Ross Phan
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I tend to cover topics in the healthcare & sciences category. Sometimes, I cover the following: business, entrepreneurship, education, employment, people, and society. I also write book reviews.
Off Script Founder | Pharmacist @pharmacychecker | Coach | Consultant | Writer with portfolio @ muckrack.com/ross_offscript (Tweets not official advice.)
Articles by Ross Phan
A Pharm D Shares 5 Ways to Strengthen Your Bones Without Calcium Supplements
Getting enough exercise and eating a calcium-rich diet can help support strong bones without needing to take supplements. Makidotvn / Getty Images Exercise can help prevent bone loss and boost bone strength. Add food sources of calcium, like yogurt, into your diet. Talk with a healthcare provider before choosing to use supplements. Maintaining strong and healthy bones doesn’t always require supplements.
What Happens to Your Gut When You Take Probiotics Every Day
Probiotics may offer benefits for your digestive and gut health. Ekaterina Goncharova / Getty Images Probiotics are live microorganisms (small life forms), such as bacteria and yeast. When taken in appropriate amounts, probiotics may offer health benefits, especially for digestive conditions and gut health. Pathogens are microorganisms that can cause disease. Probiotics make it hard for pathogens to survive and bind to the gut by competing for nutrients and binding sites.
How Much Sunlight Do You Need for Healthy Vitamin D Levels?
You can get vitamin D from being in the sun, but too much sun exposure can cause skin damage. Daniel de la Hoz / Getty Images Five to 30 minutes of sun exposure on most days without sunscreen can help your body make vitamin D. Factors like time of day, clothing, and season can affect how much vitamin D your body makes from sunlight. Too much sun increases skin damage and cancer risk, so balance is important.
How Much Sunlight Do You Need for Healthy Vitamin D Levels?
18 hours ago Don't add this kind of bread to your shopping cart. White bread has long been a pantry staple, but dietitians say it's not the best choice if you're looking to get the most nutritional value from your daily sandwich or morning toast. While it can certainly fit into a balanced diet, bread made with …
5 Ways to Support Bone Health After 50
Strength training helps improve bone health and prevent bone loss in older adults. FatCamera / Getty Images As we age, our bones naturally lose strength, density, and mass, which can increase the risk of osteoporosis—a condition that makes bones weak and fragile. While aging itself is unavoidable, many other factors that influence bone health are within your control. That’s why taking steps to protect and strengthen your bones becomes especially important after age 50.
How Much Sunlight Do You Actually Need for Vitamin D?
You can get vitamin D from being in the sun, but too much sun exposure can cause skin damage. Daniel de la Hoz / Getty Images Five to 30 minutes of sun exposure on most days without sunscreen can help your body make vitamin D. Factors like time of day, clothing, and season can affect how much vitamin D your body makes from sunlight. Too much sun increases skin damage and cancer risk, so balance is important.
How Much Sunlight Do You Actually Need for Vitamin D?
Flipboard HomeLandscape version of the Flipboard logo More stories from Vitamin D Navigating eczema symptoms? This anti-inflammatory nutrient may help strengthen your skin’s barrier. If you suffer from eczema, you may have adopted … Join the flipboard community Sign up More stories from Vitamins Serums may be lightweight, watery, and silky—but they work harder than any other step in your skincare routine to deliver serious results.
What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Chia Seeds Regularly
Chia seeds are nutrient-rich and contain fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, minerals, and antioxidants. Chia seeds have many benefits, such as supporting heart health, managing blood sugar levels, and lowering high blood pressure. Introduce them to your diet gradually to avoid digestive discomfort, and check with a healthcare provider as they may interact with certain medications.
4 Ways to Protect Your Gut While Taking Antibiotics, According to a Pharmacist
Antibiotics can disrupt your gut health, which may lead to side effects. Israel Sebastian / Getty Images Antibiotics help treat bacterial infections, but they can also disrupt the healthy bacteria in your gut. This imbalance can lead to side effects like diarrhea. However, there are steps you can take to keep your gut healthy, whether or not you are taking antibiotics. Eating more fiber and less fat may help support the gut flora after taking antibiotics.
5 Easy Ways to Prioritize Bone Health After 50
Strength training helps improve bone health and prevent bone loss in older adults. FatCamera / Getty Images As we age, our bones naturally lose strength, density, and mass, which can increase the risk of osteoporosis—a condition that makes bones weak and fragile. While aging itself is unavoidable, many other factors that influence bone health are within your control. That’s why taking steps to protect and strengthen your bones becomes especially important after age 50.
The Best Way to Take CoQ10 for Better Absorption and Results
Take CoQ10 with a meal containing dietary fat to improve absorption. Split higher doses into two smaller doses (e.g., 100 mg twice daily) for better absorption and blood levels. Consider taking CoQ10 in the morning if it causes insomnia or affects your sleep. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a naturally occurring compound in the body, but it is also available as a supplement. When and how you take CoQ10 supplements can affect how well it's absorbed.
What Happens When You Take Collagen and Protein Powder Together
Using collagen and protein powder at the same time is safe, but be cautious about consuming too much protein. bymuratdeniz / Getty Images Taking collagen and protein powder together increases your total protein intake, but adding collagen may not enhance protein powder's benefits. Whey protein is more effective than collagen for muscle recovery and maintenance, while collagen may support skin and joint health.
5 Easy Ways to Strengthen Your Bones Without Calcium Supplements
Maintaining strong and healthy bones doesn't always require supplements. Physical activity helps improve bone strength and prevent bone loss in adults, while eating calcium-rich foods improves levels of this mineral in the body to build and maintain strong bones. Physical activity helps strengthen bones.
7 Health Benefits of Creatine That Have Nothing to Do With Exercise
Creatine is a popular supplement commonly taken to help improve muscle strength and exercise performance. However, in certain cases, creatine supplementation may provide benefits beyond its exercise-enhancing effects.
14 Medications You Shouldn’t Take With Grapefruit
Grapefruit can interfere with how certain medications work. Getty Images / Aleksandr Zubkov Mixing grapefruit, whether as a juice or in a dietary supplement, with some medications can disrupt how the drugs are processed in your body, potentially causing dangerous side effects or loss of effectiveness. Certain statins and grapefruit do not mix well. For instance, consuming grapefruit while taking Lipitor (atorvastatin) can lead to high atorvastatin levels in your bloodstream.
What Happens to Your Gut Health When You Take Probiotics Every Day
Probiotics may offer benefits for your digestive and gut health. Ekaterina Goncharova / Getty Images Probiotics are live microorganisms (small life forms), such as bacteria and yeast. When taken in appropriate amounts, probiotics may offer health benefits, especially for digestive conditions and gut health. Pathogens are microorganisms that can cause disease. Probiotics make it hard for pathogens to survive and bind to the gut by competing for nutrients and binding sites.
What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Plums Regularly
Plums are edible fruits that are closely related to cherries and peaches. They may offer several health benefits—from their rich nutrient content to potential benefits for your heart. When you hear of fruits, you will likely think of lessening constipation problems. Indeed, plums are on the list of fruits that can help relieve constipation. If you are eating plums for this use, do not peel off the edible skin, which contains a lot of fiber. Plums are nutrition-dense fruits.
Praluent vs. Repatha: What's the Difference?
Praluent and Repatha both lower bad cholesterol in certain people but have different approved uses and age limits. These drugs can have side effects like cold-like symptoms and injection site reactions. Praluent (alirocumab) and Repatha (evolocumab) are in the proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor drug class. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved these PCSK9 inhibitors to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in certain people.
Can Vitamin A Help With Vision, Cancer, and Health?
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble, essential nutrient needed for several normal bodily functions, including vision. Try to get vitamin A and carotenoids (which the body converts to vitamin A) from food sources instead of supplements unless your healthcare provider advises differently. Vitamin A can be toxic in doses that exceed the upper limit. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble essential nutrient that supports healthy vision, skin, immunity, growth, and reproduction.
Which Medications Cause Sundowning Symptoms?
Anticholinergic medications like Benadryl can worsen sundowning by affecting sleep and behavior regulation. Benzodiazepines might lead to more behavior problems, including agitation, in older adults. Sundowning refers to a number of behaviors, feelings, and thoughts that people with dementia may experience toward the end of the day, such as in the late afternoon or evening. During sundowning, these individuals may have more anxiety, agitation, confusion, and sleeping problems.
Psychological Interventions Improve Quality of Life for People With MS
Psychological therapies are effective for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), showing benefits across mental health, cognitive function, physical well-being, and quality of life. These findings were recently published in Journal of Neurology. People with MS often experience emotional distress that worsens other MS symptoms. While psychological therapies may help, past research has focused on individual treatments rather than the broader category.
What Happens to Your Body When You Take Magnesium With Your ADHD Medication?
Some research suggests that combining magnesium and ADHD medications may reduce ADHD symptoms. However, antacid forms of magnesium may interact with some ADHD medications. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement. Magnesium carbonate is a "salt" form of magnesium that is available as a supplement and an ingredient in some antacids.
Worse Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults with Epilepsy
Older adults with epilepsy have worse depressive symptoms over time relative to those without epilepsy. These findings were recently published in Epilepsia. Researchers used data from the Cardiovascular Health Study to evaluate the depressive symptom trajectory among older adults with and without epilepsy. Using a linear mixed model, the researchers estimated depression over time by epilepsy status.
Worse Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults with Epilepsy
Older adults with epilepsy have worse depressive symptoms over time relative to those without epilepsy. These findings were recently published in Epilepsia. Researchers used data from the Cardiovascular Health Study to evaluate the depressive symptom trajectory among older adults with and without epilepsy. Using a linear mixed model, the researchers estimated depression over time by epilepsy status.
Insomnia Linked to High Symptom Burden in Women With Breast Cancer in Rural Areas
There is a direct relationship between insomnia severity and symptoms of fatigue, depression, and pain among women with breast cancer from medically underserved areas. These findings were recently published in Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Women with breast cancer commonly experience insomnia, which is linked to symptoms of fatigue, depression, and pain. However, research examining these symptoms among individuals living in medically underserved areas is limited.
Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Affects Brain Structure
Prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos is associated with altered brain structure, function, and metabolism, with a duration into late childhood and adolescence. These findings were recently published in JAMA Neurology. Researchers conducted a prospective, longitudinal pregnancy cohort study to examine the relationship between prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure and brain structure, function, and metabolism among school-aged children.
Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Affects Brain Structure
Prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos is associated with altered brain structure, function, and metabolism, with a duration into late childhood and adolescence. These findings were recently published in JAMA Neurology. Researchers conducted a prospective, longitudinal pregnancy cohort study to examine the relationship between prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure and brain structure, function, and metabolism among school-aged children.
Worse Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults with Epilepsy
Older adults with epilepsy have worse depressive symptoms over time relative to those without epilepsy. These findings were recently published in Epilepsia. Researchers used data from the Cardiovascular Health Study to evaluate the depressive symptom trajectory among older adults with and without epilepsy. Using a linear mixed model, the researchers estimated depression over time by epilepsy status.
7 Medications That May Help Slow or Manage Dementia and Alzheimer’s Symptoms
Dementia is a loss of brain function that affects memory, thinking, judgment, behavior, and language with Alzheimer's disease being the most common type of dementia. The best medication for dementia depends on several factors, such as side effect tolerability, history with specific medications, behavioral symptoms, and disease severity. Jump to Key Takeaways. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitor drug class consists of several medications.
What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Plums Regularly
Plums are edible fruits that are close relatives of cherries and peaches, and they are often eaten for dessert as they can be used to make pastries or jam. Plums may offer a number of health benefits. Jump to Key Takeaways. When you hear of fruits, you will likely think of lessening constipation problems. Indeed, plums are on the list of fruits that can help relieve constipation. If you are eating plums for this use, do not peel off the edible skin, which contains a lot of fiber.
What Happens to Your Body When You Take Turmeric and Fish Oil Together
Turmeric is a spice from the ginger family that contains a high amount of curcumin, while fish oil is a supplement packed with the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both are often taken for their combined health benefits. Jump to Key Takeaways. Fish oil and curcumin (the main component of turmeric) may help improve certain factors that affect heart health.
10 Foods That Boost Serotonin and Improve Your Mood
Serotonin is a naturally occurring chemical in your brain that controls mood. There are foods that contain tryptophan, which changes into 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) before turning into serotonin in the body. Jump to Key Takeaways. When you hear of foods with tryptophan, you will likely think of turkey. Indeed, three ounces (oz) of turkey breast has 244 milligrams (mg) of tryptophan. Chicken also contains tryptophan. Three ounces of chicken breast has 343 mg, which is actually more than turkey breast.
Can a Honey Pack Really Improve Your Sexual Performance
Honey packs come in various brands, such as Royal Honey and X Rated Honey For Men, with promoted claims for sexual performance. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, has received multiple public notifications about honey packs' safety concerns. Jump to Key Takeaways. Honey packs may go by several brand names: Kingdom Honey Royal Honey VIP X Rated Honey For Men Royal Honey Royal Honey VIP The honey packs are accessible from various websites, including Amazon.
Sleep Quality Poststroke Tied to Stroke Type, Brain Location, and Country Income
Stroke survivors commonly experience poor sleep quality, which in turn is related to stroke type, stroke location in the brain, and countries income. These are the findings of a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews. Poor sleep quality is common among stroke survivors, but previous prevalence studies demonstrated mixed results. Further, a meta-analysis on poor sleep quality prevalence among stroke survivors does not exist as of the date of this research paper.
What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Bitter Melon Regularly
Bitter melon is a bumpy green fruit in the squash family that is used traditionally to help manage blood sugar and blood pressure. It’s often cooked like a vegetable or taken as a supplement, thanks to natural compounds that may support its health benefits. Jump to Key Takeaways. Some research indicates that daily doses of around 2,000 milligrams (mg) could significantly reduce blood sugar levels.
Retirement Increases Social and Biological Sleep Clock Alignment Across Lifespan
Social jetlag (SJL) decreases across the lifespan, with a pronounced reduction post-retirement even after accounting for behavioral factors. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Sleep Research. SJL is the misalignment between the internal biological and external conventional clocks, which may result in deleterious health effects. However, this relationship is limited to low quality evidence, such as self-reported methods and cross-sectional studies.
What Happens to You Body When Your Eat Chia Seeds Regularly
Chia seeds may be tiny, but they provide fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, minerals, and antioxidants, which may help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and more. The black and white seeds can be added to any food; you don't need to grind them to get the best results. And with just one tablespoon, you're getting around 20% of your daily fiber. Jump to Key Takeaways.
5 Serious Side Effects of Matcha
While matcha is celebrated for its health benefits and energizing properties, it's not without potential risks. Consuming it in excess can lead to serious side effects ranging from liver toxicity to high blood pressure. A severe allergic reaction is a serious side effect possible with any medication. If you're having a severe allergic reaction to matcha, symptoms may include breathing difficulties, itchiness, and rash.
Sleep Stability and Memory Function in Children Are Linked, CPC Analysis Shows
Cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) analysis of sleep stability might be a useful risk biomarker for memory function among children, according to study findings published in Sleep Medicine. While it is well known that sleep impacts neurocognitive development among children, it is unclear how decreased sleep stability is related to memory impairment. Researchers therefore used CPC to assess the relationship between sleep stability and memory among children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).
Retirement Increases Social and Biological Sleep Clock Alignment Across Lifespan
Social jetlag (SJL) decreases across the lifespan, with a pronounced reduction post-retirement even after accounting for behavioral factors. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Sleep Research. SJL is the misalignment between the internal biological and external conventional clocks, which may result in deleterious health effects. However, this relationship is limited to low quality evidence, such as self-reported methods and cross-sectional studies.
Adherence, Insomnia Severity, and Sleep Beliefs Predict Treatment Response to CBT-I or ACT-I
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) relative to acceptance and commitment therapy for insomnia (ACT-I) is associated with a higher chance of post-treatment response, but not at 6-month follow-up. Other predictors of response to CBT-I or ACT-I include adherence, insomnia severity, and sleep beliefs. These study findings were published in the Journal of Sleep Research. Insomnia affects a significant number of people worldwide.
Collagen vs. Collagen Peptides: Which Is Better for Skin Health?
Collagen supplements are often marketed for youthful-looking skin and pain-free joints. Collagen a type of protein that serves as a key component of the body's connective tissues, such as the skin, cartilage, and bones—hence its popularity as a skin and joint health supplement. Praised for its benefits to healthy aging, collagen comes in different types and forms, including collagen peptides, with varying results.
Sleep Quality Poststroke Tied to Stroke Type, Brain Location, and Country Income
Stroke survivors commonly experience poor sleep quality, which in turn is related to stroke type, stroke location in the brain, and countries income. These are the findings of a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews. Poor sleep quality is common among stroke survivors, but previous prevalence studies demonstrated mixed results. Further, a meta-analysis on poor sleep quality prevalence among stroke survivors does not exist as of the date of this research paper.
6 Benefits of MSM Supplements, According to Research
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a naturally occurring chemical in the body. MSM also exists in plants and other animals. On a cellular level, it is thought that MSM might have some effects on inflammation and free radicals (unstable molecules that can damage DNA). MSM is also available as an over-the-counter (OTC) dietary supplement. People typically take MSM supplements for osteoarthritis (OA) and other purported health benefits. OA is the most common type of arthritis.
Can You Take Magnesium Carbonate With ADHD Medication?
Magnesium carbonate is a "salt" form of magnesium available as a supplement and an ingredient in some antacids, such as magnesium carbonate/aluminum hydroxide. Since some studies have suggested a link between low magnesium levels and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), those with ADHD may consider taking magnesium.
Sleep Quality Poststroke Tied to Stroke Type, Brain Location, and Country Income
Stroke survivors commonly experience poor sleep quality, which in turn is related to stroke type, stroke location in the brain, and countries income. These are the findings of a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews. Poor sleep quality is common among stroke survivors, but previous prevalence studies demonstrated mixed results. Further, a meta-analysis on poor sleep quality prevalence among stroke survivors does not exist as of the date of this research paper.
Sleep Stages and Comorbidities Affect Oxygen Re-Saturation Characteristics
Oxygen re-saturation during sleep is significantly affected by sleep stage and by cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities, according to study results published in the Journal of Sleep Research. Investigators explored the impact of sleep stages and cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities on oxygen desaturation and re-saturation parameters, using sleep study data from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS).
Retirement Increases Social and Biological Sleep Clock Alignment Across Lifespan
Social jetlag (SJL) decreases across the lifespan, with a pronounced reduction post-retirement even after accounting for behavioral factors. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Sleep Research. SJL is the misalignment between the internal biological and external conventional clocks, which may result in deleterious health effects. However, this relationship is limited to low quality evidence, such as self-reported methods and cross-sectional studies.
How Does Melatonin Work for Sleep?
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by a gland in the brain. It regulates your circadian rhythm (the body's natural 24-hour internal clock) and helps with sleep. This hormone may also have other important roles that are not fully understood. Many people take melatonin as an over-the-counter (OTC) supplement, although it is also found in natural sources. People use melatonin supplements for various reasons—the most common being sleep.
Sleep Stability and Memory Function in Children Are Linked, CPC Analysis Shows
Cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) analysis of sleep stability might be a useful risk biomarker for memory function among children, according to study findings published in Sleep Medicine. While it is well known that sleep impacts neurocognitive development among children, it is unclear how decreased sleep stability is related to memory impairment. Researchers therefore used CPC to assess the relationship between sleep stability and memory among children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).
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