Archive 2008 2009 2010 2011

Q: Can some vitamin and mineral supplements be taken once a week instead of daily?
A: A few can. The body is able to store some vitamins, especially the “fat-soluble” ones like vitamin D, for weeks or even months. The same is true of iron, zinc and some B vitamins, including folic acid.
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Q: What is imitation crabmeat and how healthful is it?
A: It is typically made from Alaska pollock, a mild-flavored white fish, which is minced, rinsed and strained. The resulting paste, called surimi, is blended with sugar, salt, binders like egg whites and starch, flavorings and other ingredients. After cooking, it’s cut into various shapes resembling crab leg meat or other types of shellfish.
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Q: Is it beneficial—and safe—to take colloidal silver?
A: No on both counts. Colloidal silver is a suspension of fine silver particles, usually marketed as a liquid or as lozenges. Though it’s touted as a cure-all for everything from acne and arthritis to herpes and cancer, there’s no evidence it helps any condition.
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UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, September 2011