NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study indicates that multivitamins and vitamin C top the list of dietary supplements used by US adolescents, which is “reassuring” given the relative lack of health risks associated with them, researchers say.

But adolescents in the study who used prescription medications were also more likely to use dietary supplements, and doctors and pharmacists should be sure to ask their young patients about supplements to avoid the possibility of harmful interactions, Dr. Paula Gardiner of Boston University Medical School and her colleagues conclude.

Gardiner and her team reviewed data from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys for 11- to 19-year-olds to investigate how common supplement use is among adolescents and factors associated with using vitamins, herbal medicines, minerals and other products.

Twenty-seven percent of the adolescents surveyed said they had used a dietary supplement in the past month, the researchers found. Sixteen percent used multivitamins, while 6 percent said they took vitamin C. Just 4 percent used non-vitamin mineral supplements, including 2 percent who said they used supplements to help them lose weight or enhance sports performance.

Non-Hispanic whites were most likely to be using dietary supplements, while prescription medication users were 37 percent more likely than those not taking prescribed drugs to use dietary supplements. Study participants who said they were in fair or poor health were 41 percent less likely to take supplements than their peers who considered themselves to be in better health. And adolescents who reported having chronic headaches were 25 percent more likely to use dietary supplements.

Obese individuals were 51 percent more likely to be using non-vitamin or mineral herbal supplements, the researchers found, as were older teens.

“To better understand use among culturally diverse groups and those with different clinical conditions, future studies should include a broader range of dietary supplements (such as those used in folk remedies, foods and medicinal teas) and ask about common health conditions,” the researchers conclude.

“Additional studies are needed to determine the impact of dietary supplement use on health care use, health status, and quality of life,” they add.

SOURCE: BMC - Complementary and Alternative Medicine, published online March 31, 2008.

“Buy this shampoo for your 100% dandruff free hair.” Is that right? Such common advertising spiel for marketers on the kind of shampoo they sell to the public. But have you thought of the reality of these spiels? Or have you tried using their products to increase your hair´s health and vibrancy?

While it´s true that there are many shampoo manufacturers that claim superiority over the other, knowing which shampoo could bring out the best in your hair is such difficult to find out. So if you´re on the search for the best shampoo for your healthy hair, think the “what” of these ads and check how the products could generate greater results for your hair. Yes, it´s undeniable that all marketing companies would claim their best for their products so be cautious. Be a critical consumer and pick the best. Remember, your hair is your crown of beauty so that means, extreme care is needed.

The truth is that there are four main problems that vitamin-infused shampoos are meant to cure:

Vitamins in shampoos are supposed to halt slow growth of your hair, graying of hair, hair loss, and general loss of health of your hair.

Vitamin-infused shampoos can either have a specific vitamin or multivitamins in their solution, some herbal supplements or a special ingredient known only to the manufacturer but which they say is a winner of a substance. Sometimes, you may see some famous names in the hairstyling world endorsing a specific shampoo which they claim is THE best in the market. All these choices can leave an ordinary consumer bewildered. So what is the truth?

Vitamins in shampoos can leave your scalp and hair healthier through repeated use. There is an issue on this claim actually. The truth is that most of the manufacturers of these shampoos rely on testimonials from “satisfied users” to back up their claim. Testimonials are not automatically false, but to provide conclusive proof that a claim is true for a certain population of people, controlled studies have to be done so that controlled results can be produced. If you had to choose between believing a testimonial from a “satisfied user” known only by her initials, and a controlled study done by a reputable testing center, which would you believe? Obviously, the later, right?

No conclusive evidence that vitamins applied externally to your hair via a shampoo will restore the health of your hair. It is generally accepted in medical circles that a lack of appropriate nutrition in your body can change the health of your hair for the worse. However, to claim that applying vitamins directly on the hair will bring back health and vitality to your hair is not based on any body of firm scientific evidence at present.

With the abovementioned 4 issues, a scientific fact does exist which puts doubt on the claim that vitamin-enriched shampoos can produce healthier hair –that hair is already dead when it shoots up out of our scalp. That is why when you have a haircut you cannot feel pain – there are no nerve endings connecting your hair shaft to your body anymore. For this reason, some scientific experts doubt very much that vitamin-enriched shampoos are absorbed by your hair, and make the hair and scalp healthier through continuous use. Last word of advice is for you to visit a doctor when you have hair issues.

Are So Called Anti Aging Hgh Products Effective

The issue of aging is one of the most talked about topic by middle-age and aging adults today. With such dominant issue of aging, a great number of anti-aging medicines and herbal supplements surge the market, as they also claim to be considered as hgh products that will delay or hinder the signs of aging. As one may also notice, anti-aging medicines are fast becoming a multi-billion dollar profit among businessmen. It varies from injections, herbal concoctions, vitamin supplements, to skin cream. However, the issue of whether such so-called hgh products of anti-aging are really working is one good question that customers should think first before resorting to use such products.
Continue Reading…

Welcome to a world of nutritional possibilities. As growing numbers feel that modern medicine fails to address the issues that are important to them, people are increasingly turning to nutritional, dietary and herbal supplements to prevent diseases and promote general good health. Currently anyone can indulge in a vast array of nutritional supplements. One amazing aspect of these bars, shakes, snacks and meal replacements is the fact that they’re quite practical and compact. A lot of individuals are now choosing these nutritional supplements for breakfast, lunch or merely a snack.
Continue Reading…

Part of my job is to teach nutrition to business students at a nearby college. I really love doing this, because, of course, I think the information they get is the most important information in the world (even if they are there to study business).

Actually, that is only partly true. The rest of the truth is that I have an important opportunity to teach them how to tell nutrition myth from fact. Every lecture starts with a personal question about nutrition they wrote on an index card their first class. Continue Reading…