Vitamins & Supplements

Q: Is there really a noninvasive test that can measure antioxidants in the body?...

Answer : C-Y. Oliver Chen, PhD, a scientist in Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Lab, answers: Yes, there is a non-invasive scanner that evaluates total carotenoid content in skin.

Q: If I ate as much food every day as listed in your One...

Answer : Actually, we did compute the calories in our example of how to get 5,419 milligrams of potassium from a days worth of meals...

Q: Is there any difference in effectiveness between vitamin D supplements in soft gel...

Answer : Vitamin D expert Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of Tufts HNRCA Bone Metabolism Laboratory, replies...

Q: I enjoyed your Special Report on potassium (March). Coconut water supposedly has only...

Answer : Health & Nutrition Letter editor Irwin H. Rosenberg, MD, replies, There are no downsides to the consumption of coconut water that I am aware of.

Q: How high should the blood level of vitamin D be? I take 3,500...

Answer : Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of Tufts HNRCA Bone Metabolism Laboratory, answers: Current recommendations are based on the effect of vitamin D ...

Q: Does strontium help strengthen bones, and if so what are the sources of...

Answer : Although strontium is the 15th most abundant element on the planet, its found more in rocks than in food.

Q: How does taking supplements differ from eating foods fortified with calcium?

Answer : Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of Tufts HNRCA Bone Metabolism Laboratory, says it depends on bioavailability...

Q: After being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, I was put on warfarin, a blood...

Answer : Sarah Booth, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Vitamin K Laboratory, replies, "I would recommend that you work with your healthcare provider...

Q: I will use blood thinners the rest of my life, and so watch...

Answer : Sarah L Booth, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Vitamin K Laboratory, answers, Blood thinners are among the top 15 drugs prescribed in this country...

Q :I have to avoid copper because of Wilsons disease, so I cant have...

Answer : A Lisa Massini, a dietetic intern in Tufts Frances Stern Nutrition Center, responds: Copper sulfate is an approved pesticide for organic farms...