Let's play a game

Let's play a game....I'll list some common scientific thoughts and you tell me which ones are fact or fiction:
1. Flax seeds are good for you and have medicinal properties
2. pomegranate and blueberries should be consumed because of their antioxidant cancer fighting properties
3. I shouldn't take grapefruit juice with my medications
4. Trans fats are bad for me
5. white sugar is not a good sweetener
6. Cinnamon is good for your health

Answers will be posted next week.

source:Schwarcz, J. (2005). Let them eat flax. Toronto: ECW.

Be careful of supplements over-consumption

Some known risks of nutrients consumed at excessive potencies are:

Folic acid: Intakes higher than 1 milligram a day may mask symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency while pernicious anemia caused by the deficiency progresses undetected.

Iron: As few as six high-potency iron tablets could seriously injure a child weighing 22 pounds or less. Iron is the most common cause of U.S. child poisoning deaths, causing about 2,000 poisonings a year,mainly in young children taking their mothers' prenatal supplements.

Niacin: High intakes can damage the liver and cause severe gastrointestinal problems.

Selenium: High intakes can damage tissue, especially in tissues or organs where selenium concentrates. Toxicity depends on the chemical form and the selenium content of the foods eaten and has occurred with high intakes after a few weeks.

Vitamin A: Continuous high intakes can cause headaches, liver damage (including cirrhosis), bone damage, diarrhea, and, during pregnancy, birth defects.

Vitamin B6: High intakes can cause bone pain, muscle weakness,numbness, or other symptoms of nerve disorder.

Vitamin C: Very high intakes can cause diarrhea and may cause urinary tract problems.

Vitamin D: Continuous high intakes can cause kidney damage and bone deformity.

source:FDA (n.d.)Dietary Supplements: Making Sure Hype Doesn't Overwhelm Science Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00259.html