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.
Diuretics wash extra fluid out of the body, but they can also wash out essential minerals. Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic often used to treat hypertension and also edema, or fluid retention, and congestive heart failure.
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Riboflavin, or vitamin B-2, occurs in all of the food groups, but deficiencies can develop and result in symptoms that affect your mouth, eyes and skin. You can get plentiful riboflavin in dairy products, whole grains and dark green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus and spinach.
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Your body needs zinc to fight bacteria and viruses. An essential mineral, zinc also heals wounds, makes DNA and proteins, clots blood and is needed for growth. Without zinc, you can't see, smell or taste properly; your thyroid won't work well; and insulin will prove ineffective.
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Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing or hissing sound in one or both ears. Some common causes include damage to the cells of the inner ear, hearing loss due to aging, ear damage from loud noises, fluid pressure on the inner ear, stress and depression.
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You need calcium for proper nerve and muscle function and for forming strong bones. People worried that they aren't getting enough calcium from their diet sometimes take calcium supplements, most often in the form of calcium carbonate.
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Holy basil is a herbal plant commonly used South Asian Ayurvedic medicine and is known as “tulsi” in Hindi. This plant is used therapeutically for a number of reasons and is thought to help reduce weight due to its medicinal properties.
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As a vitamin, B-12 is distinct from iron, a mineral, in both its composition and function as a nutrient. However, they are interrelated. On the other hand, their relationship with one another is not the extent of their significance.
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Citalopram is a prescription medication for the treatment of depression, and is sold under the brand names Celexa and Cipramil. This drug is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SSRI antidpressant, which works by balancing the amount of serotonin in the brain.
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Sodium is an essential mineral your body needs to maintain bodily fluids. Most people have no trouble meeting the daily requirements for sodium in the diet. In fact, the majority of the population far exceed them and are at risk of serious health complications including high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.
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Your body needs protein for the growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues and muscles. High-protein diets have become increasing popular the last few decades as an effective weight-loss method.
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While pregnant women take prenatal vitamins to supplement what may be lacking in their diet, the prenatal vitamin may not contain enough nutrients to supply everything they need. While it can be tempting to double up on prenatals to boost their nutritional value, more is not necessarily better.
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Your doctor may prescribe vitamin B12 injections if you have low levels of B12 in your blood, a condition known as vitamin B12 deficiency. B12 deficiency can result if you don't eat enough of certain foods, particularly meat, poultry and seafood, or if you have an inability to absorb vitamin B12 from food.
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Lactose is milk sugar; you consume it any time you drink milk or eat dairy products. To absorb its components and use them for energy, you digest it with lactase, an enzyme produced by your digestive tract. Lactase reacts with lactose, splitting it into two smaller sugar molecules that you can absorb.
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Your body can usually make plenty of L-tyrosine on its own, and you’ll also get this conditional amino acid from soy, poultry, fish, seeds, nuts, dairy and avocados. If you’re extremely stressed or sick, however, your tyrosine levels may be a bit low, and taking a tyrosine supplement could be helpful.
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Chinese hawthorn fruit as a supplement functions by opening your blood vessels, particularly in the heart, Drugs.com states. This can help your blood flow more easily.
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Calcium, iron and potassium are important nutritional elements of a balanced, healthy diet. Calcium is a mineral important in the development, growth and healing of bones. Iron is important in the function of red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.
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Hydrochloric acid is naturally secreted in your stomach to digest the foods you eat so they can be absorbed into your bloodstream. Many people have a deficiency of this acid, which can lead to other deficiencies.
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Fenugreek seeds have a long history of use as a spice and an herbal medication, particularly in India, Egypt and the Middle East. Currently, fenugreek seeds are used to treat high cholesterol, diabetes and appetite loss. Fenugreek seeds can also help stimulate lactation in breastfeeding women.
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An allergy is an abnormal immune response to environmental agents called allergens. Pollen, animal dander, dust mites and mold spores are common allergens. One of the most familiar forms of allergy is allergic rhinitis, or hay fever.
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With so many vitamins it can be difficult to know which ones you should take, how they contribute to your health, how much to take or what are the best sources of vitamins. Of these vitamins, B vitamins can be the most confusing because there are several variations. Vitamin B-1 and B-12 are two types of B vitamins.
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