How to choose healthy, ocean-friendly fish

Salmon, tuna, and other fish are loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, so they must be good for you, right? Not so fast--some types of fish have more mercury than others, and others are harvested from the ocean or farmed in a way that's harmful to the environment.

Fasting carries risk of overeating

The temptation to eat a lot during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, is great, but Saiful Khandker makes a conscious effort to not overdo it.

Healthy meals for after exercise

What you eat after a workout matters!

Herbs, vitamins that can hurt you

Carole Grant doesn't really trust medical doctors. She never has. Whenever she has had a health issue, she has headed straight for an herbalist, acupuncturist or other "natural" healer.

Cholesterol-lowering supplements: What works, what doesn't

If you're looking for an all-natural way to lower your cholesterol -- in addition to watching what you eat and exercising -- there are plenty of dietary supplements on the market that claim to do the trick. Each year seems to bring a new alternative remedy -- garlic, ginseng, or red yeast rice, for example -- that users tout as the next best thing to get cholesterol under control.

Vitamin D deficiency common in U.S. children

A whopping 70 percent of American kids aren't getting enough vitamin D, and such youngsters tend to have higher blood pressure and lower levels of good cholesterol than their peers, according to two new studies published this week in the journal Pediatrics. Low vitamin D levels also may increase a child's risk of developing heart disease later in life, experts say.

Small drinks promise big energy, but experts say effects unclear

From supermarkets to the office supply store, it's hard to miss those tiny bottles of 5-hour Energy.

Group threatens suit over vitamins' anti-cancer claims

A nonprofit consumer group said Thursday that it will sue Bayer HealthCare, alleging "deceptive and irresponsible" advertising that contends selenium in two of its multivitamins may reduce men's risk of prostate cancer.

Antioxidants may interfere with breast cancer treatment

Think that vitamins can only help--but never hurt--a condition? Although that's true in many cases, some vitamins can be harmful to certain people or under special circumstances.

Ginger may help chemo patients with nausea

Cancer patients may be able to fight chemotherapy-induced nausea using a common pantry spice -- ginger.

Stop using Hydroxycut products, FDA says

Hydroxycut products, popular dietary supplements used for weight loss, have been linked to liver damage and are being recalled, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

How to read food labels

Experts weigh in on which vitamins to toss back or toss out

Americans love to take their vitamins. More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement industry trade group.

Study: Average preemie costs $49,000 in first year

The average cost of medical care for a premature or low birth-weight baby for its first year of life is about $49,000, according to a new report from the March of Dimes Foundation.

New hope for preventing age-related macular degeneration

Researchers may be getting closer to an effective way of preventing age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans.

Vitamin D may protect against common cold

Vitamin D may protect people -- especially those with asthma and other chronic lung conditions -- from colds and other respiratory tract infections, according to the largest study to date to look at the link.

'Natural' weight-loss supplements may be a health hazard

The names of the weight-loss supplements say it all: 7 Day Herbal Slim, 2 Day Diet, and even 24 Hours Diet. Those are just three of dozens of different brands touted as all-natural ways to shed pounds, and lose them super fast.

Future foods will cater to personal health

Wouldn't it be great if you knew which foods you should be eating based on your own personal health profile?

How to read food labels

Study: Multivitamins don't lower older women's cancer risk

Judy LaCour has been taking a multivitamin supplement for the past 30 years: "As often as I can remember, which isn't always, but on and off since I was in my 40s." She buys them in bulk from her local wholesale warehouse.

Study: Kids who need vitamins not getting them

New research reveals a seeming contradiction when it comes to kids who do and don't need vitamins to supplement their diets.

Daily Dose: Vitamins E, C, selenium don't reduce prostate cancer risk

Previous studies suggested that taking certain vitamins might lower the risk of getting prostate cancer. However, two new studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that men taking these supplements were just as likely to develop prostate cancer as those who weren't taking them.

Daily Dose: Should your teen take melatonin for help with sleep?

Any parent with a teenager is familiar with how difficult it may be for them to get enough sleep. But some parents are finding help in a little pill: melatonin, a dietary supplement that helps regulate the body's sleep cycle. But should they?

Daily Dose: Statins not a wonder drug for Alzheimer's

Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins are often hailed as "wonder drugs." But a study published in the January 2008 issue of the journal Neurology says they don't protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease.

Daily Dose: Supplements: Toss 'em or pop 'em?

Americans spend billions of dollars a year on supplements in hopes of making up for the lack of nutrients in our diets, staying healthy, looking young and extending our lifespan. But do they actually work? The National Institutes of Health doesn't specifically recommend any daily supplements because there is no research or studies that show unequivocally that a specific supplement works. However, there have been studies that prove certain supplements do not work, such as ginko (to help memory) and echinacea (to ward off a cold). There are a few dietary supplements that show some benefits: calcium supplements and vitamin D (to reduce the risk of osteoporosis), omega 3 supplements (to reduce the risk of heart disease) and folic acid supplements (to prevent major birth defects).

Daily Dose: Vitamin D: Hyped or true wonder?

Vitamins are important for good health. Now, doctors are touting the benefits of vitamin D. Is this the new fabulous vitamin of the 21st century or just another supplement?

Daily Dose: Do kids need vitamin supplements?

Most U.S. adults and more than 30 percent of American children take some form of dietary supplement, most often multivitamins and multiminerals, according to a report in the October 2007 issue of Archives of Pediatrics. Experts emphasize diet as the best source of nutrients for children, but physicians may recommend supplements for certain children at risk of deficiency.

Vitamin D may be essential for heart health

Want to avoid a heart attack or stroke? In addition to well-known risk factors like diet and exercise, you may want to keep an eye on your vitamin D levels too.

Studies: Vitamins, selenium won't prevent prostate cancer

Men who want to reduce their prostate cancer risk shouldn't bother popping antioxidant vitamins and supplements, according to two of the largest trials ever conducted on vitamins and cancer prevention.

Daily Dose: Does vitamin D fight cancer?

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego found that vitamin D intake is correlated with decreased rates of breast and colon cancers in 15 countries. The American Cancer Society says further study is needed. The study was published in January 2008 in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Five ways to keep Alzheimer's away

Blanche Danick may be 86 years old, but she's pretty hip. She keeps up with all the latest health news, and a while back, she called her daughter wanting to know whether she should start taking the herb ginkgo biloba. She'd heard it might stave off Alzheimer's disease.

Five ways to keep Alzheimer's away

Blanche Danick may be 86 years old, but she's pretty hip. She keeps up with all the latest health news, and a while back, she called her daughter wanting to know whether she should start taking the herb ginkgo biloba. She'd heard it might stave off Alzheimer's disease.

Daily Dose: Folic acid helps prevent premature births

Research suggests that women who take folic acid supplements for at least one year before they become pregnant can cut their risk of having a premature baby by half. Researchers at the January 2008 meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine unveiled a study that suggests taking folic acid supplements for at least one year reduced early premature delivery rates by 50 percent to 70 percent, regardless of age, race or other factors. Of particular note is the drop in very early premature births. Those babies are at the greatest risk of complications such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, chronic lung disease and blindness.

Experts weigh in on which vitamins to toss back or toss out

Americans love to take their vitamins. More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement industry trade group.

Is your doctor prescribing a placebo?

When Dr. Danielle Ofri first read the headlines, she was horrified: Doctors were prescribing placebos to their patients instead of real medicine. How awful, she thought. How deceptive.

Calculator: Are you getting enough calcium?

Quiz: Pregnancy and nutrition