Vitamins and Other Supplements
Breaking Down a ‘Brain Booster’
We all—at least those of us of a certain age—forget a word from time to time, misplace our keys, or walk into a room and can’t remember why. When...
Balance of Nature: The Latest Vitameatavegamin
It’s hard to avoid hearing about Balance of Nature these days. The TV commercials for these supplements promise vitality, health, energy—a woman named Caroline says she is 60 but...
Adulterated Dietary Supplements Still on the Market
Dietary supplements adulterated with undisclosed drugs continue to make their way to consumers, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Using the Tainted Dietary...
More VITAL News
To the growing list of health problems that aren’t likely to be eased or prevented by taking vitamin D supplements (provided you aren’t deficient in the vitamin), you can...
Don’t Count on Zinc for Colds
Don’t count on zinc acetate lozenges to quell a cold: A study in BMJ Open found that they did not shorten cold duration in 45 people who started taking...
Probiotics for Digestive Conditions: The Evidence Doesn’t Sit Well
Don’t count on probiotics to ease symptoms of most digestive conditions. According to guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association, published in the journal Gastroenterology, there is insufficient evidence to...
Poor Grades for Dietary Supplement Manufacturing Practices
More than half of dietary supplement manufacturers don’t meet Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), according to the latest FDA inspection report obtained by the supplement-testing company Consumerlab.com.
Out of 598 supplement...
Ask the Experts: ‘Thyroid Support’ Supplements
Q. Can “thyroid support” supplements help me lose weight or give me more energy as claimed?
We strongly advise against them. Several years ago, a study in the journal Thyroid...
Vital Findings
In our February 2019 issue, we reported on the initial results from the landmark VITAL study, which tested the ability of vitamin D and omega-3 (fish oil) supplements—two of...
Apricot Seeds for Cancer?
Can apricot seeds really cure cancer as some people claim?
No. This is an example of a dangerous quack medicine that is being touted to desperate patients by misinformed or...
