GUEST POST BY DAVID MARK
The Washington Post recently published an article asserting that vitamin D is shaping up to be the nutrient of the year, if not the decade. The article started factually strong but weakened at the end when it made specific recommendations.
The Post references an article in Consumer Reports titled “Most people get [...]

News reports bring into question the efficacy and safety of some vitamins. However, there is an even greater threat from a product with no proven side effects and a very low price.

Placebos seem to make a difference in research and clinical practice. For that reason, testimonials and open-label trial results should never be provided as sole evidence of efficacy when a product marketing campaign is challenged by a regulatory authority.

In the August edition of the Journal of Nutrition, scientists ranked foods based on how good they are for you to create a Nutrient-Rich Foods Index. To give the index scientific weight, the researchers created a formula for combinations of nutrients and calories that produced the highest correlation to the index. The healthiest — though maybe not the best-tasting foods — rise to the top using their math.

Nurses and doctors regularly use vitamin supplements, but no more than the general population, a survey finds. And the medical professionals recommend supplements to their patients.

Companies keen on product development will likely get a boost from the compromise version of the stimulus bill that the House was set to vote on Friday. There are billions of dollars for government research grants and millions for construction of research buildings. The final legislation did pull back in areas such as agriculture. Here [...]