RDA & DRI

What does Ginseng do to one's metabolism? Are there long-term risks associated with taking Ginseng tea daily? Ginseng does not change your metabolism. The only long-term risk I've seen associated with taking ginseng in any form is that excessive use can increase blood pressure. I would suggest you check out The Herbalist or Chinese Medicine and...

Where can I find a dietitian who works with kidney disease or high potassium blood levels? The Renal Dietitians dietetic practice group of the American Dietetic Association specializes in working with patients with kidney disease and elevated blood potassium levels. You can find a dietitian at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Include your zip...

I take a multivitamin to supplement my diet. I have read, on a couple of occasions (don't ask me where), that men should use a multivitamin which does not contain iron. The reason, if I remember correctly, was that men could get their RDA of iron from their normal diet. Is this true? Men who...

What is your opinion of colloidal minerals? Thanks for your help! Colloidal minerals are molecules of minerals suspended in a liquid. The particles are not dissolved and may carry an electrical charge which enables them to combine with another particle to make a compound and precipitate out as a solid. These electrically charged particles are...

I have been discussing with doctors this issue of the vitamins, but none could give me that convincing explanation and advice as you did. What you say make a lot of sense i.e. making expensive urine. Thanks a lot. The reason I said you would make expensive urine is your body absorbs about 15% from...

I recently had a medical examination. The only problem that turned up was low iron. I forget the units, but my hemoglobin was 12.1. The doctor told me I should be 14 or more (for men). I hadn't thought I had a problem since I regularly donate blood. I have since found out that...

I had been on Phen/Fen about a year- just working out to try to get my weight down. I am in excellent health except for a mysterious leg ache that occurs only at night. I think it could be some kind of vitamin deficiency- can you suggest something? Please reply.   If you get muscle cramps...

Do you have any recommendations for a vitamin that might give me more energy? I currently take Slow-Fe (iron) and a multivitamin but find that at the end of the day I am exhausted. Any suggestions? Thank you. You didn't give me a lot of information to go on, but here are my thoughts. Since...

Which foods are high in vitamin K? Leafy green vegetables (kale, collards, spinach, turnip greens, beet greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens green leaf lettuce), Brussels sprouts, broccoli, green onions, parsley, asparagus, and sauerkraut contain more than the RDA of vitamin K for men or women. These foods are not allowed for persons with a history...

I am concerned about women getting brittle bones from not enough calcium. I don't like to drink milk except with cereal. How do you get your daily requirement of calcium? You can meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 1,000 milligrams (women or men 19 to 50 years of age) to 1,200 milligrams (women or...