Supplements Guide: Side Effects & Best Multivitamins

Vitamins and supplements like melatonin and fish oil offer health benefits but can cause side effects if misused. Learn about the impact of saw palmetto on blood pressure and find the best multivitamins for young women and adults over 50.

Close-up of the hands of a person cutting a meatloaf

Do Statins Affect B-12?

Vitamin B-12 is one of eight B vitamins that together are known as the B-complex vitamins. It helps your body produce red blood cells, which transport oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and organs. It is also needed for proper nerve function.

Read more →
Male scientist analyzing pills in the laboratory

Lisinopril & Magnesium

Lisinopril is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure and to improve survival chances after a heart attack. Lisinopril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme, or ACE, inhibitor.

Read more →
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) molecule

Nausea and Low Vitamin D & Vitamin B-12

Nausea is a symptom telling you that something is not quite right with your body. You might associate nausea only with eating spoiled food, catching the flu or the early months of pregnancy, but many other factors and conditions can lead to nausea.

Read more →
New toilet bowl

Does Vitamin C Make You Urinate?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient needed for growth of tissues, tissue repair, wound healing, protein formation and free radical damage prevention through antioxidant activity. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning it dissolves in water. Excess vitamin C consumed is excreted in the urine.

Read more →
Dates, arabian lantern and rosary. Ramadan decoration

What Are the Health Benefits of Ramadan?

Ramadan is the "fasting month" in the Islamic calendar. It is technically the ninth month in the calendar, although the exact date moves from one year to the next. Ramadan is a blessed month, when people concentrate on their commitments to God and their faiths. During Ramadan, people fast only during daytime hours.

Read more →
Bagels

Health Benefits of Gluten

Gluten is a form of protein present in wheat, barley, rye and other grains. Gluten is what makes dough rise and stay elastic. Gluten is often used to make seitan, a meat alternative used by vegetarians to make faux chicken, faux beef and other vegetarian foods.

Read more →
Gel Capsules

Do Fish Oil Pills Contain Iodine?

Iodine is an essential mineral your body needs to make thyroid hormones. However, too much iodine can cause health problems, including overactive thyroid; most adults only need 150 micrograms daily to maintain normal thyroid function.

Read more →
Salt Shaker Down

Potassium Depletion & Salt Cravings

One of the common pieces of medical advice is to listen to your body. This can be true for your food cravings. While sometimes you crave salt because you are accustomed to eating a high amount of the mineral, in other instances you may crave salt because you have a potassium deficiency.

Read more →
Young woman drinking milk, smiling, portrait, close-up

Benefits of Calcium Before Bed

Calcium is critical for strong bones and teeth, and the body’s most abundant mineral may also help keep you well rested and healthy. Research shows that consuming calcium-rich foods or taking a calcium supplement before bed can help you fall asleep and sleep well.

Read more →
gel vitamin supplements on white

Vitamin E & Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is a severe form of gingivitis or gum inflammation, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. With periodontal disease, gums separate from the teeth, leaving an open space that can lead to infection.

Read more →
Porterhouse steak on a plate

How to Absorb Zinc Better

Zinc, a trace element naturally found in foods such as nuts and beef, helps with numerous health functions, including immune system maintenance and wound healing.

Read more →
Woman applying cream on her belly

Tinea Versicolor and Zinc

There are two kinds of fungi -- molds and yeasts. Many fungi that can cause infections or disease can be molds at one temperature, but yeasts when they are inside of your tissue at body temperature. Tinea versicolor is a fungus that causes a fairly common skin disorder.

Read more →
Apple cider vinegar

Can Apple Cider Vinegar Reduce Swelling?

Apple cider vinegar is a household staple used for cooking and even as a substitute, low-calorie salad dressing. What some people may not know is that apple cider vinegar can reduce swelling, according to Earl Mindell, M.D., and author of "Dr. Earl Mindell's Amazing Apple Cider Vinegar."

Read more →
mature doctor doing checkuo young girl

Does Vitamin B-12 Interfere With Synthroid Medicines?

Synthroid is the brand name of levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone used primarily to treat irregular thyroid function, mainly in people with hypothyroidism and those who have had their thyroids removed.

Read more →
Senior Woman Taking Supplements

Magnesium for Hand Tremors

Magnesium is one of the more diversely used minerals in your body. It plays a role in ion transport, which impacts your muscle function. Without enough magnesium in your body, you can suffer from symptoms that may include hand tremors.

Read more →
A woman sitting in front of a glass and a bottle of milk

Can You Take a Multivitamin With Milk?

Drinking milk helps you meet the recommended daily intake for calcium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamins A and D. You probably don't want to take your multivitamin with a glass of milk, however, because it will limit the amount of calcium and iron you absorb from your multivitamin.

Read more →
Whole lemon and lime, High angle view

How to Do a Diet Without Citric Acid

Citric acid intolerance is a relatively rare condition. It is more than a sensitivity or allergy to citrus fruits; citric acid is naturally present in berries, cheese, pineapple, tomatoes and wine. It is also used for flavoring and as a preservative in canned fruits and vegetables, beverages and mayonnaise.

Read more →

Does Too Much Vitamin D Cause Eye Twitching?

Many people experience an occasional eyelid twitch, a muscle spasm in the levator muscle that raises and lowers your eyelid. This condition may occur for a number of reasons, but it does not have a known connection to a high intake of vitamin D, a nutrient necessary for body functions and bone strength.

Read more →

Vitamin D Deficiency & Jaw Pain

Many people suffer from jaw pain caused by problems with the temporomandibular joint, also known as TMJ, a joint located near your ear that allows your lower jaw to function.

Read more →