Supplements aren't for everyone, but older adults and others may benefit from specific supplements.
By Mayo Clinic Staff

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans make it clear that your nutritional needs should be met primarily through your diet.

For some people, however, supplements may be a useful way to get nutrients they might otherwise be lacking. But before you go shopping for supplements, get the facts on what they will and won't do for you.
Supplements vs. whole foods

Supplements aren't intended to be a food substitute because they can't replicate all of the nutrients and benefits of whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables. So depending on your situation and your eating habits, dietary supplements may not be worth the expense.

Whole foods offer three main benefits over dietary supplements:

    Greater nutrition. Whole foods are complex, containing a variety of the micronutrients your body needs — not just one. An orange, for example, provides vitamin C plus some beta carotene, calcium and other nutrients. It's likely these compounds work together to produce their beneficial effect.
    Essential fiber. Whole foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes, provide dietary fiber. Most high-fiber foods are also packed with other essential nutrients. Fiber, as part of a healthy diet, can help prevent certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and it can also help manage constipation.
    Protective substances. Whole foods contain other substances important for good health. Fruits and vegetables, for example, contain naturally occurring substances called phytochemicals, which may help protect you against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Many are also good sources of antioxidants — substances that slow down oxidation, a natural process that leads to cell and tissue damage.

Who needs supplements?

If you're generally healthy and eat a wide variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low-fat dairy products, lean meats and fish, you likely don't need supplements.

However, the dietary guidelines recommend supplements — or fortified foods — in the following situations:

    Women who may become pregnant should get 400 micrograms a day of folic acid from fortified foods or supplements, in addition to eating foods that naturally contain folate.
    Women who are pregnant should take a prenatal vitamin that includes iron or a separate iron supplement.
    Adults age 50 or older should eat foods fortified with vitamin B-12, such as fortified cereals, or take a multivitamin that contains B-12 or a separate B-12 supplement.
    Adults age 65 and older who do not live in assisted living or nursing homes should take 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily to reduce the risk of falls.

Dietary supplements also may be appropriate if you:

    Don't eat well or consume less than 1,600 calories a day.
    Are a vegan or a vegetarian who eats a limited variety of foods.
    Don't obtain two to three servings of fish a week. If you have difficulty achieving this amount, some experts recommend adding a fish oil supplement to your daily regimen.
    Are a woman who experiences heavy bleeding during your menstrual period.
    Have a medical condition that affects how your body absorbs or uses nutrients, such as chronic diarrhea, food allergies, food intolerance, or a disease of the liver, gallbladder, intestines or pancreas.
    Have had surgery on your digestive tract and are not able to digest and absorb nutrients properly.

Talk to your doctor or a dietitian about which supplements and what doses might be appropriate for you. Be sure to ask about possible side effects and interactions with any medications you take.
Choosing and using supplements

If you decide to take a vitamin or mineral supplement, consider these factors:

    Check the label. Read labels carefully. Product labels can tell you what the active ingredient or ingredients are, which nutrients are included, the serving size — for example, capsule, packet or teaspoonful — and the amount of nutrients in each serving.
    Avoid megadoses. In general, choose a multivitamin-mineral supplement that provides about 100 percent of the Daily Value (DV) of all the vitamins and minerals, rather than one which has, for example, 500 percent of the DV for one vitamin and only 20 percent of the DV for another.
    Check expiration dates. Dietary supplements can lose potency over time, especially in hot and humid climates. If a supplement doesn't have an expiration date, don't buy it. If your supplements have expired, discard them.
    Watch what you eat. Vitamins and minerals are being added to a growing number of foods, including breakfast cereals and beverages. If you're also taking supplements, you may be getting more than you realize of certain nutrients. Taking more than you need is expensive and can raise your risk of side effects. For example, too much iron can cause nausea and vomiting and may damage the liver and other organs.

Keep up with supplement safety alerts

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) keeps a list of dietary supplements that are under regulatory review or that have been reported to cause adverse effects. If you're taking a supplement, it's a good idea to check the FDA website periodically for updates.

 Authors of a small study conclude that "vitamin C supplementation represents an effective lifestyle strategy" for reducing the blood vessel constriction that is increased in overweight and obese adults.

The study of 35 obese or overweight adults compared the effects of vitamin C and exercise on the protein known as endothelin-1, which has a constricting action on small blood vessels.

The protein's activity is raised in overweight and obese people and because of this high endothelin-1 activity, small vessels are more prone to constricting, becoming less responsive to blood flow demand and increasing the risk of vascular disease.

The study's abstract is being presented at the American Physiological Society's 14th International Conference on Endothelin, taking place in Savannah, GA.

The researchers explain that exercise has been shown to reduce endothelin-1 activity, but including it in a daily routine can be challenging.
Daily dose as helpful as walking

Caitlin Dow, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder, led the study to examine whether vitamin C supplements, which have been reported to improve vessel function, can also lower endothelin-1 activity.

The researchers found that daily supplementation of vitamin C at a time-release dose of 500 mg daily reduced endothelin-1-mediated vessel constriction as much as walking did.

The 35 sedentary, overweight/obese adults completed 3 months of either the supplementation (20 participants) or aerobic exercise training (15 participants).

Measures included forearm blood flow and responses to intra-arterial infusion of endothelin-1 before and after each intervention.

Vasoconstriction to endothelin-1 increased similarly - about two-fold - in response to both interventions.

Turning to the other end of the spectrum of physical fitness, a review in February 2013 found that vitamin C may help people under heavy physical stress, such as marathon runners, cut their chances of getting a cold.

In June 2013, it was reported that vitamin C consumption can cut the risk of people with asthma developing exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn't store it. You have to get what you need from food, including citrus fruits, broccoli, and tomatoes.

You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is needed for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth. It also helps the body absorb iron from nonheme sources.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based nutrients. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, substances that damage DNA. The build up of free radicals over time may contribute to the aging process and the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

It’s rare to be seriously deficient in vitamin C, although evidence suggests that many people may have low levels of vitamin C. Smoking cigarettes lowers the amount of vitamin C in the body, so smokers are at a higher risk of deficiency.

Signs of vitamin deficiency include dry and splitting hair; gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and bleeding gums; rough, dry, scaly skin; decreased wound-healing rate, easy bruising; nosebleeds; and a decreased ability to ward off infection. A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy.

Low levels of vitamin C have been associated with a number of conditions, including high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, stroke, some cancers, and atherosclerosis, the build up of plaque in blood vessels that can lead to heart attack and stroke. Getting enough vitamin C from your diet -- by eating lots of fruit and vegetables -- may help reduce the risk of developing some of these conditions. There is no conclusive evidence that taking vitamin C supplements will help or prevent any of these conditions.

Vitamin C plays a role in protecting against the following:

Heart Disease

Results of scientific studies on whether vitamin C is helpful for preventing heart attack or stroke are mixed. Vitamin C doesn't lower cholesterol levels or reduce the overall risk of heart attack, but evidence suggests it may help protect arteries against damage.

Some studies -- though not all -- suggest that vitamin C can slow down the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It helps prevent damage to LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which then builds up as plaque in the arteries and can cause heart attack or stroke. Other studies suggest that vitamin C may help keep arteries flexible.

In addition, people who have low levels of vitamin C may be more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral artery disease, all potential results of having atherosclerosis. Peripheral artery disease is the term used to describe atherosclerosis of the blood vessels to the legs. This can lead to pain when walking, known as intermittent claudication. But there is no evidence that taking vitamin C supplements will help.

The best thing to do is get enough vitamin C through your diet. That way, you also get the benefit of other antioxidants and nutrients contained in food. If you have low levels of vitamin C and have trouble getting enough through the foods you eat, ask your doctor about taking a supplement.

High Blood Pressure

Population-based studies (which involve observing large groups of people over time) suggest that people who eat foods rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, have a lower risk of high blood pressure than people who have poorer diets. Eating foods rich in vitamin C is important for your overall health, especially if you are at risk for high blood pressure. The diet physicians most frequently recommend for treatment and prevention of high blood pressure, known as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, includes lots of fruits and vegetables, which are loaded with antioxidants.

Common Cold

Despite the popular belief that vitamin C can cure the common cold, scientific evidence doesn't support that theory. Taking vitamin C supplements regularly (not just at the beginning of a cold) produces only a small reduction in the duration of a cold (about 1 day). The only other piece of evidence supporting vitamin C for preventing colds comes from studies examining people exercising in extreme environments (athletes, such as skiers and marathon runners, and soldiers in the Arctic). In these studies, vitamin C did seem to reduce the risk of getting a cold.

Cancer

Results of many population-based studies suggest that eating foods rich in vitamin C may be associated with lower rates of cancer, including skin cancer, cervical dysplasia (changes to the cervix which may be cancerous or precancerous, picked up by pap smear), and, possibly, breast cancer. But these foods also contain many beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, not only vitamin C, so it's impossible to say for certain that vitamin C protects against cancer. Taking vitamin C supplements, on the other hand, has not been shown to have any helpful effect.

In addition, there is no evidence that taking large doses of vitamin C once diagnosed with cancer will help your treatment. In fact, some doctors are concerned that large doses of antioxidants from supplements could interfere with chemotherapy medications. More research is needed. If you are undergoing chemotherapy, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin C or any supplement.

Osteoarthritis

Vitamin C is essential for the body to make collagen, which is part of normal cartilage. Cartilage is destroyed in osteoarthritis (OA), putting pressure on bones and joints. In addition, some researchers think free radicals -- molecules produced by the body that can damage cells and DNA -- may also be involved in the destruction of cartilage. Antioxidants such as vitamin C appear to limit the damage caused by free radicals. However, no evidence suggests that taking vitamin C supplements will help treat or prevent OA. What the evidence does show is that people who eat diets rich in vitamin C are less likely to be diagnosed with arthritis.

Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can lower your levels of vitamin C. If you take these drugs regularly for OA, you might want to take a vitamin C supplement.

Age-related Macular Degeneration

Vitamin C (500 mg) appears to work with other antioxidants, including zinc (80 mg), beta-carotene (15 mg), and vitamin E (400 IU) to protect the eyes against developing macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of legal blindness in people over 55 in the United States. The people who seem to benefit are those with advanced AMD. It isn't known whether this combination of nutrients helps prevent AMD or is beneficial for people with less advanced AMD. This combination includes a high dose of zinc, which you should only take under a doctor’s supervision.

Pre-eclampsia

Some studies suggest that taking vitamin C along with vitamin E may help prevent pre-eclampsia in women who are at high risk. Pre-eclampsia, characterized by high blood pressure and too much protein in the urine, is a common cause of premature births. Not all studies agree, however.

Asthma

Studies are mixed when it comes to the effect of vitamin C on asthma. Some show that low levels of vitamin C are more common in people with asthma, leading some researchers to think that low levels of vitamin C might increase the risk for this condition. Other studies seem to show that vitamin C may help reduce symptoms of exercise-induced asthma.

Other

Although the information is limited, studies suggest that vitamin C may also be helpful for:

• Boosting immunity
• Maintaining healthy gums
• Improving vision for those with uveitis (an inflammation of the middle part of the eye)
• Treating allergy-related conditions, such as asthma, eczema, and hay fever (called allergic rhinitis)
• Reducing effects of sun exposure, such as sunburn or redness (called erythema)
• Alleviating dry mouth, particularly from antidepressant medications (a common side effect from these drugs)
• Healing burns and wounds
• Decreasing blood sugar in people with diabetes
• Some viral conditions, including mononucleosis -- Although scientific evidence is lacking, some doctors may suggest high-dose vitamin C to treat some viruses

Precautions

Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, you should take dietary supplements only under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider.

Vitamin C supplements have a diuretic effect, meaning the help the body get rid of excess fluid. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids when taking them.

Most commercial vitamin C is made from corn. People sensitive to corn should look for alternative sources, such as sago palm.

Vitamin C increases the amount of iron absorbed from foods. People with hemochromatosis, an inherited condition where too much iron builds up in the body, should not take vitamin C supplements.

Vitamin C is generally considered safe because your body gets rid of what it does not use. But at high doses (more than 2,000 mg daily) it can cause diarrhea, gas, or stomach upset. If you experience these side effects, lower the dose of vitamin C.

People with kidney problems should talk to their doctor before taking vitamin C.

People who smoke or use nicotine patches may need more vitamin C because nicotine makes vitamin C less effective in the body.

Infants born to mothers taking 6,000 mg or more of vitamin C may develop rebound scurvy because their intake of vitamin C drops after birth. If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C.

People with sickle cell anemia, as well as people with a metabolic disorder called G6PD, can potentially have serious side-effects from taking high levels of vitamin C.

Thalassemia and Hemochromatosis patients could be negatively affected by increased iron absorption, which may occur from vitamin C supplementation.

Vitamin C may raise blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. In older women with diabetes, doses of vitamin C above 300 mg per day were associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease.

Taking vitamin C right before or after angioplasty may interfere with healing.

If you are being treated for cancer, talk to your oncologist before taking vitamin C. Vitamin C may potentially interact with some chemotherapy drugs

 Researchers call the increase in morbidity and mortality due to prescription opioid abuse an "epidemic."

In 2013, the 16,200 deaths resulting from prescription opioid disorders exceeded the 14,774 deaths from use of all illicit drugs combined.

The team, led by Dr. Beth Han, PhD, of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in Rockville, MD, set out to assess national trends in and characteristics of nonmedical prescription opioid use and use disorders, and the national trend in related mortality.

To investigate prevalence and related risk factors, they looked at data from 472,200 participants in the 2003-2013 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Nonmedical use of prescription opioids was defined as "use without a prescription or [...] with a prescription, simply for the experience or feeling caused by opioids."  
Increase in disorders seen

Disorders were classed as dependence on or abuse of: alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, or nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers, sedatives or stimulants.

The researchers found increased trends in dependence, morbidity and mortality rates:

    From 2003-2013, prescription opioid dependence rose from 0.4% to 0.6% in people aged over 12
    Associated Emergency Department visits rose from 82.5 to 184.1 per 100,000 from 2004-2011
    Prescription opioid related-deaths rose from 1.4 to 5.1 per 100,000 from 1999-2013
    Drug overdose death rates involving prescription opioids increased from 4.5 per 100,000 in 2003 to 7.8 per 100,000 in 2013.

Medications were bought, stolen or given by friends or relatives, prescribed by physicians, or bought from drug dealers or strangers.
Who is affected?

Disorders were more common among non-Hispanic white users, although the most frequent users of prescription opioids were non-Hispanic black people.

Disorders were more common among people without a high school diploma, those who were disabled for work, people with major depressive episodes, those without health insurance and those with Medicaid coverage rather than private health insurance.

People with dependences on alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, stimulants, sedatives and nicotine were also more prone to disorders - as were those who stole or bought drugs, compared with those who received them for free from friends or relatives.
A public health concern

The epidemic in increased high-intensity prescription opioid use represents a major public health concern.


Previous studies have shown a strong relationship between inappropriate opioid prescribing and negative health outcomes; the current trend has occurred at a time when the quantities of opioids prescribed has increased.

From 1999-2002, 57.6% of opioid users took an opioid stronger than morphine or morphine-equivalent; by 2011-12, this figure had increased to 80%.

Use of higher amounts of prescription opioids is a significant risk factor for overdose death.

The team recommends identifying at-risk users to prevent them from developing disorders. They also suggest identifying patterns of inappropriate receipt of prescription opioids. Patients with opioid-related disorders and associated substance use disorders - plus nicotine dependence and depression - should be screened for treatment.

سرماخوردگي يک عفونت ويروسي مسري است که راه هاي تنفسي فوقاني را آلوده نموده و باعث تحريک و ترشح در راه هاي هوايي مي شود. ابتلا  به سرماخوردگي ممکن است در اثر تماس با فرد آلوده يا تماس با وسايل آلوده صورت پذيرد و گاهي عواملي مانند سرما، استرس و خستگي مي توانند شرايط را براي فعاليت ويروس سرماخوردگي نهفته در مجراي تنفسي مناسب کند.
سرماخوردگي‌ها معمولا ناگهاني شروع مي‌شوند. آب ريزش در ابتدا شفاف بوده و ممکن است شدت يافته و زرد رنگ گردد. گرفتگي بيني، سرفه، گلودرد، بي حالي، خستگي، بيتابي، بي اشتهايي، گاها ريزش اشک و التهاب از علائم عمده آن است.


عوامل موثر در بروز سرماخوردگي:

ويروس‌هاي سرماخوردگي پس از ورود به بدن در مخاط دستگاههاي تنفسي ايجاد بيماري کرده و همراه با ترشحات دستگاه تنفسي از فردي به فرد ديگر قابل انتقال است. بنابراين:

- دست دادن، روبوسي، عطسه و سرفه در محلهاي عمومي باعث انتقال آن مي‌شود.

- رطوبت و درجه حرارت در انتشار ويروس نقش دارد، اين بيماري در کشورهاي مناطق معتدل در فصل سرما (زمستان و پاييز) به علت بارندگي و رطوبت بيشتر است.

- از ديگر علل افزايش بروز سرماخوردگي در فصل سرما حضور در مكان‌هاي شلوف همچون وسايل نقليه عمومي و تجمع در فضاهاي بسته و عدم استفاده از تهويه مناسب است.

- تغذيه يکي از فاکتورهاي موثر در عملکرد سيستم ايمني است. بنابراين سوء تغذيه در بروز بيماري‌هاي عفوني نقش مهمي را ايفا مي‌کند. ابتلا به بيماري‌هاي مزمن قلبي ، کليوي و ريوي نيز فرد را مستعد ابتلا به اين عفونت مي‌کند.

سرماخوردگي بيماري است که اگر چه مرگ و مير به دنبال ندارد ولي بروز آن باعث مشکلات زيادي براي افراد مي شود و باعث غيبت از کار مي شود. از طرفي با انجام اقداماتي به راحتي قابل پيشگيري است بنابراين در مبارزه با سرما خوردگي، پيشگيري بايد هدف اصلي باشد براي پيشگيري بايد اقدامات زير را انجام داد:

1 - دست‌هاي خود را بشوئيد: بيشتر ويروس هاي سرماخوردگي از طريق تماس مستقيم منتشر مي شوند. کسي که سرماخورده است بداخل دست هاي خود عطسه کرده و سپس اشيائي مثل تلفن ، صفحه کليد کامپيوتر يا ليوان را لمس مي کند. ميکروب‌ها مي توانند براي ساعت ها و در بعضي موارد هفته ها زنده باقي مانده و سپس به فرد بعدي که آن اشياء را لمس مي کند منتقل شود . بنابراين بايد دستهاي خود را مکرراً بشوئيد . در صورتي که امکان شستن دستتان را نداريد دستهاي خود را بسيار سخت براي يک دقيقه به هم بماليد . اين کار باعث جداشدن اکثر ويروسهاي سرماخوردگي از پوست مي شود .

2 - سرفه و عطسه خود را با دستانتان نپوشانيد: زماني که احساس مي کنيد در حال سرفه يا عطسه هستيد از يک دستمال دستمال استفاده کرده و آنرا بلافاصله دور بياندازيد . اگر دستمال نداريد سر خود را از افرادي که نزديک شما هستند به طرف ديگر چرخانده و به فضاي آزاد سرفه کنيد .

3- صورتتان را لمس نکنيد: ويروس‌هاي سرماخوردگي از طريق چشم ، دهان و بيني وارد بدن شما مي شوند . لمس صورت کودکان راه اصلي ابتلاي آنان به سرماخوردگي بوده و همچنين موجب انتقال سرماخوردگي از آنان به والدينشان مي باشد .

4 - مقدار زيادي مايعات بنوشيد: آب سيستم بدن شما را شستشو داده و باعث خروج سموم از بدن شما مي شود . يک فرد بالغ سالم بطور متوسط روزانه 8 ليوان مايعات نياز دارد

5 - از سونا استفاده کنيد: وقتي به سونا مي رويد هوائي که استنشاق مي کنيد بالاتر از 80 درجه است و اين درجه حرارت باعث از بين رفتن ويروس هاي سرماخوردگي مي شود .

6- از هواي آزاد استفاده کنيد: اکثريت افراد در زماني که هوا سرد است در خانه و محوطه هاي بسته مي مانند بنابراين ميکروب‌هاي بيشتري در اطاق هاي خشک و شلوغ در حال گردش است .

7- ورزش هاي آيروبيک را به طور منظم انجام دهيد: اين ورزش ها باعث افزايش سلولهاي مقابله کننده با ويروس در بدن مي شود .

8- غذاهاي گياهي مصرف کنيد: مواد طبيعي موجود در گياهان باعث افزايش ويتامين هاي بدن مي شود . بنابراين ميوه و سبزيجات سبز تيره ، قرمز و زرد مانند اسفناج ، کاهو ، هويج ، گوجه فرنگي ، سير و ... مصرف کنيد . آب پرتقال هرچه تازه تر باشد ويتامين C بيشتري دارد و طول مدت درمان را کوتاهتر مي کند

9- ماست بخوريد : باکتري هاي مفيد موجود در ماست باعث تحريک توليد مواد سيستم ايمني شده که با بيماري مبارزه مي کند .

10- سيگار نکشيد: آمار نشان مي دهد که سيگاري ها دچار سرماخوردگي هاي بيشتر و مکرر مي شوند . حتي نزديک به افراد سيگاري بودن بطور واضح سيستم ايمني را از بين مي برد. دود راههاي هوائي بيني را خشک کرده و مژک هاي آنرا فلج مي کند . مژک هاي موهاي ظريفي هستند که مخاط بيني و ريه ها را پوشانده و با حرکات موجي شکل خود ويروس هاي سرماخوردگي را از مجاري بيني خارج مي کنند . يک سيگار مژک ها را براي 30-40 دقيقه فلج مي کند.

11- مصرف الکل را قطع کنيد : مصرف الکل کبد را که اولين سيستم تصفيه کننده بدن است را تخريب کرده و اين به اين معناست که تمامي انواع ميکروبها بدن شما را به سرعت ترک نخواهند کرد .

12- راحت و آسوده باشيد: اگر شما بتوانيد آرامش داشته باشيد مي توانيد سيستم ايمني خود را به هنگام نياز فعال کنيد.

13- غرغره کردن نمك: اين كار باعث مرطوب شدن گلو و بهبودي موقت مي شود. اين کار را با استفاده از يک قاشق چايخوري نمک داخل يک استکان آب ولرم و روزانه حدود 4 بار انجام دهيد .

 Coriander is the dried seed of the cilantro plant. The whole seeds look like tiny round balls and are commonly ground into a powder and used for seasoning food.

Coriander has a multifaceted flavor profile and can be used in many types of recipes. It is most commonly found in Indian cuisine but can be paired with anything from salad dressing to barbecue rub.

This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a collection of articles on the health benefits of popular foods. It provides a nutritional breakdown of coriander and an in-depth look at its possible health benefits, how to incorporate more coriander into your diet and the potential health risks of consuming coriander.
Nutritional breakdown of coriander

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database1, two tablespoons of ground coriander seed contain 30 calories, 1.2 grams of protein, 1.8 grams of fat, and 5.6 grams of carbohydrates (including 4 grams of fiber and 0 grams of sugar). That same 2 tablespoon serving provides 68% of your daily vitamin K needs, 10% of iron, 8% of calcium, and 4% of vitamin C.
Possible health benefits of consuming coriander

Below we take a look at the possible health benefits of coriander.
Anticancer effects
Cilantro leaves and coriander seeds.


A study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that common spices - including coriander - can inhibit heterocyclic amine (HCA) formation in meats during cooking. HCAs, defined by the National Cancer Institute, are chemicals formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures.2 A high consumption of foods containing HCAs is associated with higher risk of cancer.

These anticancer effects were demonstrated further in a different study published in the Journal of Food Science, in which five Asian spices, including coriander, were used to cook meats. The meats cooked with those spices had a significant decrease in HCA formation.2
Carotenoids

Dietary carotenoids can decrease the risk of numerous conditions, including several cancers and eye disease, due to their role as antioxidants.3 A study published in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition showed that basil and coriander contained the highest levels of the carotenoids beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, all known for their antioxidant abilities.2
How to incorporate more coriander into your diet
A bowl of carrot and coriander soup.


Coriander has a versatile flavor profile and can be used in anything from dressings and sauces to meat rubs and even desserts.

Whole coriander seeds can be stored in airtight containers for 1-2 years and ground coriander seeds can be stored in airtight containers for 6 months.

Quick tips:

    Add coriander into spice mixtures such as curry or barbecue rub
    Make a homemade dressing using part oil, part vinegar and seasonings including coriander
    Change up your go-to marinades by adding coriander.

Aspirin may double the chances of survival for patients with gastrointestinal cancers, according to the results of a new study recently presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress in Vienna, Austria.



This research, led by Dr. Martine Frouws of Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, adds to growing evidence suggesting aspirin may be useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Last month, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting aspirin may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, while a more recent study claims aspirin may help boost treatment response in patients with breast, skin and bowel cancers.

For their study, Dr. Frouws and colleagues set out to determine how aspirin impacts the survival of patients with tumors in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract - namely the rectum, colon and esophagus. This is the first time a study has simultaneously assessed survival data by different GI locations, according to the authors.

The study included 13,715 patients who received a GI cancer diagnosis between 1998 and 2011. They were followed up for a median of 48.6 months. Of these patients, 42.8% had colon cancer, 25.4% had rectal cancer and 10.2% had cancer of the esophagus.

To determine how aspirin use after a GI cancer diagnosis impacted the overall survival of these patients, the researchers linked patient data with drug dispensing information from the PHARMO Institute in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

"In this study we analyzed each separate prescription per patient, and therefore we were able to achieve a more exact estimate of the effect of aspirin on cancer survival," notes Dr. Frouws.
Post-diagnosis aspirin users twice as likely to survive GI cancer

Overall, around 30.5% of patients used aspirin prior to GI cancer diagnosis, 8.3% only used aspirin after their diagnosis, while 61.1% did not use aspirin.


Across all cancers, around 28% of patients survived for at least 5 years.

Compared with patients who used aspirin before their cancer diagnosis and those who did not use the medication, patients who used aspirin after their diagnosis were twice as likely to survive, according to the results.

This finding remained even after the team accounted for potential confounding factors, including age, sex, cancer stage, cancer treatment and the presence of other medical conditions.

While the exact mechanism underlying the anticancer effect of aspirin is unclear, the researchers suggest it could be down to its antiplatelet properties. They explain that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are believed to use platelets - a component of blood - to shield themselves from the immune system. Because aspirin blocks the function of platelets, this may expose CTCs, leaving them open to attack.

Though the optimal dosage and duration of aspirin use and its effect on GI cancers need to be investigated in further research, the team believes they have uncovered a potential treatment option that could reach a wide number of patients.

"Given that aspirin is a cheap, off-patent drug with relatively few side effects, this will have a great impact on health care systems as well as patients," says Dr. Frouws, adding:

Times of high stress can affect your health, your sleep, and your entire sense of well-being. While chronic long-term stress is a cry for a change of lifestyle and a more serious intervention, sometimes we go through stressful periods knowing there is an end in sight. If this is your situation, know that a good diet, 8 hours of sleep a night, exercise and the following supplements can help see you through.

The following supplements will help you feel more relaxed, help you avoid illness, and help you sleep:

    Vitamin B complex
    Tryptophan
    Calcium Magnesium
    Vitamin C
    Vitamin D
    Multi-vitamin or Total Nutrition Formula
    Omega 3s
    Melatonin (if insomnia is a problem)
    Valerian Root (if insomnia is a problem)

Vitamin B complex
While a few of the B vitamins are regularly recommended for stress, it is always best to take B vitamins in a B complex form, as B vitamins work together. Research has also shown that taking one B vitamin alone over time can actually cause deficiencies in other B vitamins. B vitamins are nature's valium. They soothe the nervous system and aid in many functions in the body and brain. They may also help you sleep.

L-Tryptophan
L- tryptophan is an amino acid our body needs in order to make serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is the basic "feel good" neurotransmitter, whereas melatonin is needed for sleep.

Calcium and magnesium
Calcium and magnesium work together. Magnesium is calming to the body. You can take it as a supplement, or soak for 40 minutes in epsom salts.

Vitamin C and vitamin D
In times of great stress, the immune system is often suppressed. An extra boost of vitamin C and vitamin D aid the immune system and may keep you from catching a virus or a bacterial infection at an already difficult time.

Multi-vitamin or Total Nutrition Formula
Times of high stress are a good time to ensure that all of your nutritional needs are met. A daily multi-vitamin and/or Total Nutrition Formula will aid you in getting all the nutrients your body requires.

Omega 3s
Krill oil, flax seed oil, fish oil, or a good oil blend will help with stress and aid in concentration and mood stabilization.

Melatonin and valerian root
If L-tryptophan and B vitamins have not reversed your insomnia, add melatonin and valerian root to your nightly routine. Also see Natural Insomnia Cures. (see link below)

Conclusion:
Coping with stress in a healthy way includes a healthy diet, adequate exercise, good sleep, and avoiding those shortcut stress reducers that do more harm than good. Don't rely on drugs, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, or junk food to help you through stressful times. They don't help at all, even though it may seem like they do at the moment. This is a time to take excellent care of yourself to minimize the stress on your body even though there is more than enough stress in your life. An inability to handle stress is a sign of adrenal stress. Check out Natural Remedies for Adrenal Fatigue and see this Nerve Sedative Recipe for a tincture you can make yourself.

A diet consisting of a variety of raw fresh vegetables is the best prevention and also a potential cure for cancer, depending on how far the cancer has progressed and how easily the body can digest and properly assimilate nutrition. Berries, grapes, broccoli, leafy greens, sprouts, avocados, red and yellow peppers, red cabbage, dandelion, beets, and many more foods have been proven in numerous scientific studies to not only prevent, but to also destroy, cancer cells. If we did research on every single piece of produce we eat, we'd probably find that most of them, if not all of them, prevent and fight cancer in some way or another. This is what the modern diet is missing, fresh raw produce. Early humans ate pounds of it a day, all day, every day. Whether you have cancer now, or are just trying to prevent it, cut out the refined and processed foods, and eat more produce.

Herbs and Spices
Garlic, oregano, cloves, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and ginger have been shown in multiple studies to fight cancer. Spice up your meals, especially those big salads. Fresh raw produce works synergistically with herbs and spices. In other words, the combination of garlic, oregano, and a bunch of vegetables is more powerful than garlic and/or oregano alone. Make big salads with lots of vegetables and add in fresh herbs and spices.Speaking of combinations, turmeric and black pepper make for a powerful cancer-killing duo. Most of you have heard of the incredible benefits of turmeric and it's cancer-killing properties. Turmeric is known to actually outperform many pharmaceutical drugs for various diseases. The only problem with turmeric is that the beneficial component to which all the hoopla is about, curcumin, is not easily absorbed by the body. Black pepper contains piperine, a chemical with powerful antioxidant properties. Pepper and turmeric together allow the body to absorb more turmeric. Reports range from a 200% increase to over 2,000%! It's no coincidence that two of the main ingredients in curry powder are black pepper and turmeric. Come to think of it, ginger and cinnamon, two other powerhouse herbs known to fight cancer, are also almost always found in curry spice blends as well. It's no wonder...

Herbal Supplements, Vitamins, and Minerals
Getting a wide range of vitamins and minerals should be easy when you're eating lots of produce, but it's not always that simple. Our soil is so degraded, even organic produce doesn't have the nutrition it used to have. If you cannot grow your own produce in the most optimum conditions with the best soil, we recommend a primarily food-based nutrition powder from a source you know and trust. That's not "whole food sourced"; we mean actual food, like rose hips, lemon peels, chlorella, etc. And when these nutrition formulas are done right, the enzymes are left intact. There are a ton of herbal tinctures, extracts, and other supplements that kill cancer cells. Echinacea, oil of oregano, clove oil, goldenseal, barberry, astragalus, pau d'arco, red clover, and skullcap are a few of the many plant based herbal supplements that kill cancer cells. Study after study shows that many of the right plants and plant extracts have more power to kill off cancer cells than conventional treatments. Wormwood is a very powerful herb that is often used to kill parasites and Candida. Wormwood, more specifically, wormwood extract, kills cancer cells.

Kill 98% Of All Cancer Cells In Less Than 24 Hours
A new study shows that a derivative of the wormwood plant, artemesinin, turns deadly in the presence of iron. Breast cancer cells have high levels of iron. When artemesinin senses these higher than usual levels of iron, it destroys the cancer cells with little damage to the surrounding healthy cells. This results in an herbal killing machine that killed 98% of the breast cancer cells present within 16 hours! Although this study is in its first phase in a lab with petri dishes, artemesinin tablets are "widely and successfully" used to fight malaria for the same reason, the parasite responsible for malaria uptakes a large amount of iron, just like the breast cancer cells. Artemesinin zeros in on the iron and destroys the parasite.Wormwood is known to be one of the best herbs for killing a number of parasites, and it is anti-microbial and anti-fungal, making wormwood a great addition for people who need to heal their gut.

 Cheese tends to be a standard accompaniment to popular foods like burgers, pizza, Mexican dishes, salad and sandwiches but can also stand-alone as a snack or an appetizer.

The amount of cheese being consumed in the US has tripled over the past 40 years but is still only half that of European nations like Greece, France and Germany.3

Whether cheese is a healthy choice depends on the individual, the type and amount of cheese being consumed. There are some cheeses that are high in protein and calcium, but there are just as many loaded with sodium and saturated fats.

For someone with a milk allergy, any type of cheese would be off limits. Lactose intolerant individuals may be able to tolerate some types of cheese depending on their level of intolerance.

Vegans or other people avoiding animal products for personal or health reasons would not consume cheese at all and would likely opt for a non-dairy alternative such as soy cheese or daiya.


Types of cheese

There are thousands of varieties of cheese, which can come from several different species. Cows, sheep and goat cheese, are some of the most popularly consumed varieties.



Made with whole milk and contains 6-10 grams of fat per 1-ounce serving, with 4-6 grams being saturated.
Low-fat or non-fat

Low-fat cheese, also labeled reduced fat cheese, is made with 2% milk. Non-fat cheese is made with 0% or skim milk.
Fresh cheese

Cheeses that are considered fresh have not been aged. They usually have a higher moisture content, softer texture and milder taste than aged cheeses. Some examples of fresh cheeses are ricotta, cream cheese, cottage cheese and mascarpone.
Aged cheese

Aged cheeses are firmer in texture and are generally aged for 6 months or longer. The longer cheese is aged, the more concentrated or sharp the flavor may be. Cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan and Gruyere are examples of aged cheeses.
Processed cheese

Cheese spread, American cheese, "cheese food" and "cheese flavored" products cannot be categorized as actual cheese and must be labeled as such. They are aimed to create a shelf-stable product using added ingredients like flavor enhancers and emulsifiers.
Non-dairy cheese

For people who do not consume dairy, there are non-dairy cheese alternatives such as soy cheese and daiya.
Nutritional breakdown of cheese

In general, cheese is high in calories, sodium and saturated fat. The actual breakdown of macronutrients in cheese will vary depending on the type.
wedge of cheddar
Americans eat over 30 pounds of cheese a year. 11.5 pounds of that is mozzarella, which beats cheddar (9.6 pounds).

One ounce of cream cheese spread contains 84 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of carbohydrate and 2 grams of protein. One ounce of cheddar cheese has 115 calories, 10 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbohydrate and 7 grams of protein.

Cheese can also contain varying amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B-12, riboflavin, phosphorus, selenium and sodium. Sheep and goat's milk cheese have higher levels of vitamin A, while cow's milk cheese has more beta-carotene.3
The case for cheese

Dairy products are one of the best dietary sources of calcium in terms of bioavailability.

Calcium plays a primary role in the development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth and is also important for blood clotting, wound healing and maintaining normal blood pressure.

Always try to pair calcium-rich foods with a source of vitamin D, as vitamin D helps the small intestine to absorb calcium. Two ounces of many kinds of cheese can contain 40-50% of the daily calcium requirement.3
The case against cheese

A diet high in sodium and saturated fat is likely to increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
man with cardiovascular system


Some people choose not to consume dairy in order to follow a vegan diet, which means avoiding any foods that come from an animal, including milk, cheese, eggs and honey.

Others may cut dairy out of their diet in order to avoid hormones and antibiotics in conventional milk, as an acne treatment, or when following the popular "Paleo" diet.
Allergies, intolerances and sensitivity

Lactose intolerance is a condition in which a person lacks the enzyme to break down the sugar found in milk for proper digestion. Those with lactose intolerance may experience bloating, flatulence or diarrhea when consuming milk and milk products.

Levels of lactose intolerance vary per individual. One person may be able to tolerate aged dairy with low levels of lactose such as yogurt and hard cheeses. However, another may be unable to tolerate even a splash of milk in their coffee.

The lactose content in hard, aged cheeses like Parmesan and cheddar is low. Try a small amount (1/2 oz.) first to see how your body reacts. Soft, fresh cheeses like mozzarella may be harder to tolerate. Because many people who are lactose intolerant are calcium deficient, cheese can be an important component of their diet.

A milk allergy is different from lactose intolerance and refers to an abnormal immunologic reaction in which the body's immune system produces an allergic antibody, called immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody, which results in allergy symptoms such as wheezing, diarrhea or vomiting.

Those with an actual milk allergy must strictly avoid dairy in any form, including cheese. Symptoms of a milk allergy can include asthma, eczema, gastrointestinal distress, as well as bleeding, pneumonia, and even anaphylaxis (shock).

Different from both allergies and lactose intolerance, some people have a sensitivity to the casein (a type of protein) in milk. This sensitivity can trigger inflammation throughout the body, which may produce symptoms such as sinus congestion, acne flares, skin rash and migraines.

Most people can consume dairy without any of these issues, but if you suspect that dairy could be causing some of these symptoms, seek out a dietitian to conduct food sensitivity testing or to help you determine whether following a dairy free diet may improve your condition.

n a new study published in The American Journal of Pathology, scientists say they have identified a biomarker in patients with stomach cancer that starves tumors of their blood supply and reduces the ability of cancer cells to spread to other parts of the body.
[stomach cancer]
In the US, around 24,590 cases of stomach cancer will be diagnosed in 2015.

The new research from China shows that stomach cancer patients whose cancer lesions show high levels of the biomarker microRNA 506 (miR-506) have far longer survival times compared with stomach cancer patients with lower levels of miR-506. Thus, miR-506 is a valuable biomarker to predict stomach cancer survival.

Other benefits of miR-506 include its ability to suppress tumor growth, blood vessel formation and the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body.

Lead investigator Dr. Xin Song, of the Cancer Research Institute of Southern Medical University and the Cancer Biotherapy Center of The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University - both in China - says that "these findings indicate that miR-506 is necessary and sufficient for angiogenesis suppression during gastric cancer progression."



By way of introducing their research into stomach cancer, the authors begin by explaining that Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells is associated with an increased capacity to invade into surrounding tissue and migrate to distant sites.


Learn more about stomach cancer

EMT is a key step during normal embryo formation (embryogenesis), but EMT is now also recognized to be involved in processes within the body that result in functional changes associated with cancer (cancer pathophysiology).

While tumor-specific factors that drive EMT are not completely understood, it is known that various biochemical changes take place through EMT to produce "healing-type cells" called mesenchymal cells (MSCs).

In turn, it is MSCs that play an important role both in normal tissue repair as well as disease-causing processes, including tumor growth and the spread of cancer cells.

These transformed cells have the ability to migrate away from the tissues that line the cavities and surfaces of blood vessels and organs throughout the body, invade other tissues and stave off normal programmed cell death (PCD).

One of the several mechanisms that may initiate an EMT is the change in the expression of a specific class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. It was one of these - miR-506 - that was identified by the researchers as a useful marker that enabled them to organize the patients they were studying in order of the severity of their stomach cancer.

Dr. Song says the research team considered the hypothesis that miR-506 acts as a suppressor of how cancer cells spread using a system level and integrative approach.
Tumor samples taken from people who had undergone cancer surgery

In a blind test, the researchers used a form of genetic analysis called polymerone chain reaction (PCR) to detect miR-506 in human gastric samples taken from 84 people who had undergone cancer surgery. The researchers analyzed the miR-506 levels in each of these samples, and patients were allocated to different groups based on whether they were above or below the mean miR-506 level.

This is when the team found that survival among patients with signs of high miR-506 was significantly longer.

At 60 months, for example, cumulative survival was approximately 30% in the low-miR-506 expression group, compared with 80% in the high-expression group.

The research team then looked at signs of miR-506 in seven stomach cancer cell lines. Here, it was found that stomach cancer cells had lower levels of miR-506 than normal stomach tissue.

Analysis of cells grown in vitro then showed that miR-506 levels were lowest in the cell lines that had the highest invasive activity, and the highest levels were seen in cell lines with the lowest invasive activity.

Further research and experiments strengthened the hypothesis that miR-506 acts as a suppressor of how cancer cells spread.

 The tests were more likely to identify mutations in a subgroup of children with certain physical anomalies, making clinical examination an important way of selecting those children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who could benefit most from genetic testing.

"It is incontrovertible that precise diagnoses pave the way to better medical care, improved surveillance, better functional outcomes, and informed genetic counseling, often with the possibility of prenatal or preimplantation diagnosis," says an editorial in the same issue of the journal.

Stephen Scherer, PhD, of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, and colleagues used the two newer technologies - chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) - to determine the percentage of 258 unrelated children with ASD who possessed a genetic mutation that may contribute to their autistic features.

A molecular diagnosis from CMA was received by 24 (9.3%) of the children, and from WES by 8 of 95 (8.4%) of them. Among the children who underwent both CMA and WES testing, the estimated proportion with an identifiable genetic cause was 15.8%.

The proportion with a genetic mutation was much higher (37.5%) for children who had more complex ASD based on physical examination.

In the linked editorial, Dr. Judith Miles, of University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia, says:

"For ASD, as well as for other behaviorally defined disorders, the results [...] provide clear guidance."

Dr. Miles adds:

    "Foremost, the data indicate that physicians responsible for children with ASD should arrange access to a genetic evaluation using techniques that have the best chance of determining an etiologic diagnosis."

Parents interested in genetic testing

The authors conclude that their study gives a demonstration of genetic differences related to subgroups of ASD children based on clinical examination.

"Our data suggest that medical evaluation of ASD children may help identify populations more likely to achieve a molecular diagnosis with genetic testing," they note, adding:

"It seems likely that genetic testing of children with ASD will continue to increase. In a survey of parental interest in ASD genetic testing, 80% of parents indicated that they would want a sibling younger than 2 years tested to identify ASD-risk mutations even if the test could not confirm or rule out the diagnosis."

"For some children with positive genetic test results," they continue, "treatment plans targeting ASD-associated medical conditions can be offered."

The researchers conclude that if "replicated in additional populations, these findings may inform appropriate selection of molecular diagnostic testing for children affected by ASD."

The editorial points out that karyotyping - profiling the chromosomes - is much less informative than the new methods yet are tests for ASD recommended by geneticists.

Dr. Miles believes "it seems possible that it will not be too long before the evidence presented" by the study "will prompt a similar recommendation to include whole-exome DNA sequencing as a first-tier ASD test, if not for all ASD diagnoses, certainly for children with physical dysmorphology."