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 capsules

How to Improve Absorption of Folic Acid

Folic acid supplements are given to pregnant women to reduce the likelihood of a neural-tube defect in their unborn children. Women are encouraged to take a vitamin with folic acid before becoming pregnant, but doctors recommend at the very least starting a vitamin regimen as soon as there is a positive pregnancy test.

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Why Do Medical Doctors Not Want to Give B12 Shots?

Vitamin B-12 helps maintain the health of your metabolism, red blood cells and nerves. When you have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, your doctor might prescribe vitamin B-12 shots, especially if you have an intestinal disorder that prevents the proper absorption of the vitamin.

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Vitamin

B-12 and Your Platelet Count

Platelet cells are one of the three main types of cells in your blood, along with red and white blood cells. Platelets are very small cells that are used by your body during the clotting process, which is triggered by an injury to a blood vessel.

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Keto DHEA vs. DHEA

Both Keto DHEA and DHEA have been promoted as weight-loss supplements and as sources of a range of other benefits, including reducing memory loss and decreasing the negative effects of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

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The Dangers & Risks of Taking Silica

Most silica supplements are made with horsetail, though some contain silicon dioxide, which is found naturally in sand, Horsetail contains silicon, which forms into silica as the plant dries.

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Reasons to Not Take L-Arginine

L-arginine is a semi-essential amino acid produced in the body that is necessary for manufacturing protein in the body. Occasionally, the body does not make enough and supplementation may be needed.

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The Interview

L-Arginine and Anxiety

Anxiety disorders can wreak havoc on your life. You may feel afraid to leave the house, experience constant worry and stress, and feel irritable or frustrated with those around you or with yourself. While a number of treatments can offer relief, research has shown that L-arginine may also offer benefits.

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Stomach Problems & Low Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that is produced by your body with exposure to natural sunlight. This vitamin plays an important role in the absorption of the mineral calcium, which creates the structure of your teeth and bones.

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L-Histidine Benefits

L-histidine is a conditionally essential amino acid, so-called because adults generally produce adequate amounts of the substance but children quite often do not and must fill their needs through diet. Both plant and animal proteins are good sources of this amino acid, which is a building block of protein in your body.

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Does Reverse Osmosis Remove Fluoride?

Municipalities in the United States have added fluoride to drinking water since 1945. In small amounts, this chemical can provide healthier teeth. However, in some circumstances, groundwater sources can contain too much fluoride. The water purification method of reverse osmosis can remove fluoride.

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Does Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar After Every Meal Really Burn Belly Fat?

The good news is there is some truth to the idea that apple cider vinegar can help burn fat. The bad news is that vinegar, like many other so-called super foods, is no miracle worker. Either way, to get the most of vinegar's benefits, you'll need to have it before or during a meal, as opposed to after.

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Why Do Female Adults Require More Iron Than Male Adults?

For most essential vitamins and minerals, a male's body requires more. But that's not the case with iron. A female, depending on her stage of life, needs to take in up to more than double the amount of iron a man needs. During pregnancy, iron intake should almost triple a man's.

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Does Taking Creatine Supplements Affect Creatinine Levels in Urine?

Creatinine tests are commonly used by your doctor as a quick and easy way to check your kidney function. Creatine supplements are used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts to assist in muscle growth and increase short-term endurance. Creatine is naturally produced by your body and broken down into creatinine.

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orange pills

Magnesium & Nausea

Magnesium plays a key role in your health, promoting bone health and muscle function, and it also helps regulate the amount of other minerals in your system. Too much or too little magnesium can cause adverse symptoms, including nausea.

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Pregnant Woman Talking With Doctor

Does Folic Acid Help Women That Have PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal disorder in which the ovaries produce too many male hormones. These hormones can disrupt a woman's normal ovulation cycles and thereby cause infertility.

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ginseng on the wood

Can L-Arginine and Ginseng Be Taken Together?

L-arginine and ginseng are supplements sometimes taken to improve athletic performance. L-arginine is an amino acid that helps promote vasolidation, or widening of your blood vessels for improved blood flow. This may help deliver vital nutrients to your muscles more efficiently for increased athletic performance.

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Can a Lack of Vitamin D Cause Numbness in the Extremities?

Vitamin D, also sometimes called the โ€œsunshine vitamin,โ€ is essential for healthy bone production and growth, since it helps your body absorb more dietary calcium. Not having enough vitamin D in your system means you will absorb almost 50 percent less dietary calcium than you would otherwise.

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