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Once again a study finds health problems from supplements. This time, researchers found that several bodies of evidence (the long-running American Nurses' Study and two studies in Norway) found a higher risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women who took high doses of both vitamin B6  and B12. Interestingly, B12 alone seemed to not be ...continue reading "High Dose Vitamin B Supplements and Hip Fractures"

Eat real foods, not supplements. Study after study has found beneficial health effects from eating real foods, but not from taking supplements. Now another large study found similar effects - eating real foods was linked to a lower risk of death for any reason (all cause mortality) and death from heart disease (cardiovascular), which was ...continue reading "Getting Nutrients From Food (But Not Supplements) Linked to Lower Risk of Death"

A diagnosis of a lifelong progressive disease such as multiple sclerosis is one that everyone wants to avoid. So there is much speculation and research looking at what causes it and possible ways to avoid getting it. Some earlier research suggested that zinc  and iron may play a role (e.g., finding that zinc levels are ...continue reading "Mineral Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis"

Once again, recent studies found that eating real food (fish) is associated with health benefits, but taking a supplement (omega-3) isn't. Similar findings about fish versus omega-3 fatty acid supplements have also been found in other studies. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids and many other nutrients - more than are found in supplements. The first study ...continue reading "Health Benefits Linked to Eating Fish, Not Supplements"

Another study has found that the most common vitamin and mineral supplements (multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin C), don't offer hoped for health benefits, and may actually carry some risks. This latest study was a review of other studies, and examined whether specific vitamins or minerals would  lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (including ...continue reading "Study Finds No Benefit From Most Supplements"

Once again, a study found an association between a worrisome health problem (intestinal polyps) with a dietary supplement (calcium), but no problems with eating the foods (calcium rich foods). The large multi-center study specifically looked at serrated polyps (SPs) because they are considered precursor lesions for colorectal cancer - that is, that while they are ...continue reading "Best to Eat Calcium Rich Foods, Not Calcium Supplements"

Vitamin D supplements are incredibly popular, but whether vitamin D supplements should be taken during pregnancy and at what dose is still debated, and studies have had conflicting results. Now a review by Canadian researchers of 43 studies of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy found that there is "insufficient evidence to guide recommendations during pregnancy". ...continue reading "Vitamin D Supplements During Pregnancy?"

Another study not finding benefits from taking supplements - this time older men taking vitamin E and selenium supplements to see if it prevents dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The men (average age 67.5 years) were randomly assigned to take either vitamin E (400 IU) or selenium (200 µg), both supplements, or a placebo daily for over ...continue reading "Vitamin E and Selenium Supplements Don’t Prevent Dementia"

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People assume that taking probiotics results in the beneficial probiotic bacteria colonizing and living in the gut (or sinuses when using L. sakei). It is common to hear the phrase "take probiotics to repopulate the gut" or "improve the gut microbes". The human gut microbiota (human gut microbiome) refers to all the microbes that reside inside ...continue reading "Do Probiotic Supplements Stick Around In the Gut?"

Once again, a study finds that foods are superior to supplements (here calcium supplements). It appears that eating foods rich in calcium has protective effects against kidney stones, but taking calcium supplements may result in kidney stone growth. On the other hand, vitamin D may prevent kidney stone formation. Reviewing studies over the past few ...continue reading "Calcium Supplements and Kidney Stones"