Taking supplements to lose weight or bulk up? Minimize the risks to your liver!

Nearly half of all U.S. adults take dietary or herbal supplements ranging from multivitamins to fish oil and from calcium to iron. When used correctly to address a vitamin or mineral imbalance or deficiency, these supplements can do wonders to help you be your healthiest. Studies are showing, however, that people are increasingly taking the wrong supplements or are using them incorrectly which may cause an increase in liver damage. And research shows that supplements that promote weight loss or bodybuilding are among the most common not being used correctly.

Would you like water with that?

Some people like drinking water while they eat, while others only drink it before or after but never with a meal. Personal preferences aside, the Internet is rife with recommendations and theories as to which best helps digestion, which hurts it and whether when you drink water even really matters.

Are cell phones harming your children?

For most people, cell phones are an integral part of daily life. And there’s an app for everything, from business productivity to video chatting and from laundry services to ride sharing. It’s easy to stay connected all the time and it seems that’s exactly what people are doing. As of April 2014, there were over 328 million cell phones in use in the U.S. (yes, more than one cell phone for every man, woman and child), and that number is expected to continue to increase. It seems everyone in the family but the dog has a phone or even two.

Lowering your blood pressure without pills

Many people believe that even a little variation in blood pressure from the ideal of 120/80 for adults is worrisome. That includes doctors! And recent studies suggest that many people with mild hypertension are treated with drugs, even though such drugs have not been shown to reduce their health risks. But the truth is that there are many things that can cause your blood pressure to briefly run higher, and going straight to medications to bring it down isn’t always warranted.

So what’s in an IV anyway?

When you get admitted to the hospital, one of the first things that happens is a nurse hooks you up to an IV, sometimes called a “drip.” Fluids in a plastic bag then flow through a tube and into your body. But have you ever wondered what exactly those fluids are and why you need them? Read on to find out.

Coffee: Raise a cup (or mug) to your health!

The majority of Americans start the day with their morning cup of coffee and many enjoy it throughout the day. And this is not just an American phenomenon – worldwide, people drink more than 2.25 billion cups of coffee a day and over 7 million tons of coffee beans are harvested each year to satisfy their demand.

Low carb versus low fat? And the winner is …

You may be confused about whether a low-fat or low-carb diet is better for your health. You may have even decided that the two diets are interchangeable. So is there an answer? Is one diet better than the other?

When your meds turn on you

You can’t miss them -- on television, online and in magazines, advertisements showing an average person (someone just like you, perhaps) suffering from one medical ailment or another. With the help of the medicine being promoted, they feel a thousand times better and get on with their daily lives. Then comes the rapid-fire or, in the case of newspapers and magazines, the fine-print, about the medication’s potential side effects, ranging from nausea to even death.

Yes, men need estrogen

When it comes to male hormones, most people immediately think of testosterone. It’s the “manly” hormone that makes you feel better, look better and perform better. But you may be surprised to learn that estrogen also plays a key role in men’s physical health and sexuality. Just as women need a small amount of testosterone, men need a small amount of estrogen.

Recovery after surgery: Help make it a success

Many people think that the hardest part about surgery is the operation itself. However, what happens after the operation (post-operative health) is just as important in evaluating whether your operation is considered a “success” or not.

Super antioxidant Pycnogenol: The real deal?

You recently may have heard about Pycnogenol® on television, where it was touted for its anti-aging benefits. It’s been hailed as “nature’s super antioxidant,” and has been studied for its wide-ranging health benefits. Lately, it seems there’s nothing this supplement can’t do.

ED? You’re not alone

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is far more common than you may think, with erectile frequency and functionality decreasing over time for the majority of men. The National Institute of Health estimates that some type of ED affects at least 18-30 million men in the U.S. And a recent study among Massachusetts men found that about 40 percent of those in their 40’s experienced some form of ED, with the percentage increasing to 50 percent for men in their 50’s and 60 percent for men in their 60’s.