A major article again looked at the (lack of) evidence for multivitamins, and concluded that they are not very beneficial for the average person; I still recommend multivitamins for little kids and women during pregnancy, or for those who have a terrible diet, but in general no; not only is the evidence not there for benefit, but they can do harm over the long term. I have been saying this for 8 years now; there are studies indicating that multis(and antioxidants A,C, and E) “feed” cancer cells(cancer cells need vitamins more than regular cells, as they are growing at a fast pace). Multis also have other problems; plus, I am not aware of studies indicating long-term benefits. So, skip the multis(and A,C, and E); also, fish oil capsules have been linked to increased grades of prostate cancer in men, so we want people to get Omega 3’s naturally: fish, nuts, Almond Milk(which is very low in calories, and fortified with extra calcium) etc..
Also this week the first magnetic stimulator for migraine was approved(from the company Cerena). In the studies on magnetic stimulation, this treatment has worked about as well as the triptans(Imitrex,Relpax,Maxalt,Zomig, etc.). It is approved for migraine with aura. There are several other companies working on this as well. When a migraineur has a migraine, they will put the small device on their head(the back) and a strong magnetic pulse will wash over the brain, stopping the migraine(in some people, certainly not everyone). Short-term this appears to be pretty safe(contraindicated if you have epilepsy), but long-term studies have not been done. So, we will limit use(will not use it daily, for instance). Cost and insurance are not known yet. However, they have done years of study with these devices, and I do believe that they work for some people, with none of the drug side effects. Larry Robbins,M.D.

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