Vitamins & Supplements

Debunking 6 Probiotic Myths

Some people use supplements and fermented foods containing probiotics-beneficial bacteria and yeasts-in an effort to improve health. But, is there good science behind them? Probiotic experts help clear up six common myths.

Reduce Heart Disease Deaths Through Food Price Changes

Policymakers are looking at ways to help nudge Americans to make healthier food choices. Two possible approaches: 1) raise the prices of unhealthy foods to discourage their consumption and 2) subsidize the prices of healthy foods to encourage their consumption. The payoff from either one? Lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, says a new study.

Q. Are nutrients lost by rinsing canned beans?

Q. Are nutrients lost by rinsing canned beans?

Does Peeling Carrots Remove Nutrients?

Q. Is it true that most of a carrot's nutrients are in or just below the skin, so it shouldn't be peeled?

Cinnamon and Blood Sugar

Cinnamon has long done double duty in cooking and as a folk remedy for various ailments. Today, scientists are studying cinnamon to see if it improves blood sugar, particularly in type 2 diabetes.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin E from Your Diet?

The vast majority of us fall short of meeting vitaminE recommendations. But, that doesn't mean we have a vitaminE deficiency. Outright vitaminE deficiency is uncommon. And despite shortfalls, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans did not identify vitaminE as a nutrient of public health concern.

Vitamin D Fails to Improve Insulin Function

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased diabetes risk. But, the few published small trials of vitamin D supplementation havent shown a benefit on insulin function, which is important in blood sugar control. Included in this list is a new trial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Why Are Calcium-Fortified Foods Better Than Calcium Supplements?

Calcium is better absorbed and utilized if consumed in smaller amounts spread out during the day. Calcium-fortified foods typically contain smaller amounts of calcium than dedicated supplements. And, although people tend to focus on calcium and vitamin D for bone health, many other nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin K, also are important for bones.

Do Probiotics Help Gums and Teeth?

Any such potential benefits of probiotic supplements in the oral cavity would depend upon whether they are appropriate to the specific oral problem at hand. That means having the right bacterial composition, dosage level and vehicle for delivery, which may be either directly to oral tissues (for example, by injecting them under the gums or providing them in chewing gum or dissolvable lozenges) or indirectly via salivary or bloodstream effects of a swallowed supplement.

Are Supplements Toxic to Liver?

Dietary supplements are often viewed as "natural," but they aren't risk-free. In a sampling of more than 800 cases of liver toxicity (harm) suspected from supplements and medications in the US, 20% of cases were ultimately attributed to herbal and other dietary supplements. The rest of the cases were due to medications (which excluded the pain reliever acetaminophen, for which the potential of liver toxicity is well-known).