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.
Gelatin capsules, also known as soft gels, have an outer coating or shell containing the active ingredient and any filler. The interior ingredients must be in the form of a liquid, paste or suspension, which has small particles of the active ingredient suspended in liquid.
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Vitamin B-12 is generally the only B vitamin available by injection outside of a medical setting. As an injection, it is available as the synthetic form called cyanocobalamin. Vitamin B-12 injections are beneficial for certain health conditions, and some people take them for an energy boost and a weight loss aid.
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Amino acids are building blocks of protein. L-tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning you don't need to obtain it from diet as long as you consume enough L-phenylalanine, which the body converts to tyrosine.
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Vitex agnus castus, known as chaste tree or chasteberry, grows naturally in Mediterranean countries and central Asia. The fruit extract of agnus castus is used as an herbal remedy, according to the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS).
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As a natural fruit-derived additive to foods and beverages, bergamot oil brings a distinctive citrus flavor to items such as Earl Grey tea.
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Derived from seeds of the plant Oenothera biennis, evening primrose oil is a traditional herbal memory for several health conditions.
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Fucus vesiculosus, a type of seaweed known as bladderwrack, has a role in alternative medicine for treating many health disorders. Fucus vesiculosus is available as a supplement in tablets, capsules and extract, and people also use this vegetable in salads, soups and stews.
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Frankincense oil comes from the resin of Boswellia serrata trees. Some aromatherapy oils, perfumes and certain types of incense contain this oil. Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional health care of India, also uses frankincense oil to treat several conditions.
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Aloe vera is a succulent plant with long, thick, waxy leaves containing inner gel and outer gel, along with latex liquid from the inner leaf skin. People use aloe vera gel and juice for topical and oral health remedies.
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Eugenia aromatica, more commonly known as clove, is added in small amounts to foods for flavoring, gum and tobacco in cigarettes. Clove oil, technically called eugenol, has anti-inflammatory, pain relieving and antibacterial effects, as noted by the National Institutes of Health.
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The berries of Phytolacca Americana, more commonly known as American nightshade or pokeweed, are toxic unless thoroughly cooked by boiling in several changes of water. Severe side effects can occur when people eat them raw, add them to juice or do not cook them properly.
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Of the several types of elder or elderberry tree, the one people typically use as an herbal health remedy is Sambucus nigra, commonly known as European elder or black elderberry.
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Omega-6 fatty acids are essential for health, but because the body cannot produce them, they must be obtained through diet or supplements. Some omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), but gamma-linoleic acid does not.
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Flax seed and flax seed oil are excellent sources of alpha-linolenic acid, which the body converts to essential omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed has many health benefits, according to the Cleveland Clinic, including reducing blood triglyceride levels, blood pressure, blood clot formation and inflammatory response.
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Withania somnifera, called ashwagandha, is a member of the pepper family and grows naturally in India and Africa. Ashwagandha has extensive uses in Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India.
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Garcinia cambogia is an herb included in several supplements for weight loss and fat burning. Derived from the rind of the gamboge fruit, which is native to Asia, Garcinia cambogia extract also is used to lower high cholesterol.
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Rubus idaeus, better known as raspberry, grows throughout North America and Europe. Raspberry leaf has a traditional role in treating diarrhea, relieving excessively heavy menstrual flow and preventing complications during pregnancy, according to the University of Michigan Health System.
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The plant Borago officinalis is the source of star flower oil. While the blue star-shaped flowers can be eaten as a vegetable, oil pressed from the seeds is a nutritional supplement and herbal remedy.
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Rhodiola rosea, also called golden root and roseroot, has a traditional medicinal role in the harsh mountainous climates of Russia, Scandinavia and Tibet. Rhodiola is considered an adaptogen, meaning it has non-specific qualities that help people deal with physical and mental stress.
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Cold sores are painful blisters that usually occur on the lips, but can develop anywhere from the lips to the nostrils. These sores, technically known as herpes labialis, are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1.
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