Category: Supplement FAQs

Q: I’ve been reading a lot lately about claims that vitamins in pill form are worthless and unreliable. Do you have a recommendation for where to buy worthy vitamin pills?

Answer: We don’t make endorsements, but we can offer advice for choosing supplements wisely.supplement bottle

It’s important to remember that supplements are not always necessary and they are not regulated as rigorously as drugs, so it is largely up to consumers to determine a product’s appropriateness, safety and potency.

Below we offer some concrete tips. Continue reading Q: I’ve been reading a lot lately about claims that vitamins in pill form are worthless and unreliable. Do you have a recommendation for where to buy worthy vitamin pills?

Q: I’m in my 50s.  Should I consider taking a lipoic acid supplement?

Answer: Perhaps, but it is good to know more about it first.

Lipoic acid is a naturally-occurring compound that is found in small amounts in food and is also synthesized in small amounts by humans. The amount of lipoic acid available in dietary supplements (200-600 mg) is likely as much as 1,000 times greater than the amount that could be obtained from the diet alone. Continue reading Q: I’m in my 50s.  Should I consider taking a lipoic acid supplement?

Vitamin D Webinar with Dr. Adrian Gombart

Adrian Gombart, PhD - Expert on Vitamin DAdrian Gombart, Ph.D., is the Linus Pauling Institute’s resident expert on vitamin D. The institute hosted a free webinar with him, discussing the role of vitamin D in bone health, cancer prevention, fighting infections, and supporting the immune system. We present it here, along with his follow-up answers to audience questions.

 

Continue reading Vitamin D Webinar with Dr. Adrian Gombart

Why Headlines Linking Folic Acid to Autism Are Misleading

Recent headlines linking folic acid and autism are misleading and potentially dangerous. Photo credit: Tatiana Vdb // Flickr
Recent headlines linking folic acid and autism are misleading and potentially dangerous. Photo credit: Tatiana Vdb // Flickr

Last week, many in the nutrition and medical fields let out a collective sigh. That’s because there is good quality nutrition research, from actual humans in randomized control trials, showing the importance of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Taking a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid (the form of folate found in most supplements) can prevent birth defects associated with the brain and spinal cord. And organizations like the March of Dimes have done a good job getting the word out about folic acid to women of childbearing age. The FDA even just announced it would allow corn flour to be fortified with folic acid, in order to prevent birth defects among women who eat corn as a staple in their diet.

Continue reading Why Headlines Linking Folic Acid to Autism Are Misleading