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Date Archives Year Share This Page: Post Tweet. Find a Program or Service. Evidence does suggest that some supplements can enhance health in different ways. The most popular nutrient supplements are multivitamins, calcium and vitamins B, C and D. Calcium supports bone health, and vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants—molecules that prevent cell damage and help to maintain health.
Women need iron during pregnancy, and breastfed infants need vitamin D. Folic acid— micrograms daily, whether from supplements or fortified food—is important for all women of childbearing age.
Vitamin B12 keeps nerve and blood cells healthy. Research suggests that fish oil can promote heart health. The health effects of some other common supplements need more study. These include glucosamine for joint pain and herbal supplements such as echinacea immune health and flaxseed oil digestion. Many supplements have mild effects with few risks.
But use caution. Vitamin K, for example, will reduce the ability of blood thinners to work. Ginkgo can increase blood thinning. The herb St. The herbs comfrey and kava, for example, can seriously damage the liver. Too much of certain supplements can be harmful.
Scientists still have much to learn even about common vitamins. One recent study found unexpected evidence about vitamin E. In contrast, a diet high in calcium-rich foods, such as dairy products and leafy greens, appeared to be protective. Millstine, noting that research shows that calcium is better absorbed through food than through supplements. The National Institutes of Health NIH recommends 1, mg of calcium a day for women ages 19 to 50, and 1, mg a day for women 51 and older.
The recommendation for men ages 19 to 70 is 1, mg a day, and 1, mg a day for men 71 and older. According to the U. Department of Agriculture USDA , 6 ounces of plain low-fat yogurt contains about mg of calcium, a little less than one-third of the daily recommendations. Other good calcium sources include tofu, nonfat milk, cheese, fortified cereal, and juices. Calcium deficiency, or hypocalcemia, may be detected by routine blood tests.
If you have low calcium blood levels, your doctor may prescribe a calcium supplement. Think that a healthy lifestyle requires not just eating good-for-you foods, exercising, and getting enough sleep, but also taking a daily multivitamin -multimineral supplement?
Multivitamins also did little or nothing to protect against common cancers, cardiovascular disease, or death. However, more recent research has found benefits to taking multivitamins.
For example, a study published August 9, , in the journal Nutrients concluded that frequent use of multivitamin and mineral supplements helped prevent micronutrient shortfalls that might otherwise cause health problems. For women of childbearing age, taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to help prevent birth defects. Multivitamins might also be prescribed by your doctor if you have malabsorption syndrome, a condition in which the body does not properly absorb vitamins and minerals.
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil has been touted as a means to reduce heart disease. However, more and more evidence shows that fish oil supplements have questionable heart benefits. A study published January 3, , in The New England Journal of Medicine NEJM found that omega-3 fatty acid supplements did nothing to reduce heart attacks, strokes , or deaths from heart disease in middle-aged and older men and women without any known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
An earlier study, published in May in NEJM , looked at people at high risk for cardiovascular disease and also reported no benefit. The best way to get adequate amounts is by eating a variety of foods that are rich in them, including:. Kava is an herb that in concentrated forms has been used to treat general anxiety disorder with some success. An Australian study published online in in the journal Trials found that the South Pacific plant can be an effective alternative treatment to prescription medication for people diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder GAD.
An earlier, smaller study, published in October in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology , also showed that taking kava significantly reduced anxiety compared with a placebo in people with GAD.
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