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.
How to Prevent and Stop the Itch of Mosquito Bit…
Some people are mosquito magnets. They attract mosquitoes like honey draws flies. A bunch of people can be sitting around the back yard enjoying themselves and not being bothered by mosquitoes. That 
Is Magnesium a Miracle Mineral?
The body needs minerals to function. Without adequate levels of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium we would perish. Doctors often encourage patients to cut back on sodium and increase calcium. P…
Are Calcium Pills Hardening Your Heart Arteries?
One of the biggest flip-flops in modern healthcare disappeared without a trace. For decades, doctors, nutrition experts and registered dietitians have been urging women to take calcium pills to streng…
Can You Help Nerve Pain with a Diet Rich in ALA?
Doctors often have a hard time treating nerve pain, also called neuropathy. When diabetes causes neuropathy, physicians ask patients to control their blood glucose very strictly. In addition, they may…
Should You Take Turmeric to Ease Pain?
Persistent pain can really wear you down. Consequently, when people discover something that works, they like to share the good news. Some readers report relief from months of terrible discomfort by ta…
Could Too Much Vitamin D Lead to Hair Loss?
A close-shaved scalp has become a popular hair style even among many young men. For women, though, (and also many men) unexpected thinning of the hair is a cause for alarm. One reader questioned her u…
Cinnamon May Offer a Surprising Way to Reverse P…
Prediabetes is an often-undiagnosed condition that frequently leads to the development of type 2 diabetes. In the past, scientists have found that intensive lifestyle changes or medications such as me…
Can You Overdose on Vitamin D?
Doctors generally assume that North Americans are so well nourished that they never need to worry about supplements. In fact, they sometimes fuss that people who take vitamin pills could overdose on …
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 …
Why Vitamin D for COVID-19 Saves Lives
The evidence keeps accumulating that adequate vitamin D may be really important for protecting people against the complications of the coronavirus (PLOS ONE, Feb. 3, 2022). Israeli researchers conclud…
Too Much Potassium Poses Danger
We refer to potassium as the "Goldilocks"Â mineral. That's because too much potassium or too little can cause serious health problems. Potassium needs to be "just right." Normally, the body handles p…
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…
How Much Magnesium Is Enough?
We do not understand why magnesium does not get the respect it deserves. Physicians have been recommending extra calcium in supplements for decades, but magnesium is often overlooked. We think health …
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. Some case report…
Do Statins Lower CoQ10 Levels? Can Supplements C…
Doctors prescribe the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins as an essential step in treating heart disease. Many physicians also prescribe them for prevention. While many people take these medicin…
Can Vitamin C Help Combat COVID-19?
The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines reduce the likelihood of hospitalization with COVID-19, they don't provide perfect protection. In particular, the Omicron variant has evolved in a way that all…
Will a Big Dose of Vitamin D Give You Leg Cramps…
What have you heard about vitamin D? Maybe you recognize this compound by its popular nickname, the "sunshine vitamin." It is called that because human skin makes this hormone when it is exposed to su…
Do Glucosamine and Chondroitin Increase Your Cho…
What happens if you take something for a presumed benefit only to discover that it has a downside? This happens pretty frequently with pharmaceuticals; everyone is familiar with the idea of side effec…
St. John’s Wort Can Lift Mood, But May Dam…
About twenty years ago, people who were reluctant to take prescription antidepressants were excited to learn that the herbal medicine St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) could help alleviate mild t…
Do Gut Microbes Contribute to Symptoms of Lactos…
Lactose intolerance is a common complaint. Sufferers describe bloating, cramping, abdominal pain, flatulence and loose stools or outright diarrhea upon consuming dairy products. Presumably, the sugar …
Will Elderberry Extract Help You Recover from Fl…
Natural approaches to healing are getting extra attention right now, as people try hard to stay out of doctors' offices if they can. After all, if you don't have COVID-19, you don't want to go anywher…
Vitamin B12 Helps Ease Nerve Pain of Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes often develop a painful nerve disorder called diabetic neuropathy. People with this condition may experience numbness, tingling, burning or pain in their hands or feet. The…
Will Precious Saffron Save Your Eyesight?
A diagnosis of a chronic condition that could lead to a severely diminished quality of life is terrifying. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can result in a significant loss of vision. Consequent…
Natural Approaches for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is common and challenging to treat. People who have IBS may feel incredibly frustrated because often doctors tell them there is no observable problem. All the same, they…
Should You Be Taking Vitamin Supplements?
Vitamins were among the most exciting discoveries of the early 20th century. Since then, however, doctors have been expressing a lot of skepticism about the value of vitamin supplements. New research …
Zinc for the Common Cold
People have been searching for a cure for the common cold for centuries. To date, there is nothing that actually overcomes cold viruses the way antibiotics conquer bacteria. However, for years scienti…
What Is the Story on Calcium Supplements?
When the medical experts change their minds, it can be confusing for the rest of us. One such flip-flop that has puzzled a lot of people concerns calcium supplements. For years, doctors urged their ol…
Can Treated Licorice (DGL) Ease IBS Symptoms?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has long been a mystery to doctors. Sufferers experience cramps, bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea and other digestive distress. Until recently gastroenterologists…
Will You Breathe Easier If You Take Less Iron?
Many people need to take iron supplements because they don't get quite enough of the mineral from their diets. Doctors may recommend supplements for people with restless leg syndrome (RLS) or extreme …
What Supplements Could Help Ease IBS Symptoms?
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a frustrating diagnosis. Doctors describe it as a "functional" GI disorder, meaning that they can't find any physiological reason for the patient's suffering. None…
Can You Take Quercetin for Your Allergies?
Quercetin is a flavonol, an antioxidant compound many plants make. Scientists have been studying this compound since 1857. Within the last decade, they have identified a number of health benefits it c…
Magnesium Supplement for Irregular Heart Rhythm
Do you have an irregular heart rhythm? Even preventricular contractions (PVCs) that are not believed to be dangerous can be disconcerting. A person is justified in becoming alarmed over more serious r…
Do Omega-3 Supplements Improve Cognitive Perform…
Experts have been debating the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. Marine oils contain both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A new study in the America…
Will Vitamin B1 Keep Mosquitoes from Biting You?
Mosquitoes are persistent insects. They are everywhere, from Maine to Alaska. In fact, Alaska Tour & Travel states: "Half-jokingly known as the Alaska state bird, mosquitos are a fact of summertim…
Does Vitamin D Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer?
Colorectal cancer rates have been declining since the mid 1980s. That may be due in part because of regular screening through colonoscopy. However, scientists have previously found evidence that vitam…
How Much Vitamin C Do You Need?
Vitamin C, isolated and named more than 100 years ago, is crucial for good health. Even before it was discovered, vitamin C entered history. A lack of fresh fruits and vegetables on long sea voyages m…
Can You Really Control Blood Pressure With Dande…
High blood pressure is a very common condition that is usually treated with one or more medications. For the most part, people don't have a lot of trouble with diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ…
Will Boswellia with Turmeric Ease Your Joint Pai…
Millions of us suffer with joint pain, and the older we get, the more likely we are to have achy knees or sore hips. It is little wonder, then, that there are many home remedies or dietary supplements…
Preventing Sunburn from the Inside Out
Fifty years ago, it was hard to avoid sunburn. Sunscreens were crude. The most effective, zinc oxide cream, went on ghostly white. It looked funny, though it did keep lifeguards from burning their nos…
Can Magnesium Help Your Restless Legs Syndrome?
"Restless legs" hardly sounds like medical terminology, but it describes a neurological condition first described in the late 17th century. People with the condition describe sensations similar to som…