Q: Whats the safe level of daily vitamin D? Is it different for older...
Answer :The recommended intake of vitamin D-but not the safe limit-does increase with age: The Institute of Medicine has set the daily adequate intake for adults ages 19 to 50 at 200 IU of vitamin D, for ages 51 to 70 at 400 IU, and for those older than age 70 at 600 IU. Many experts, however, argue that those levels should be raised, and research has shown that 800 to 1,000 IU daily may…
Q: Is much of the omega-3 lost when the skin of the salmon is...
Answer :According to Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, much of salmons healthy omega-3 fatty acids lie just under the skin. Comparing total omega-3s for the same variety of salmon in different preparations using the USDAs Nutrient Database, salmon without the skin contains only 39% to 64% of the omega-3s in the same portion of salmon with the skin. But…
Q: I have been told that the sugar substitute Splenda is unhealthy due to...
Answer :Its true that Splenda is made using chlorine, which sounds scary; the sugar industry warns that youre actually eating chlorine when consuming sucralose, the chemical sold as Splenda. Plain sugar is transformed into sucralose by substituting three chlorine atoms for hydrogen, creating a substance that is not digested by the body-so its effectively caloriefree- and thats 600 times sweeter than sugar. (Packaged Splenda also contains dextrose and maltodextrin as bulking agents.) But theres no…
Q: We live in southern Arizona where citrus trees thrive and own two well-producing...
Answer :According to the Center for Food-Drug Interaction Research and Education, led by Tufts and the University of Florida, most prescription drugs do not show a clinically relevant interaction...
Q: Your newsletter often states the advantages of omega-3 fatty acids. But how much...
Answer : Both the American Heart Association and the 2005 federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming at least two servings of fish per week for heart health.
Q: With the increasing evidence for the benefits of vitamin D, is there any...
Answer : While not even the most avid vitamin D advocate suggests broiling yourself in a tanning booth, it is true that people in northern climes cant get enough sunshine during winter to trigger the bodys natural ability to make vitamin D.
Q: My doctor has prescribed me Coumadin (warfarin) to fight blood clots. I see...
Answer : We checked with Sarah L. Booth, PhD, director of the Vitamin K Laboratory at Tufts Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, who shared the advice on warfarin and vitamin K shed recently reviewed for the Tufts-New England Medical Center:
Q: I take flax-oil supplements every day and I was alarmed to read in...
Answer : We checked with the lead researcher on that study, Elaine W. T. Chong, MBBS...
Dieticians Endorse Food Over Pills
The American Dietetic Association says a nutritious diet, not pills, is the best way to promote health and reduce the risk of disease. In a new position statement, the dieticians group stated, The best nutrition-based strategy for promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is to wisely choose a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods.
Dont Jump to Conclusions on Multivitamin Heart-Attack Protection
I f you saw the headlines about a recent study-Multivitamins Shield from Heart Attack, Multivitamins Keep Heart Attack at Bay-you may be tempted to join the estimated 75 million Americans who take a daily multivitamin. But not so fast. Even the lead researcher on the new study, Susanne Rautiainen, MSc, of Swedens Karolinska Institute, cautions, The question of whether multivitamins are good for you still remains.