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 Can You Counteract Muscle Pain from Statins?
The doctors' debate over statins has become heated. You can read what we have written about that here and here. If you prefer, you can listen to our interviews with leading cardiologists here. But pat…
What Are the Consequences of Excess Zinc?
Zinc is an essential nutrient that is frequently overlooked. The best dietary source is oysters, which are too expensive–or possibly too weird–for a lot of people to consume very often. Diets rich…
Is There Any Science to Support Glucosamine for …
For decades, we have been agnostic about the use of glucosamine for arthritis. Some readers praised this dietary supplement while others denounced it. Studies have arrived at conflicting conclusions. …
Is Magnesium a Miracle Mineral? Do Water Filters…
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…
Can Your Gut Microbiome Affect Your Memory?
A decade or so ago, no one would have imagined that the bacteria in your digestive tract could in any way interact with your brain. We assumed that the brain and the belly were completely isolated. Bu…
Do Multivitamins Really Deliver What They Promis…
Many people think of a multivitamin as nutritional insurance—a small daily investment to protect long-term health. Maybe you are one of them. I admit that I am. But a new report from the independent…
Will High-Dose Vitamin D Fight COVID-19?
Most people think of vitamin D primarily as a compound that can help bones stay strong. However, research has shown that immune system cells such as macrophages or monocytes rely on vitamin D as well …
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…
Quercetin Is a Natural Way to Relieve Spring All…
Spring brings warmer days, butterflies, blooming flowers and–pollen. If your spring allergies are bothersome, you might be looking for a natural approach to alleviate itchy eyes, sneezing, headach…
Should You Take Supplements to Lower Cholesterol…
Is your cholesterol a bit too high? That wouldn't be surprising, since cardiologists keep making the criteria for acceptable cholesterol levels more stringent. Cholesterol can contribute to arterial p…
Can You Boost Your Immune System with Extra Zinc…
Most people would like to improve their immune function at this time of year. Viruses that cause colds and influenza are everywhere and even vigorous hand washing may not protect you from coming down …
How to Head Off a Migraine with a Supplement
Migraine headaches can have a dreadful impact on a person's quality of life. In addition to the pain, which can be debilitating if not excruciating, these episodes often bring on nausea, vomiting and …
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…
Will Garlic Ward Off Colds?
When days are short and the weather is cold, many of us look for ways to ward off colds. Some families have strong traditions that they have used to try to avoid sniffles and sneezes. Perhaps your gre…
What Can Vitamin K2 Do for You?
The early 20th century was the Golden Age of vitamin research. Scientists identified previously unknown compounds and named them in order: vitamins A, B, C and so on. The B vitamins turned out to be a…
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…
Will Extra Vitamin C Prevent Colds?
Every winter, millions of people suffer with congestion, coughs, fever and other symptoms of the common cold. They may lose days from work. (If they don't take time off, they spread the virus causing …
Should You Worry About Serious Melatonin Side Ef…
Millions of people take melatonin every night to fall asleep. How many millions? That's anybody's guess. Tracking dietary supplement use is challenging. A research letter in JAMA (Feb. 1, 2022) report…
Common Lack of Vitamin B12 Linked to Depression …
Vitamin deficiencies are supposed to be a thing of the past. But a lack of vitamin B12 may be surprisingly common. Most people don't think twice about this nutrient, also known as cobalamin. Vitamins …
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…
How to Ease Arthritic Knees with Natural Remedie…
Osteoarthritis puts its victims in a dreadful double bind. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are the standard pain relievers for arthritis, such as diclofenac (Voltaren), ibupro…
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…
Zinc for the Common Cold…Just NOT in the N…
People have been searching for a cure for the common cold for centuries. To date, we have seen nothing that actually overcomes cold viruses the way antibiotics conquer bacteria. (By the way, antibioti…
Is There Anything to the Pycnogenol Hype?
Dietary supplements can go through fads. One year, there is a lot of enthusiasm for the supplement du jour. The next year, you hear nothing about it. Part of that is driven by the research–or lack t…
Can Vitamin B3 (Nicotinamide) Really Help Preven…
Skin cancer is the most common type of malignancy in the US. Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma by the age of 65. That…
High Doses of Vitamin B6 Could Cause Nerve Damag…
What happens when you take high doses of vitamin B6? A deficiency of this crucial nutrient has been linked to nerve damage, particularly nerve pain. But scientists are unsure if supplements help. More…
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 taking vitamin supplements. A pron…
Too Little or TOO MUCH Potassium Poses Major Dan…
We refer to potassium as the "Goldilocks" mineral. That's because too much potassium or too little potassium can cause serious health problems. Potassium needs to be "just right." Normally, the body h…
Curcumin from Turmeric Helps People Manage Their…
With all the excitement about prescription drugs to promote weight loss, people have been looking for natural approaches that could be used for that purpose. A few years ago, scientists in Thailand co…
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. Some case report…
Do Supplements Like Riboflavin or Magnesium Help…
Migraines are misery. Often the first sign of trouble is some type of visual distortion, known as an aura. The pain may follow, frequently accompanied by nausea and inability to tolerate light or nois…
Can Quercetin Control Your Allergy Symptoms?
Many allergy sufferers may be wishing they had a way to prevent the misery of sneezing and sniffling without relying on antihistamines or decongestants. One reader made a serendipitous discovery: quer…
Peppermint and Probiotics for IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is common, affecting 7 to 16 percent of the population in the US (JAMA, March 2, 2021). This diagnosis often frustrates both patients and physicians. People experiencing…
Can You Prevent Alzheimer Disease with L-Lysine?
Intriguing research suggests that the dementia we call Alzheimer disease may sometimes be triggered by a common infection: herpes virus. Although the story is not yet complete, the brain's immune resp…
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…
Is Cinnamon Toxic to the Liver?
How do you know when an herb, spice or supplement is safe? It makes sense to do some reading on anything you are planning to take before you begin swallowing it. Many people are taking cinnamon to con…
Probiotic Can Help Prevent C. Diff Due to Antibi…
Have you ever experienced a bad bout of diarrhea after finishing a course of antibiotics? This reaction is not uncommon. Now, researchers are beginning to recognize that often this problem is caused b…
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 
Excess Vitamin Caused Neuropathy
Most people who take supplements expect that their health will improve as a result. However, we have heard from numerous people who have found, to their chagrin, that the supplement they take has actu…