I've always rubbed the milk from a bleeding milkweed plant on them.…
Multivitamin Linked to Nerve Problems
Q. Last October I started having neurological symptoms. My hands were falling asleep every night with pins and needles. The symptoms got worse and I developed pain in my neck, upper back and arms. Som…
B-Complex Vitamins against Stuttering
Q. I am a retired professor, so what I did for a living for 40 years was talk. It's a paradox because I suffered from stuttering, particularly the 'block' type you get when you have to give a speech. …
Turmeric for Liver Health
The yellow spice in curry may someday help heal liver damage. The research was carried out in mice, so it is far too early to apply it to people. The results in mice were promising, though. Animals wi…
Fish or Flax?
Q. Which is better, fish oil or flax oil capsules? A. Both contain omega-3 fatty acids, but it is much harder for the body to utilize the fats from flax seed oil. If your goal is to lower cholesterol …
Vitamin D Activates T Cells
Vitamin D has been garnering attention from medical scientists for many functions besides promoting strong bones. A recent study shows why it is crucial for the function of the immune system. Danish r…