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.

Methionine Deficiency Symptoms

Methionine is a sulfur-based amino acid essential to optimal human health and function. The body cannot produce methionine and must get this vital substance through dietary means.

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foot massage

Dry, Cracked Heels & Vitamin B-3 Deficiency

Vitamin B3 is essential for healthy skin, and a deficiency in this vitamin B3 can result in a condition known as pellagra. One of the most common symptoms of pellagra is cracked and scaly skin, which can appear all over your body, including on your heels.

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Is Coenzyme Q10 Safe for Pregnant Women?

Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant found naturally in your body. It helps your body produce energy and protein and allows muscle contraction. Most people have sufficient CoQ10 levels in their body without taking supplements.

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Pharmacist With Customer

5-HTP & Xanax

The over-the-counter supplement 5-hydroxytryptophan and the prescription drug alprazolam, available under the brand Xanax, are substances people take for some similar uses, including relieving anxiety. The two have different effects on brain function, however.

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Senior woman taking medicine.

Potassium and Coumadin

Medications often interact with other drugs, as well as certain vitamins and minerals. Coumadin is a type of medication that can help treat and prevent blood clots.

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Do Vitamin Deficiencies Cause Fingernail Ridges?

Fingernails can indicate health problems by their appearance. Nail abnormalities often involve shape, texture, color and thickness of the nails. Depression lines in fingernails, also known as beau lines, occur due to malnutrition or an injury to your nail.

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Green tea

Does Green Tea Detox Your Body?

Of all the detox products available, green tea may be one of the most beneficial, but that doesn’t mean it literally detoxes your body. Instead, the active ingredients in green tea support your body’s natural ability to detox.

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Bare female feet under the vintage table.

Calcium and Pain in the Feet

About 75 percent of Americans will experience foot pain at some point, according to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Foot pain can be caused by anything from poor posture to poor balance to inactivity; however, not all foot pain is attributed to obvious physical causes.

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Apple Cider Vinegar

Recommended Amount of Apple Cider Vinegar Per Day

People sometimes drink apple cider vinegar as an alternative remedy for conditions including diabetes, cancer, weight loss, high blood pressure and acne, although the research results on the potential benefits of doing so are still preliminary and conflicting.

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milk

Calcium Deficiency and Leg Pain

Calcium is a mineral needed by all humans to develop strong bones and teeth. Due to malabsorption or malnutrition, a person may not get enough calcium from diet alone and may have to take calcium supplements to prevent calcium deficiency.

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Portrait of a young woman holding weight and vitamins (pills).

Side Effects of Natural Calm Plus Calcium

Natural Calm Plus Calcium is the brand name in the United States of a mineral and vitamin supplement marketed as a means to help balance the body specifically for people who participate in sports. The supplement contains vitamins D3 and C as well as the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium.

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The Effects of N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine

Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that it can either be obtained through your diet, or it can be naturally synthesized in your body as it is needed.

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pills

Can Taking Magnesium Lead to Diarrhea?

Magnesium is a mineral found in foods and supplements. Recommendations for intake vary, and the amount you take in supplement form -- if any -- should depend on how much magnesium you are getting in your diet. Getting the right amount is important; getting too much can cause diarrhea and cramping.

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Female hands hold pill and glass of water

Multivitamins & Iron Tablets

Taking a daily multivitamin can assist in keeping every system in the body healthy. The iron contained in multivitamins provides many health benefits and helps to ward off iron-deficiency anemia. Multivitamins that don’t contain iron can be taken along with iron supplements.

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Docusate Sodium Vs. Docusate Calcium

Medication stool softeners docusate sodium and docusate calcium, help relieve your bowel constipation. Each medication softens your stool creating easier evacuation from your rectum. Both stool softeners should not be used long term.

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What Is a Substitute for Lecithin?

Lecithin is a food additive that acts as an emulsifier and maintains food moisture. An emulsifier acts to keep ingredients together that would separate if left alone, such as oil and water. While previously made from egg yolk, lecithin is now usually made from soybeans.

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Dried linseed with macerated oil

The Dangers of High Lignan Flax Oil

Flax oil, or flaxseed oil, comes from flaxseed, which is the seed of the plant called Linum usitatissum. Manufacturers may add lignans to flax oil dietary supplements for more possible health benefits; the University of Maryland Medical Center notes that lignans may play a role in the prevention of cancer.

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Omega 3

Problems With Enteric Coated Fish Oil

Many people take fish oil capsules on their own or under doctor’s orders because of research indicating the supplement can help promote a healthy heart. Unfortunately, fish oil capsules can leave behind a fishy aftertaste in some people, and others are bothered by fishy-tasting burps.

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Difference Between Omega 3 & Algae Source

The primary omega-3 fatty acids essential to your good health are DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, and EPA, or eicosapentaenoic acid. Both are well studied by the scientific community for health benefits ranging from strong hearts to mental well-being.

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