(
HEALTH
b e t t e r
Ginseng is hardly a new health remedy; the Chinese have been
using it for thousands of years. The latest news is that American
ginseng has now joined the lineup of natural treatments for the
common cold.
In a recent Canadian study, more than 300 adults who had at
least two colds in the previous year took an American ginseng
supplement or a placebo for four months. The result? People
in the ginseng group got a lot fewer colds than those in the
placebo group. And when they did get a cold, the symptoms
were much less severe.
The ginseng supplement, known as Cold-Fx, can be found in
most pharmacies. The standard daily dose for cold prevention is
200 milligrams; for active colds, it’s 300 milligrams. “The research
on this product is so significant that in Canada, it is allowed to be
sold with a specific health claim for cold and flu prevention,” says
Ontario pharmacist Sherry Torkos, author of
T h e C a n a d ia n
E n cy clo p e d ia o f N a tu ra l M e d icin e .
What new nutrient .should I
look for in my multivitamin?
ANSW ER: If you’re a man, look for lycopene, and if you’re a
woman, seek out more calcium and vitamin D, says Nicole Reed
Benameur, R.D., a clinical dietitian with The Ohio State University
Medical Center in Columbus. “Vitamin D is reemerging as a
‘look-for’ nutrient in daily multivitamins for its role in calcium metabolism, for those
that follow a vegan diet, and for certain chronic disease states,” says Benameur.
“Women often require more calcium and vitamin D than men, while men need
lycopene for prostate health. This may be presented in the form of an antioxidant blend
added to the multivitamin.”
Because of these unique needs, Benameur recommends taking advantage of
another growing trend in multivitamins: separate formulations for women and men. To
review the safety of multivitamins and find the right one for you, check out Consumer
Laboratories (
ConsumerLab.com
) or the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary
Supplements
(ods.od.nih.gov).
I
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FEBRUARY 2010
V I C T O R Y
STARTS W ITH
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Meal i:
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Meal
Sp ecial K™ Protein Shake
Meal
3
:
Lem on Pepper Salmon
DESIGN YOUR
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