There is no shortage of scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of fish oil. According to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, fish oil is highly effective at lowering triglycerides, high levels of which are associated with heart disease and diabetes.…
FDA Clears Advantame, New Artificial Sweetener
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a sixth artificial, high intensity sweetener, advantame, for use in the United States. Advantame joins the ranks 12 years after the (previously) most recent addition, neotame, was gives the thumbs-up by…
EPA To DHA Ratio: a Benefits and Risks Analysis
We often hear about the health benefits of fish oil: enhanced cognitive performance, improved heart and blood health, potent anti-inflammatory activity, etc. Not all fish oils, however, will have the same physiological effects. Outside the realm of possible contamination, product…
Beer vs. Wine: a Short Guide to Alcohol and Health
Should you have a glass of wine or a bottle of beer with your dinner? Taste excepted–which would be the most beneficial to health, if at all? Here, we provide the available evidence on the effects of moderate alcohol consumption…
Nutrient-Nutrient Interaction in Multivitamin Supplements
Multivitamin supplements–complex formulations of several vitamins and a wider array of minerals and other nutrients–may not always convey the whole truth on their labels. The obvious (and most common) culprit: claiming an amount not representative of the actual additions made.…
Can Beer Reduce Levels of Cancer-Causing Chemicals in Grilled Meat?
Enjoying that charcoal-grilled medium rare steak or a rack of barbeque pork-chops has become the go to way to enjoy sunny skies and spend quality times with friends and family. But reports of carcinogens that accumulate on the meats’ surface…
Trusting Supplements Health Claims: The Importance of Study Design
We’ve all seen and heard of supplements touting that their health claims are backed by “scientific” or “clinical study.” In the consumer mind, these terms elicit trust and a notion that the product must be safe and effective. In truth,…
How Vitamin D Levels Change With the Seasons
Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is synthesized in human skin upon exposure to sunlight, when ultraviolet (UV) rays convert 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3 (which is subsequently modified in the liver and kidneys to form the biologically active hormone). The…
Vitamin D Production, Metabolism, and Health Effects
Vitamin D refers to a group of 5 similarly structured compounds known as vitamers, the most important of which (for human health) are plant-produced Vitamin D2 and endogenously synthesized vitamin D3. It is commonly referred to as the ‘sunshine vitamin’,…
A Guide to Timing Supplement Intake
The breadth of available dietary supplements lining store shelves can overwhelm even the most enthusiastic of fitness folks with (often hyped-up) health claims. Important questions–such as those having to do with how or when to take your supplements to maximize…