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.
Having enough calcium in your body is critical for good bone health. Adequate calcium not only lowers your risk of osteoporosis, but it also helps keep your central nervous system, blood vessels and muscles working optimally.
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An essential nutrient, vitamin B-12 has a number of physiological roles in your body, including a role in nerve function and cell growth. Healthy vitamin B-12 levels also promote the health of your blood cells, including platelets.
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Magnesium citrate treats constipation and empties the bowels when medically necessary. Although your body requires a certain amount of magnesium, an excess of magnesium citrate can cause health problems ranging from minor to life-threatening.
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Americans -- competitive athletes in particular -- spend an estimated $14 million yearly on products containing creatine. The body stores creatine in the muscles as phosphocreatine, but during intense exercise it is converted into ATP -- one of the major energy sources for human performance.
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If you have a sluggish thyroid gland, you may be diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Your thyroid gland oversees your metabolism. If it doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone, you can end up feeling fatigued, depressed, constipated and sensitive to cold, and may have a tendency to gain weight.
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Calcium is so important to muscular function that if blood calcium runs low, your body will take the calcium from your bones for use. Of all the minerals, your body contains the most calcium, states the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
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Approximately 20 million adults suffer from a peptic ulcer sometime in their lives, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Stomach ulcers are a serious medical condition that increase the risk of stomach infections and chronic gastrointestinal pain.
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Cracked skin on your hands can prove uncomfortable and painful, and it detracts from the appearance of your hands. In addition, chronically cracked skin can pose a health risk, offering an entry point for bacteria, viruses or fungi to go into your body.
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Before you undergo surgery, you want your body to be in the best possible shape. Your physician may recommend steps such as changing your diet to lose weight and boost your immune system or taking vitamin K supplements to reduce the risk of bleeding.
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Folic acid, also known as folate, is a B vitamin essential for good health. Because it is a water-soluble vitamin, your body does not store it in your tissues and therefore you must consume it in your diet every day.
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Taking a multivitamin isn't likely to cause diarrhea on its own, but if you take it in combination with other vitamin supplements or medications, or if it contains a certain ingredient, you may experience adverse effects, including diarrhea.
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Kelp is a type of seaweed known for its rich iodine content. It is available as a dietary supplement in the form of capsules, powder and teas. It is commonly marketed for thyroid support. You should use caution when taking kelp supplements. Excess iodine from kelp can cause adverse health effects.
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Your heart beats several thousand times each day, and these heart muscle contractions help to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout your body.
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Royal Maca is a brand-name, capsulated herbal supplement that contains sun-dried, precooked maca powder. Maca powder is extracted from the root of the maca plant, which is most commonly found in South America, especially Peru. Maca root has been used by the Incas for hundreds of years for its potential health benefits.
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If you suffer from anemia, are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy, the dietary nutrient folic acid is especially important to your health. Folic acid, also called folate and vitamin B-9, is essential to red blood cell and normal fetal growth. Your body needs folic acid every day to replenish body stores.
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Traditional treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, tend to focus on prescription medications or behavioral modifications. But there are parents of ADHD children or even adults with ADHD who are looking for more natural ways to modify some of the disorder’s symptoms.
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Withania somnifera, known as ashwagandha, has a role in ayurvedic medicine for a wide range of health conditions. Ashwagandha is purported as useful for relieving stress, fatigue, pain and gastrointestinal problems, and treating diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and epilepsy.
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Some supplements, particularly vitamin supplements, contain nutrients that are water-soluble, which means your body does not store the extra nutrients that it does not use. Instead, it releases them in your urine, which can cause cloudy urine. This typically occurs when taking unusually high doses of supplements.
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Abnormally heavy or prolonged menstrual cycles, medically termed menorrhagia, can make your life miserable. If you have menorrhagia, you might have heavy menstrual bleeding that lasts for more than one week.
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Tryptophan is an amino acid; amino acids are substances found in proteins. You need tryptophan to make new proteins; it also is needed to make other compounds in your body, such as niacin and serotonin. Although tryptophan supplements are generally safe, they can cause serious side effects.
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