The Aesthetics Advisor

A recent survey of 8,600 people who regularly use dietary supplements shows that  probiotics  (+3.04 percentage points),  quercetin  (+2.3 pts), and  vitamin K  (+1.96 pts) experienced the greatest absolute growth in popularity over the past year, while the greatest declines were with  vitamin C  (-4.56 pts),  calcium  (-3.05 pts),  melatonin  (-2.66 pts),  vitamin D  (-2.62 pts), and  green tea  (-2.21 pts). Despite a moderate decrease,  vitamin D  remained the most popular supplement, purchased by 69.95% of respondents.  Magnesium  (+1.34 pts) remained in place as the second most popular supplement, used by 53.1% of respondents, just ahead of  fish oil  (+0.69 pt).  Multivitamins  (+1.28 pts) moved up to 4 th  place, as  CoQ10  (-2.19) moved down to 5 th  place.  Probiotics  moved up to 6 th  place, as  vitamin C  slid to 7 th  place, followed by  zinc  (+0.87 pt).  B-complexes  (+1.69 pts) moved up two spots to 9 th  place, followed by  curcumin/turmeric  (-1.6 pts), which moved dow

Globally, 1 in 6 deaths is caused by cancer, an especially tragic statistic since it’s estimated that at least 50% of cancer causes are preventable. 1   One key risk factor you can modify to lower your risk? Diet, including intake of ultraprocessed foods. In the most comprehensive assessment to date of the link between ultraprocessed food consumption and cancers, researchers from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health found these cheap convenience foods are linked to an increased risk of developing and dying from cancer. 2 Intake of ultraprocessed foods is on the rise worldwide. In the U.S. and the U.K., more than half of daily caloric intake comes from these junk foods. 3  What exactly are ultraprocessed foods (UPFs)? The Imperial College London researchers defines them as: 4 “… foods that are industrial formulations made by assembling industrially-derived food substances and food additives through a sequence of extensive industrial processes. UPFs contain little or no whol

Navigating the tenuous relationship between food and cancer can be a daunting task. As a society, we are constantly being bombarded with messages about which foods we should and should not eat. The info is continuously changing and often contradictory. There are new trends, old practices that come back into fashion, and sometimes groundless claims. And yet even as we know there is a strong connection between food and disease, it is often overlooked by the medical community when discussing treatment plans. Here’s a look at three of the most popular food plans and their effect on cancer prevention and treatment.   Vegetarian/Vegan/Plant-Based Diets Spend more than a few minutes on social media and quickly discover just how popular plant-based diets have become. From celebs to athletes to Michelin-star restaurants, saying no to meat and/or dairy projects has become all the rage. And it is, without a doubt, a healthier way to treat both our bodies and the planet. But did you know that a w

Vitamin D is a popular yet arguably controversial supplement. One reason for the controversy is that people are concerned about suffering from toxicities if they take over the commonly recommended amount. Some of this concern is merited:  vitamin D  is fat-soluble, meaning that compared to water-soluble vitamins such as B-group vitamins and vitamin C, it is stored in the body for a much longer time, which can put people at a higher risk of toxicity. On the other hand, as vitamin D deficiency has been deemed an epidemic, more people consider supplementing with it. Therefore, compared to other fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, K, and E, it will naturally be subject to a higher level of scrutiny. Yet experts argue that the toxicities of vitamin D have been overstated, with much of the current fear stemming from historical reports and outdated information. A container of vitamin D capsules. (Mark Lennihan/AP Photo) Historical Cases Fuel Current Fears Much of today’s fear of toxicities