Vitamins, minerals & supplements Archive

Eating more than you should since the start of the pandemic, especially unhealthy, highly processed snack foods? If you’re looking for advice on how to break your snacking habits and form new, better habits with healthier snacks, try these tips.

Drinking no more than four or five 8-ounce cups of coffee per day—equal to about 400 milligrams of caffeine—helps people get the drink's health benefits with a lower risk of caffeine side effects like anxiety and nervousness.

In the journals

Men need sufficient protein to help maintain muscle mass and strength as they age. A study published online July 13, 2020, by JAMA Internal Medicine suggests the source of that protein also may dictate how long they live. Scientists examined the diets of more than 400,000 people ages 50 and older, who consumed protein from plant sources, red meat, and eggs. They were then followed for more than 16 years. Those who ate mostly plant protein instead of red meat or egg protein had a 13% to 24% lower risk of death from any cause.

How much plant protein is enough? The researchers found that men in particular had a 12% lower risk of death for every 10 grams of plant protein per 1,000 calories they consumed. The experts suggested that the benefits could increase if men ate even more plant protein. Guidelines recommend that healthy older adults need 1.2 grams of daily protein for every kilogram of body weight. A 175-pound man would need about 95 grams. Good sources of plant protein include almonds (about 17 grams per 1/2 cup), tofu (20 grams per cup), lentils (about 18 grams per cup), and black beans and chickpeas (15 grams per cup).

Research we're watching

Eating a daily serving of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, or brussels sprouts is linked to a lower likelihood of harmful calcium buildup in the aorta, the body's largest artery, according to a new report.

The study featured 694 older Australian women who were initially enrolled in a study looking at diet, supplements, and bone fractures. The spine imaging tests used in the study also revealed the amount of calcification in the abdominal portion of the aorta. So researchers used those data to explore the link between diet and aortic calcification, a sign of plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) that leads to cardiovascular disease. The study, which was published online July 17, 2020, by the British Journal of Nutrition, found 46% lower odds of extensive abdominal aortic calcification among women who ate at least 45 grams of cruciferous vegetables daily (equal to one serving; about a half-cup) as compared with women who ate less than 15 grams of cruciferous veggies a day. The vegetables contain substances such as fiber that help discourage atherosclerosis.

Research we're watching

Serious heart complications are common in people hospitalized with influenza, according to a study published online Aug. 25, 2020, by Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the CDC looked at the rates of cardiovascular problems in more than 80,000 adults hospitalized with a confirmed case of influenza (commonly called the flu) from 2010 to 2018. Almost 12% had a serious cardiovascular problem, most commonly heart failure or a lack of adequate blood flow to the heart, known as acute coronary syndrome. The body's immune response against the infection can trigger inflammation and other changes that harm the cardiovascular system.

Broccoli, brussels sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables are associated with fewer calcified fatty plaques in the aorta.

On call

Q. My blood pressure stays low. Sometimes it drops so low, it causes dizziness and weakness. What causes this?

A. Of the possible causes of low blood pressure, two are at the top of my list. First, I would review your medications. Drugs prescribed to treat high blood pressure and heart disease are the ones that most often cause this side effect. Reducing the dose with your doctor's approval may be all you need.

On call

Q. What would cause my tongue to suddenly swell? Could this be a possible side effect of medication, or something else?

A. There are many reasons for a swollen tongue. Indeed, a reaction to a medication is one of the more common causes. For example, a well-known side effect of ACE inhibitors (a class of drugs used to control blood pressure) is a condition called angioneurotic edema. Swelling of the face, lips, and tongue can happen quickly in people who take an ACE inhibitor. The reaction may occur soon after it's first taken or at any time thereafter. Sometimes people get this reaction even though they have used the drug for several years. ACE inhibitors are more likely to cause angioneurotic edema in African Americans.

New guidelines suggest doing more of the same. The problem is that many people don't.

You never forget your first gout attack. The severe pain, swelling, and redness hits hard and fast. The initial attack often strikes your big toe's large joint, but later ones might affect the foot or ankle. Other hot spots include the knees, hands, and wrists.

First-line treatment is quite effective and includes anti-inflammatory medications, ice therapy, and rest. A combination of diet and lifestyle changes and prescription drugs — an approach called urate-lowering therapy, or ULT — is typically recommended if attacks recur or become more severe.