OVER the course of a year, Alex Feintuch, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of South Carolina, spent more than $1,000 on fitness supplements.
Mr. Feintuch wanted to add size and definition to his muscles, and to “see results as quickly as possible.” He did research and tried dozens of products, with mixed results.
“Of the products that I have bought, I’ve found many that work well,” he said. “But some don’t and were a waste of money.”
The fitness supplements industry is primarily aimed at young men like Mr. Feintuch. Bodybuilding-related products — …

The New York Times,  LESLEY ALDERMAN, December 4, 2009
WHEN I stock up on ibuprofen (my painkiller of choice), I typically buy a 500-count bottle of a store brand like Kirkland or Rite Aid. After all, ibuprofen is ibuprofen. Each pill costs me about 3 cents — or only one-third the cost of 9-cent Advil.
Yet, when it comes to vitamins — which I take only when I feel run down — I turn to name brands like Centrum or Nature Made. My thinking has been: Why mess around with quality when …

When Dan Gerkey was trying to get into better shape a few years ago, he tried out a dietary supplement from a local store that promised to help build his strength. At first, the stuff worked. But after several weeks the police officer, who lives in Fraser, Mich., started feeling exhausted, and his wife noticed a yellowish tinge in his eyes.
Soon, Mr. Gerkey’s skin also yellowed, and it itched so fiercely that taking a shower or pulling on his socks became agonizing. Eventually, a liver specialist at Henry Ford Health …

Jane E. Brody, November 23 2009, The New York Times
In their exhaustive review of the scientific literature, Dr. Lanou and Mr. Castleman found that “two-thirds of clinical trials show that milk, dairy foods and calcium supplements do not prevent fractures.” They conclude that the high fracture rate in countries that consume the most milk and dairy products results from the fact that “these affluent Western countries also consume the most meat, poultry and fish.”
The science of osteoporosis and its resultant fractures has long been plagued by some vexing observations. Why, for example, …

The Telegraph, Kate Devlin, 18 Aug 2009
The Food Standards Agency has recommended that the acid, which pregnant women are advised to take to protect their child from developing spina bifida, be added to flour.
But researchers found that many people were already getting folic acid through their daily diet.

Studies have suggested that the micronutrient could raise the risk of developing prostate or bowel cancer.
A high intake of folic acid can also mask vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to anaemia and even tremors, in the elderly.
The acid cannot be stored in …

Its the growing number of customers such as Bill Chung, who is on a diet after packing on 30 kilograms, that food companies hope to attract as they expand health food lines in Asia.
Affluence and sedentary lifestyles have brought health problems such as obesity and diabetes to Asia, prompting locals such as Chung to fill up their shopping carts with products such as oats, yoghurt and vitamins.
“I went to a bookstore and read about it,” said Chung, 33, a self-employed Taipei resident who lost six kilograms 13 pounds over the …