More Supplements To Consider

Here’s a list of supplements you probably aren’t taking, but you might want to check them out if you have any of the conditions they’ve been shown to help. Just remember to check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start taking any supplement; they can interact with meds and cause other side effects.

CRANBERRY. Drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry-containing capsules might help prevent recurrent bladder infections.

GINGER. Taking 1 gram an hour before surgery seems to reduce nausea and vomiting afterward. Ginger might also reduce dizziness and prevent morning sickness during pregnancy. (Important: If you are pregnant, discuss possible risks with your health-care provider).

LACTASE. Can reduce gastrointestinal symptoms in people who are lactose intolerant. You can take it before you drink milk or you can add it to milk.

LACTOBACILLUS. This probiotic might help prevent the diarrhea that’s a common side effect of many antibiotics.

PEPPERMINT OIL. Relaxes bowel muscles and might improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, including pain and bloating. Just avoid high doses.

PSYLLIUM. Effective as a laxative and might help lower cholesterol.

SAMe. There’s good evidence that it helps reduce symptoms of major depression as well as reduce pain and improve overall functioning in people who suffer from osteoarthritis.

12 Supplements not to take

There are plenty of “natural” products that you should avoid, including the supplement ingredients below, which have been linked by clinical research or case reports to serious health issues such as liver or kidney damage, heart problems, and even death. The Food and Drug Administration has warned about at least eight of these, some as long ago as 1993. Yet they’re still being solde.

ACONITE
BITTER ORANGE
CHAPARRAL
COLLOIDAL SILVER
COLTSFOOT
COMEFREY
COUNTRY MALLOW
GERMANIUM
GREATER CELANDINE
KAVA
LOBELIA
YOHIMBE