Vitamin D is one of the most commonly used dietary supplements. But what does it do? And who really needs to take supplements? Let’s talk about how vitamin D works, how much you need to stay healthy, and whether dietary sources can meet your daily needs. Functions of vitamin D The main function of vitamin D is to help the body absorb dietary calcium and to regulate the levels of
One dietary supplement that people frequently use is calcium. Some of the most common questions I’ve had from patients involve calcium supplements. Who should take them? What’s the right dose? And there are some common misunderstandings about how calcium works and how it should be taken. So let’s talk about calcium! What are calcium supplements good for? Calcium is a major component of bones. Calcium makes bones strong, able
There are many dietary supplements on the market to prevent dementia and age-related cognitive decline. And it turns out that in the US about one in four adults over 50 takes a supplement to maintain or improve brain health. In 2016 alone, about $3 billion was spent globally on supplements for brain health. But what do we really know about the effectiveness of these products? In a previous post about
All five of our senses are important to maintaining a good quality of life. But when vision is threatened, our independence and even our whole way of life may be at risk. Many of us want to do what we can to keep our eyes healthy, and a question that commonly comes up is whether it’s useful to take vitamins marketed for eye health. But when you go to your