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A healthy body and a sound mind

4 OTC Meds and Drinks You Should Not Mix

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Numerous medicines abound on the market today. They come in all shapes and sizes and are available in various brands. With this scenario, it can be hard to know which ones are safe to take.

Many people often rely on over the counter (OTC) drugs to cure common illnesses. Those who have certain conditions, however, may need to take more than just one medicine at specific times of the day.

Medicine and Alcohol - Lethal Combination

But did you know that it’s not always a good thing to mix OTC drugs and take them with liquids other than water? Here are some of them you should avoid.

Antihistamine and Grapefruit Juice

A research done at the University of Western Ontario in Canada has shown that citrus fruits and grapefruit products may have an effect on medications inside your body due to the chemicals they contain. Specifically, the flavonoid compound in grapefruit juice called naringin can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb drugs. [Read more…]

Calcium Supplements

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I distinctly remember my mom telling me to drink my daily rations of milk – one glass in the morning and another at night. I also remember loving it and my sister quite the opposite – she would surreptitiously pour her milk into the sink or water the plants with it! I guess I should thank my mother for making us drink a lot of milk during those formative years. Why? Because of its calcium content.

Today, calcium deficiency is one of the main concerns for women in their 30s or even early 20s. The great fear is that when we reach our 50s or 60s, osteoporosis would set in. That is why you can see a plethora of advertisements regarding calcium and different products supposedly containing adequate amounts of this mineral.

Because calcium is not that easy to acquire from the natural food that we eat everyday, the best course for the busy woman these days would be to take calcium supplements. There are a lot of different forms of calcium supplements – calcium caltrate, calcium carbonate, oyster shell or bone meal based calcium supplements, coral calcium, calcium lactate.

You have to be careful when choosing which kind of supplement you take. This is because calcium is not easily absorbed by our body. So the fact that you are taking supplements doesn’t mean that the body is actually benefiting from it. Different supplements may have different instructions on dosage and the manner of intake. You can ask our doctor to help you determine which supplement is the best for your needs.