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It is proverbial in modern life that the health benefits claimed initially for foods and natural products will eventually prove to be overly optimistic (for example, oat bran and dark chocolate), or at least subject to balancing against potential harms (for example, bacterial contamination of fresh produce and unpasteurized juices). Such cautionary examples should not and usually do not prevent appropriate use of such items, provided that we have a realistic idea of what they can do and what their attendant harms may be.
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An 8-week yoga training program improved balance performance measures and reduced fear of falling in adult patients with a history of stroke.
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A 15-year, placebo-controlled, randomized study in middle-aged and elderly male physicians demonstrated a small yet statistically significant reduction in total cancer risk with multivitamin intake.
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Energy drinks have rapidly become very popular, especially among adolescents and young adults. Recent trends can be traced to the introduction of Red Bull in Austria in 1987 and the United States in 1997.1
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Telomeres are present at the end of chromosomes and help prevent them from degradation. Shortening of telomeres can be caused by inflammation and oxidative stress and has been linked to age-related disease and earlier mortality in humans. This study suggests that telomere length may be influenced by n-6:n-3 PUFA plasma ratios.
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The food and supplement known as soy, or soybean (Glycine max, Family Fabaceae), has quite the reputation in lay and scientific circles for many health conditions, including cancer prevention, bone health, cardiovascular disease prevention, and, most notably, treatment of menopausal symptoms.
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L-carnitine is both an amino acid and a conditionally essential nutrient, defined as an organic compound which is usually produced in sufficient quantities by the body.
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Results from this small, 8-week crossover study suggest that the antioxidant Pycnogenol, which also possesses anti-inflammatory actions, could help improve endothelial function in people with stable coronary artery disease.
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Aspirin can reduce the risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction, but not mortality, in people without coronary vascular disease, at the expense of increased risk of bleeding. It should not be routinely recommended.
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Among patients with coronary heart disease and LDL-cholesterol levels less than 70 mg/dL, there is no incremental clinical benefit from the addition of niacin to statin therapy during a 36-month follow-up, despite improvements in HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
