Ergocalciferol News

-- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate dietary supplements to the same degree as prescription drugs. So, the American Cancer Society says you should talk with your doctor before taking any supplement, including vitamins. The society debunks these popular myths about supplements: Megadosing: More is better – There is no scientific evidence that using large doses effectively ...

THURSDAY, Oct. 5, 2017 – Taking a multivitamin during pregnancy may reduce a child's risk of developing autism, a new study suggests. Analyzing more than a quarter-million mother-child pairs in Sweden, researchers found a link – but not cause and effect proof – between multivitamin use and risk of the neurological disorder. "Multivitamin use with or without added iron or folic acid was ...

TUESDAY, Aug. 22, 2017 – Men, and especially male smokers, appear to be more likely to develop lung cancer if they take high doses of vitamins B6 and B12, new research suggests. For men taking these vitamin supplements, the risk of lung cancer was nearly doubled. For men who smoked, the risk was between three and four times higher, the study found. "High-dose B6 and B12 supplements should not be ...

THURSDAY, Aug. 17, 2017 – Mom was right – eating breakfast really is important. Without it, kids may not get recommended amounts of nutrients, British researchers suggest. "This study provides evidence that breakfast is key for parents to ensure that their children are getting the nutrition they need," said senior study author Gerda Pot, a lecturer in nutritional sciences at King's College ...

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16, 2017 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a recall of numerous liquid pharmaceutical products because of possible bacterial contamination that could cause severe infections in vulnerable patients. The drugs and dietary supplements, made by PharmaTech LLC in Davie, Fla., include liquid stool softeners, liquid vitamin D drops and liquid multivitamins marketed ...

MONDAY, May 1, 2017 – A combination of exercise and sufficient vitamin D levels may reduce the risk of serious heart problems more than either one alone, a new study suggests. An analysis of data spanning 20 years from more than 10,000 U.S. adults found that those who got the recommended amounts of exercise and had adequate vitamin D levels had a 23 percent lower risk of heart attack or stroke. ...

FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 – Millions of American men pop a multivitamin each day, but new research shows the pills won't help the heart – even if a man's nutrition is lacking. "Many had thought that men with 'poor' nutritional status at baseline may benefit more from long-term multivitamin use on cardiovascular outcomes; however, we did not see any evidence for this in our recent analysis," study ...

MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 – Juicing may be a popular health fad, but evidence suggests it could actually be detrimental to a good diet. The same goes for coconut oil, which is loaded with saturated fat but has emerged as another dietary craze in the United States. And a gluten-free diet likely has little positive health benefit for people who do not have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. These ...

-- Young athletes who push themselves too hard without getting the proper nourishment risk making themselves sick. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains how to avoid malnutrition among young athletes: Teach children about the importance of fueling their bodies, and the risks of not getting enough nutrients. Watch for signs of malnourishment and eating disorders, including unexplained ...

-- To help give your immune system enough strength to protect you from the sniffles and sneezes, start with vitamin C-rich foods. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says: Vitamin C helps the body repair and grow tissue. Vitamin C helps the body absorb a type of iron. Besides citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, strawberries and kiwis also are good sources of vitamin C. Vegetables ...

MONDAY, March 21, 2016 – More seniors than ever are taking supplements alongside their medications, a practice that puts them at risk for dangerous drug interactions, researchers report. More than 15 percent of older Americans took potentially life-threatening combinations of prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements in 2011, the study showed. That was almost a ...

-- If you're feeding your child a vegetarian diet, make sure he or she is getting enough essential nutrients. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says the child's diet should include: Vitamin B12, found in eggs and milk. If the child is on a strictly vegan diet, fortified soy products and fortified cereals are good sources. Vitamin D and calcium, found in fortified milk and dairy products, ...

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2015 – A cheap and easily available vitamin supplement appears to reduce a person's risk of skin cancer, new research contends. A form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide is linked to a reduction of non-melanoma skin cancers by 23 percent when taken twice daily, according to Australian researchers. "It's safe, it's almost obscenely inexpensive, and it's already widely ...

FRIDAY, May 8, 2015 – For obese Americans who are low on vitamin D, taking a supplement of the nutrient might help them lose weight, a new study suggests. According to an Italian team, led by Luisella Vigna of the University of Milan, prior research has shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of obesity and obesity-related complications. However, studies on the use of ...

THURSDAY, April 30, 2015 – People who live in regions with low sunlight may have a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, possibly because they don't get enough vitamin D from the sun, new research suggests. "If you're living at a high latitude or in a place with a lot of heavy cloud cover, you can't make vitamin D most of the year, which results in a higher-than-normal risk of getting pancreatic ...