Fish Oil Versus Flax Seed Oil—Which Is Better? Numerous authorities tout the health benefits of eating fish, yet concerns about contaminants persist. Is flax seed oil a better alternative? (March 2007)   The Antioxidant Sky is Not Falling Alarmist headlines recently suggested that antioxidants and vitamins do not help you live longer and might even shorten life. Once again, the news media's impulse to sensationalize a story has skewed the factual data about supplements and delivered "the wrong message" to millions of people around the world. (March 2007)   With Diabetes Surging Some Look For Alternative Treatment Over a third of American adults now suffer from or are at risk for this disease. Research indicates that several dietary supplements can be useful for lowering and controlling insulin and blood sugar levels (October 2006)   Top Ten Ingredients in Weight-Loss Pills: No Clear Winners Is there life after ephedra? Here we reprint Environmental Nutrition's report on the ten most popular ingredients in weight-loss pills. (June 2004)   Research Clears Up Controversy Over Role of Nutrition and Dietary Supplements in Cancer Treatment Appropriate use of nutrition and dietary supplements can help maintain patient health and strength. (May 2004)   SAM-e Offers Hope When Antidepressants Do Not Work Research at Massachusetts General Hospital indicates that combining SAM-e with prescription antidepressants improves patient response. (May 2004)   Use of Botanicals for Menopausal Symptoms to be Discussed at 12th Annual Congress on Women's Health Session will review data on efficacy and safety of botanical products and assess their clinical use for menopause. (May 2004)   Lycopene Linked to Reduction in Fibroid Tumors Animal research shows both fewer and smaller fibroid tumors in a 10-month study comparing a lycopene-supplemented diet with a normal one. (May 2004)   Genetic Mutation in Folic Acid Metabolism Raises Risk of Birth Defects for 12% of Pregnant Women Neural tube defects continue despite more folic acid in prenatal vitamins and fortified foods. Genetic mutation appears to be the cause for one in eight women. Different form of folate is a solution. (May 2004)   Many Women Not Doing Enough to Prevent Osteoporosis Most women do not understand the implications of osteoporosis. Despite taking calcium supplements, roughly half of women over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. (May 2004)   Chromium Picolinate and Biotin Lower Heart Disease Risk for Type 2 Diabetics Research indicates these nutritients lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of diabetes-related death, as well as improving blood glucose levels. (May 2004)   Review of 60 Safety Studies Concludes Chromium Picolinate Is Safe A review of more than 60 human, animal, and cellular studies conducted over the past 30 years confirms that chromium picolinate is safe for use as a nutritional supplement. (May 2004)   Supplement Developed by KGB Tames Risks of Alcohol-Related Diseases Research shows that hangover-pill supplement reduces toxicity of alcohol metabolism and may reduce risk of alcoholism, several cancers, liver cirrhosis and alcohol-related neuropsychological disorders. (May 2004)   Vitamin D Deficiency Seen as New Epidemic Among Adolescents Lifestyle changes have put 30% of American adolescents at risk for fractures, stunted growth and debilitating osteoporosis later in life. (May 2004)   When "Fatty" is Good: Omega-3 Oils and Fatty Acids" Many Americans have embraced low-fat diets and foods. But some fats help us fight heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. What are these "good" fats and how do we get enough of them? (May 2004)   Chemical and Physical Structure of Fatty Acids The terminology surrounding fatty acids can be confusing. Looking at their structure helps us understand which are the "good fats" and which are the "bad" ones. (May 2004)   Vitamin C Research Hints at New Treatment of Respiratory Disorders Vitamin C is vital for normal airway function, may prevent symptoms associated with airway diseases, and may be valuable for treating asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive lung disease. (March 2004)   Kids Breaking More Bones Doctors are seeing more broken bones rather than simple bruising in normal childhood falls, and blame reduced calcium consumption. (March 2004)   Vitamin B-12 Levels Linked to Bone Loss in Aging Women Study of 83 older women finds more rapid bone loss among those with lowest levels of vitamin B-12. (March 2004)   Sun Exposure for Vitamin D Is Bad Medicine Experts say that recommending unprotected sun exposure to get adequate vitamin D is misleading and medically irresponsible. (March 2004)   Calcium and Vitamin C Nourish Healthy Teeth and Gums People with low intake of calcium and vitamin C are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease. (March 2004)   New NIH Research Will Examine Utility Of Chromium Picolinate For Diabetes and Heart Disease University of Pennsylvania is starting a human clinical trial to study potential benefits of chromium picolinate supplementation in men and women diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome. (February 2004)   There's Hope for People with Age-Related Macular Degeneration High levels of antioxidants and zinc can reduce risk of vision loss by about 25 percent in patients with intermediate AMD in one or both eyes, and those with advanced AMD in only one eye. (February 2004)   Johns Hopkins Endorses Vitamin E for Age-Related Macular Degeneration If every American with intermediate AMD took these vitamins and minerals, more than 300,000 people could avoid AMD-associated vision loss over the next five years. (January 2004)   High Lycopene Levels in Women Associated with Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Women's Health Study of 40,000 women shows those with highest levels of lycopene and other carotenoids have up to one-third lower risk of contracting cardiovascular disease. (January 2004)     Research Indicates ProAlgaZyme May Decrease Risk of Stroke or Heart Attack Independent research indicates that ProAlgaZyme reduces the likelihood of blood vessels becoming blocked by clots, which is a leading cause of strokes and heart attacks. (January 2004)   Longevity with Healthy Lives A plant consumed by inhabitants of the Longevity Islands in Japan contains the antioxidant chalcone, which helps guard against heart problems, cancer, oxidation of LDL cholesterol, osteoporosis, diabetes, and even Alzheimer's disease. (December 2003)   Flexcin™ Joint/Pain Solution Launches to Retail Market This new joint-health supplement contains a patented anti-inflammatory ingredient, Cetyl Myristoleate, in addition to glucosamine complex and MSM. (December 2003)   New Research Confirms Role of Vitamin E Supplements Against Macular Degeneration A new study has confirmed earlier reports that antioxidant supplements including Vitamin E can be beneficial for people with vision loss from age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. (December 2003)   Black Elderberry Extract Shortens Flu Duration by Half Clinical research finds that Sambucol, an all-natural, proprietary black elderberry extract, reduces symptoms and shortens duration of flu types A and B. (December 2003)   Vitamin Supplementation Lowers C-Reactive Protein Levels Research finds that an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, C-reactive protein (CRP), can be reduced by consuming a multivitamin. (December 2003)   Higher Magnesium Intake May Reduce Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes New data from the Nurses' Health Study and Harvard School of Public Health suggest that a higher intake of magnesium may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. (December 2003)   New Study Shows British Nutritional Supplement May Prolong Life Span Of HIV-Infected Individuals London researchers find fewer deaths among HIV patients taking British nutritional supplement. (November 2003)   Antioxidants and Cognitive Function: Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks Elderly beagles are as bright as young dogs when their food is enriched with antioxidants. But elderly dogs not on the diet lagged behind in cognitive tests. (November 2003)   Research Will Investigate If Vitamin E And Selenium Can Prevent Prostate Cancer Outreach campaign is recruiting more African-American men to participate in research on preventing prostate cancer. (November 2003)   Higher DHA Levels Associated With Reduced Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease New research indicates that higher DHA levels in the blood reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease in elderly men and women by as much as 48 percent. (November 2003)   Scientists and Physicians Discuss Latest Discoveries for Stopping Cancer before It Starts Findings include antioxidant properties of grapes and wine, vitamin A and prostate cancer, and enzymes influenced by green tea. (October 2003)   Pharmaceutical Scientists Present Groundbreaking Research Including Two Herbal Treatments For Lung and Skin Cancer A Chinese herb reduces lung cancer colonies by 70 percent. Topical application of another herb prevents skin cancer and limits its growth. (October 2003)   Pilot Study Indicates Chromium Picolinate May Be Useful Treatment For Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Patients with PCOS raised insulin sensitivity by 35% and lowered insulin levels by 22%. (October 2003)   Biotech Firm Continues Research On Therapy For Renal Disease Words. (October November 2003)   Exercise Plus Calcium Citrate Provides New Path to Preventing Osteoporosis Weight-bearing and resistance exercises combined with calcium citrate supplementation provided significant improvement in bone mineral density. (September 2003)   DHA Consumption Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's Research shows people with the highest intake of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, have up to 80% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's. (July 2003)   Lycopene May Lower Risk of Heart Disease in Women Research on 40,000 women indicates that those who eat foods rich in lycopene have up to 65% lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, strokes and heart attacks. (July 2003)   Comprehensive Scientific Review Confirms Safety of Black Cohosh for Menopausal Women Review of all safety literature on black cohosh covering more than 2800 patients confirms no reported drug interactions and a low occurrence rate of negative side effects, all minor. (July 2003)   Low Vitamin B6 Linked to Higher Risk of Stroke Medical researchers have found that low levels of vitamin B6 in the blood is associated with a higher risk of stroke. (June 2003)   Vitamin E Is Useful Aid to Cancer Treatment Used in addition to radiation, chemotherapy and hyperthermia treatments for cancer, vitamin E can both strengthen the effectiveness of those treatments and reduce damage to normal cells. (June 2003)   Antioxidants Lower Hypertension in Rats A diet rich in antioxidants both lowered blood pressure and improved renal function in a strain of rats that are genetically disposed to develop hypertension. (June 2003)   Vitamins A and D Improve Bone Health in Children and Adults In new research presented at Endocrinology conference: vitamin D deficiency is more common among African Americans than previously thought, both high and low levels of Vitamin A can increase hip fractures in older women, and calcium lost in the urine is related to bone fractures in older women. (June 2003)   Vitamin E Can Also Combat Inflammation, Promote Strong Cells Vitamin E, best known as an effective antioxidant, also has features that may be even more important to your health, according to the Harvard Medical School. (May 2003)   Coenzyme Q-10 Should Be Taken with Vitamin E The popular dietary supplement CoQ-10 should be taken with Vitamin E, the University of California at Berkeley's Wellness Letter recommends. (May 2003)   Supplements Reduce Risk of Vision Loss For patients with intermediate or advanced age-related macular degeneration, high-dose levels of antioxidants and zinc supplementation significantly reduce the risk of vision loss. (April 2003)   Chromium Picolinate Important for Insulin Resistance and Chronic Disease Researchers present newest data on chromium picolinate supplementation for reducing risks of chronic disease. (April 2003)   Americans Consume Less Chromium Than Estimated Adequate Intake Level Research finds that Americans consume less than estimated adequate intake levels of chromium, a nutrient that may be linked to insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. (April 2003)   Vitamin E & C Supplements Found to Improve Outcomes For Surgical Patients Supplements of both Vitamin E and Vitamin C can improve outcomes of surgical patients, according to the Johns Hopkins Medical Letter. (March 2003)   American Cancer Society Finds Vitamin E Supplements Fight Bladder Cancer Health records of more than 1 million adults over a 16-year period shows that regular use of vitamin E supplements reduces the risk of dying from bladder cancer. (February 2003)   Red Clover May Be Best Alternative Therapy for Treating Enlarged Prostate Urologist reviews published studies of five popular herbs and reports that isoflavones relieve symptoms of BPH. (January 2003)   PA Health Department Reminds Women That Folic Acid Prevents Birth Defects Taking folic acid every day before becoming pregnant and in early weeks of pregnancy can reduce risk of neural tube birth defects by as much as 70 percent. (January 2003)   Government Report Concludes That SAM-e Decreases Joint Discomfort A US government report concludes that SAM-e is effective for joint discomfort. (December 2002)   NIH Report Indicates Alternative Diet Pill Safer and More Effective Than Ephedra Patients using Xenadrine EFX show no signs of cardiac side effects and burned significantly more calories than those taking two ephedra-based products. (December 2002)   Research Shows Individuals Respond Differently To Nutrients Prostate cancer research indicates some men may respond to certain nutrients better than others, leading to customized recommendations of cancer-protective regimens for individuals. (December 2002)   Bone Density Studies Find Two Useful Supplements and Risks for Elderly Women Who End HRT Ending hormone therapy for menopause can decrease bone density in elderly women. Two supplements are found helpful for building bone density in men with osteoporosis and young women anorexics. (November 2002)   American Heart Association Recommends DHA and EPA to Protect Heart Epidemiological and clinical trials show that omega-3 fatty acids reduce the incidence of heart disease. (November 2002)   Harvard Medical School Researcher Recommends Soy & Vitamin E as Alternative to HRT Principal investigator for Women's Health Initiative counsels women to use soy foods and take Vitamin E as alternative to hormone replacement therapy. (November 2002)   Two Studies Support Safety of Ephedra Products for Weight Loss Half-dose of ephedra product is shown to be safe and effective for weight loss. Cardiac study indicates safety of ephedra-based supplement. (November 2002)   Vitamin E Seen as Preventing Early Artery Damage; Women May Need More Vitamin E Than Men Vitamins E and C help prevent oxidation leading to arterial damage. Also, women may experience more oxidation than men and therefore need more antioxidant protection. (November 2002)   Patients With AMD Can Restore Lutein Levels with Supplements Patients with age-related macular degeneration who take high-dose lutein supplements regularly can bring lutein levels back to normal. (November 2002)   Glucosamine Can Slow Osteoarthritis Supplementation can retard progression of osteoarthritis, according to research published in Archives of Internal Medicine. (November 2002)   Folic Acid Reduces Risk of Miscarriage JAMA-published research study finds that low level of serum folate is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. (November 2002)   CoQ10 May Slow Parkinson's Disease Research with early-stage Parkinson's patients finds that supplementation with CoQ10 can increase mitochondrial energy production and slow progression of symptoms. (November 2002)   Common Spice May Protect Skin During Radiation Therapy Researchers have found that curcumin, a compound found in turmeric and curry powder, can reduce burns and blisters from radiation therapy for cancer. Curcumin also inhibits tumor blood vessel growth. (October 2002)   Vitamin D3 Can Reduce Cancer Risk Vitamin D supplements lower risk of deaths from 13 kinds of cancer: bladder, breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, lung, ovary, pancreas, prostate, rectum, stomach, uterus, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (October 2002)   Omega-3 May Reduce Risk of Heart Disease Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce high blood pressure and thereby reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a study of their effects on the elasticity of large arteries. (October 2002)   Niacin Useful For Diabetics Contrary to the prevailing medical wisdom, niacin can be both safe and effective for treating lipid abnormalities in patients with diabetes. (October 2002)   Black Cohosh Valuable For Menopause American Botanical Council supports safety and effectiveness of black cohosh for hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability and sleeplessness associated with menopause. (October 2002)   Research Suggests Black Cohosh Can Be Used Safely By Breast Cancer Patients New research indicates that women who should not take estrogen can safely use black cohosh to relieve menopausal symptoms. (October 2002)   Folic Acid Helps Prevent Wide Range Of Diseases In addition to preventing birth defects, recent research suggests folic acid may also be beneficial for depression, arthritis, alcoholism, Crohn's disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, vascular disease and other chronic illnesses. (October 2002)   Vitamin E Supplements Give Same Protection as Foods Vitamin E from supplements appears to provide the same protective effect as vitamin E consumed in foods. (September 2002)   British Research Supports Nutritional Strategy For Eye Health Supplementation with lutein raises density of macular pigment in both normal subjects and patients with age-related macular degeneration. (September 2002)   Leading Herbal Experts Urge Perspective on Ginkgo While a recent JAMA article finds no cognitive improvement for normal elderly patients, herbal specialists say other studies of ginkgo do show benefits. (September 2002)   Lancet study finds no health benefit from antioxidant supplements in high-risk individuals Supplementation with vitamins E, C and beta-carotene over five years showed no difference between two randomized groups of 20,536 patients. (August 2002)   Dietary Change May Prevent the Most Serious Form of Prostate Cancer New research suggests high fat and calcium may speed progression of prostate cancer. (August 2002)   Folic Acid May Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer Researchers find that supplementation appears to reduce abnormal cell activity in the colon. (July 2002)   Scientists Discover How Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Cancer Risk Researchers have learned how omega-3 fatty acids act to reduce risk of colon cancer. This discovery is likely to apply to many other forms of cancer as well. (July 2002)   Antioxidants from Food Sources May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease Vitamin E from foods lowers risk of Alzheimer's disease, but vitamin E from supplements does not. (July 2002)   Herbal Trade Association Unveils HerbMed™ Database Database of research information on 160 herbs is now available at website of American Herbal Products Association. (July 2002)   Scientific Research Documents Health Benefits of Nutritional Supplements Supplement trade organization reports on decade of research into health benefits of nutritional supplements. (July 2002)   JAMA Article Urges All Adults To Take Daily Multivitamin In the Journal of the American Medical Association, Drs. Fairfield and Fletcher of Harvard Medical School recommend that all adults take a daily multivitamin. (June 2002)   Red Clover Isoflavones Help Maintain Healthy Cholesterol In Menopausal Women Menopausal women who took a red clover isoflavone supplement for three months maintained cholesterol levels better than women taking a placebo. (June 2002)   Vitamin E Makes Prostate Cancer Cells Vulnerable Vitamin E interferes with two proteins that play a central role in the development of prostate cancer. In prostate cancer cells exposed to vitamin E, the PSA level drops as much as 80 to 90 percent. (May 2002)   Vitamin D Aids Chemotherapy For Advanced Prostate Cancer Addition of calcitriol to chemotherapy treatment appears to improve therapeutic response in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. (May 2002)   Vitamin A Cousin May Help Prevent Lung Cancer Researchers have discovered that a "cousin" of vitamin A may reverse damage that smoking causes in lungs. (May 2002)   CLA May Inhibit Growth of Colon & Prostate Cancer CLA contains two molecular components that inhibit proliferation of colorectal cancer cells. Both isomers were also moderately effective against prostatic cancer cells. (May 2002)   Vitamin E Supplement Fights Eye Disease; Green Vegetable Diet 'Difficult to Achieve' Supplementing diet with vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene and small amounts of zinc and copper can significantly reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. (May 2002)   Herbal Extract From Guggal Tree Can Reduce Cholesterol Scientists have found that guglipid, an extract of the guggal tree found in Arabia and India, can help reduce cholesterol. (May 2002)   Calcium-Phosphorous Balance Affects Bone Health Calcium and phosphorus are co-dependent nutrients affecting bone health. Just as too little calcium can cause brittle bones, so can too much or too little phosphorus.. (May 2002)   Ginseng Berry May Benefit Diabetics Recent research suggests that ginseng berry may be more powerful than ginseng root for controlling blood sugar. (May 2002)   Study Indicates Ephedra Safe and Effective for Weight Loss in Healthy Individuals Patients in a six-month study who took an herbal ephedra/caffeine product lost more weight than the placebo group, without an increase in significant adverse effects. (May 2002)   New Supplement Creates New Muscle Growth New muscle-building supplement binds to myostatin protein and allows growth of new muscle tissue in humans. (May 2002)   Ginkgo May Assist Multiple Sclerosis Patients Ginkgo biloba may be useful for attention, memory and functioning of patients who have mild multiple sclerosis. (May 2002)   Calcium Citrate Helps Heart As Well As Bones Researchers say calcium citrate supplements may help otherwise healthy postmenopausal women reduce cholesterol, improve heart health and possibly reduce cardiovascular related events. (April 2002)   New Magnesium Information Center & HelpLine Aids Public and Physicians Magnesium deficiencies can contribute to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, complications of diabetes, and other health problems. Supplements can ease symptoms of disease. (April 2002)   Vitamins Assist Treatment Of Hepatitis C Management of hepatitis C therapy has benefited from the addition of antioxidant vitamins C and E, which protect red blood cells. (April 2002)   Research Does Not Support Supplements For Breast Enhancement ConsumerLab.com investigated and has found no clinical or scientific evidence to support the efficacy of supplements for breast enhancement. (April 2002)   Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protect Against Sudden Death From Heart Attack Analysis of the Physician's Health Study indicates that men with high blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids are strongly protected against sudden death from heart attack. (April 2002)   Herbalists Criticize JAMA Report on NIH Study of St. John's Wort JAMA stresses that St. John's wort was not found to be better than placebo for treating major depression. Since Zoloft also was found no better than placebo, a stronger conclusion is that the trial itself was flawed. The American Botanical Council, Council for Responsible Nutrition, American Herbal Products Association and National Nutritional Foods Association criticize the JAMA report on several grounds. (April 2002)   Lycopene May Contribute to Women's Heart Health Lycopene, an antioxidant in tomatoes, may reduce the risk of heart disease in middle-aged and older women by as much as 33 percent. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women. (April 2002)   Black Cohosh Product Reduces Menopausal Symptoms Recent research on a black-cohosh product gives options for women who seek alternatives to estrogen for relieving menopause symptoms. (March 2002)   Vitamin E Seen as Potential Alzheimer's Weapon Scientists at Harvard University list Vitamin E as a potential weapon in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. (March 2002)   Calcium Supplementation Can Reverse Bone Loss Research shows increased bone mass among older Americans on high protein diets supplemented with vitamin D and calcium. (March 2002)   Schoolchildren Benefit From Vitamins Survey shows improved school attendance, academics, behavior, energy, appetite, and self-image of children given vitamins. (March 2002)   Vitamin E, Antioxidant, Zinc Combination Useful for Aging Eyes Antioxidant-zinc combination reduces risk that age-related macular degeneration (eye disease) will become advanced. (March 2002)   Calcium Vital for Healthy Bone Growth in Teenage Girls Calcium supplements can aid significantly in developing optimum bone mass in teenage girls. (March 2002)   Chocolate Contains Useful Antioxidants Harvard newsletter reports that chocolate can help reduce health risks. (February 2002)   Supplements For Healthy Skin Protecting your skin from ultraviolet radiation takes a dermatologist's advice and effective methods of delivering vitamins to the skin. (February 2002)   Tufts Nutritionists Say Vitamin E Supplements Needed to Combat Disease Vitamin E helps prevent diseases, but only at intake levels you can't get from food. (February 2002)   Vitamin A and Hip Fractures in Postmenopausal Women Postmenopausal women with the highest intakes of vitamin A are also the most prone to hip fractures. How can women get enough vitamin A without increasing their hip fracture risk? (January 2002)   Federal Office of Dietary Supplements Leads Research Initiative Describes the ODS research agenda, goals, and accomplishments in the six years since its inception. (May 2001)   The Human Genome and Supplements: Will Consumers Benefit? Can newly discovered knowledge of genetic individuality lead to individualized diets and supplementation programs designed for optimal health? (April 2001)   Supplements Headed Downstream? Research May Prove Otherwise Is the money Americans spend on supplements being flushed down the drain? NIH-funded centers are conducting clinical trials that may begin to provide answers to vital questions. (November 2000)   Our Tax Dollars at Work More than two dozen research studies on dietary supplements are now being sponsored or performed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM*). *NCCAM is part of the federal government's National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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