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.

Woman holding sore muscle on leg

Magnesium, Potassium & Leg Cramps

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the most common location for a muscle cramp is in the calf, hamstring or quadriceps muscles. Muscle cramps are spontaneous pangs of intense pain that can often catch you off guard. Leg cramps can happen in the middle of the night or during exercise.

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Can I Overdose on Folic Acid?

Folate, also called folic acid or vitamin B-9, is one of the essential B-complex vitamins. It plays an essential role in the development of the precursors to the nervous system during embryonic development, and it also aids in the production of energy within your cells.

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How to Convert Vitamin A Palmitate IU to Micrograms

Vitamin A is available in a variety of forms, including retinol, retinyl acetate and retinyl palmitate. Vitamin A is measured in both international units — commonly abbreviated IU — and micrograms. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, making overdose more likely than with water-soluble vitamins.

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What Vitamin Deficiencies Cause Swollen Gums?

The root cause of gum swelling generally results from poor oral health, which is not necessarily due to poor dental hygiene. People with good dental hygiene can have poor oral health if they have poor nutrition.

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Overweight woman squeezing into small pants

Can You Lose Weight With Alpha Lipoic Acid?

Obesity is a serious health condition that has been increasing considerably since the 1980s in the United States. Several supplements that may help in weight loss are under research worldwide to help treat overweight and obese people.

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The Best Way to Take Liquid Fish Oil

Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may help lower cholesterol and triglycerides as well as reduce your risk of heart disease. According to the National Institutes of Health, fish oil may also help with "

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What Is Sodium Carboxymethyl?

A dish of ice cream, a tube of toothpaste, some laundry detergents and artificial teardrops all rely upon the synthetic gum, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose for their creamy taste, squeezability, soil-lifting strength and lubricating effect.

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How to Tell If Vitamins Are Synthetic

You can make wiser choices when purchasing vitamins by learning to identify synthetic dietary supplements from natural vitamin products. Manufacturers of dietary supplements sometimes use synthetic materials for increasing the vitamin’s potency and stability.

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Is It Safe to Take Flaxseed Oil During Pregnancy?

Flaxseed oil provides vital fats that a developing baby needs, but it can also pose a danger to a pregnancy in progress. Understanding the risks and benefits of flaxseed oil can help you make a decision about whether to include this oil in your pregnancy diet.

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What Is Potassium Benzoate?

Potassium benzoate (PB), also known as benzoic acid (reference 2), is a food preservative often used as a substitute for Sodium benzoate in diabetic and low-sodium foods (reference 1).

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What Depletes Vitamin B-12 & Folic Acid?

Vitamin B-12 and Folic acid are B complex vitamins that your body uses to create new cells. They work together with six other B vitamins to aid in growth and repair of your tissues and benefit your overall health and well-being. They are also co-factors in the production and absorption of other vitamins and nutrients.

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Synthroid Interactions With Vitamins

Synthroid is a prescription drug that can be used to treat hypothyroidism. Although there are many types of thyroid disorders, hypothyroidism remains the most common, affecting millions in the United States.

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Pros & Cons of Glucosamine

Glucosamine is a natural substance in the cells of cartilage between joints. Your body produces the glucosamine it needs to protect your bones, but production decreases with age. Injuries to joints may damage cartilage and connective tissues, which increases your need for glucosamine.

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Coagulant Drugs & Vitamin K

A number of proteins and genes affect the thickness of your blood to help maintain your health. Too-fast or too-slow blood coagulation can prove harmful, causing abnormal blood clot formation or abnormal bleeding, respectively.

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eye

Keratoconus and Diet

Your cornea is the clear, round dome of tissue that covers the front of your eye. One corneal condition, keratoconus, occurs when the tissues of the cornea break down. This condition results in the cornea changing shape, becoming a pointed cone shape.

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How to Safely Combine 5-HTP and Zoloft

Combining Zoloft with 5-HTP is not normally recommended without physician approval and supervision. The body makes 5-HTP, a chemical, from an amino acid called tryptophan, and 5-HTP is then converted into serotonin in the body.

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What Happens With Too Much Vitamin K?

Sometimes called the “clotting vitamin,” vitamin K is required for the blood to clot properly and also helps with bone formation and promotes bone health.

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What Do High Sodium Levels Mean?

Sodium is an important mineral for the body because it is an electrolyte, which means that it has an electrical charge when dissolved in water. Unusually high levels of sodium in your body can raise your blood pressure and result in a condition known as hypernatremia, resulting in cellular dysfunction.

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Doctor Carrying Out Ear Exam On Female Patient

Tinnitus and Vitamin Deficiencies

Tinnitus is a symptom caused by a variety of inner ear conditions and is perceived as a constant “ringing” or “whooshing” sound within the ear. Other symptoms are usually associated with tinnitus, such as vertigo, hearing loss, nystagmus of the eyes and noise sensitivity.

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