4 Supplements to Question After Age 50

Calcium, iron, and more may not be so good for you. What you should know.

Consumer Reports / December 16, 2016 / Lauren Cooper

Vitamins and minerals are marketed to keep you healthy. But some may carry more risks than benefits, especially as we age.

“Supplements are most useful when they’re used to replace dietary deficiencies,” says Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports’ chief medical adviser. “Therefore, most of us don’t need them. Such needless use can be harmful, especially if you also take prescription medications.”

In addition, the evidence supporting supplements is often flimsy or mixed, and because of lax regulation, you can’t always be sure what they contain. The following four supplements may be especially harmful to your health if you’re over 50.

Folic Acid Supplements

Research has suggested, but not proved, that folic acid (vitamin B9) may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and heart disease.

Still, a recent study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition links excess folate (including folic acid) to burning, tingling, or numbness in the extremities of people with a common gene variant.

“The odds were sevenfold higher for those who consumed more than 800 mcg daily,” says co-author Ligi Paul, Ph.D., of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

In addition, taking as little as 300 mcg daily may mask a B12 deficiency, which is relatively common in older adults, says Orly Avitzur, M.D., Consumer Reports’ medical director. “Undiagnosed, that can lead to nerve damage, cognitive trouble, and even psychiatric problems,” she says.

Folic acid can also reduce the effectiveness of the seizure drug fosphenytoin (Cerebyx and generic) and the cancer drug methotrexate (Rheumatrex and generic).

Who might need it? Women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, to prevent birth defects.

Calcium Supplements
You might take calcium supplements to strengthen your bones, which can weaken with age. But regular use may increase the risk of kidney stones and possibly heart disease.

A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association in October found that people who took calcium supplements over a 10-year period were more likely to accumulate the artery plaque that can lead to heart attacks.

Supplemental calcium can also negatively interact with some heart and thyroid medications.

Who might need it? People who eat little or no calcium-rich food, such as dairy products and leafy vegetables.

Iron Supplements
Anemia­, or low blood levels of iron­­, is more common with age. But taking too much iron can mask symptoms of anemia, which can be caused by internal bleeding, and lead to a missed diagnosis.

Iron supplements can also inhibit the absorption of certain antibiotics and blood pressure-lowering drugs such as captopril (Capoten and generic).

And if you have hemochromatosis, a common genetic condition, iron pills can lead to an overload of the nutrient in vital organs, potentially causing diabetes symptoms, heart problems, and liver damage.

Who might need it? People with diagnosed iron-deficiency anemia.

Vitamin E Supplements
These supplements are said by some to help prevent cancer, dementia, and heart disease, but there’s little proof—and plenty of reason to avoid them.

Research has linked regular use to a 13 percent higher risk of heart failure in certain populations. A study published in JAMA in 2011 also found that taking 400 IU daily may boost the likelihood of prostate cancer by 17 percent. Vitamin E supplements may also make some chemotherapy drugs
less effective.

Who might need it? Our experts don’t recommend it for anyone.

3 Supplements to Consider
Vitamin D—It might make sense if you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, get little sunlight, or rarely consume D-rich foods such as fatty fish, eggs, and fortified milk.

AREDS2 (a blend of vitamins C and E, copper, lutein, zeaxanthin, and zinc)—It might make sense if you have age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss.

Vitamin B12—It might make sense if you’re a strict vegan, or if you regularly take certain kinds of heartburn drugs or metformin, a diabetes medication.

FDA Finally Says 'No' to Antibacterial Soaps

Consumer Reports / Lauren Cooper / September 02, 2016

Here's why—and the products to watch out for

The Food and Drug Administration is banning the sale of antibacterial soaps and body washes after manufacturers failed to prove that the products’ active ingredients are safe and effective.

“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long term.”

The ban applies to products containing 19 antibacterial ingredients, including the two most common ones: triclosan, which is found in liquid soaps, and triclocarban, found in bar soaps. Manufacturers have until Sept. 6, 2017 to either reformulate products with any of those 19 ingredients or remove them from the market.  

The ban does not apply to other products containing those ingredients, including toothpastes and cleaning products. And it doesn't apply to antiseptic hand cleaners such as Germ-X and Purell, which typically contain alcohol and related compounds and don't pose the same risks.

The Dangers

Consumer Reports has long argued that antibacterial chemicals in household products likely do more harm than good.

“These chemicals could be contributing to the global crisis of antibiotic resistance," said Michael Hansen, Ph.D, senior staff scientist at Consumer Reports.

Triclosan, for example, kills bacteria in much the same way as an antibiotic, and research suggests that the widespread use of it might be contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

“Some bacteria are close to evolving resistance to all antibiotics as a result of the overuse of antibiotics—a dangerous situation that could lead to deaths from once easily treated infections,” Hansen said. "These products and these ingredients may just make the problem worse."

Antibacterial compounds in consumer cleaning products might pose other health risks, too.

“There is evidence that exposure to triclosan interferes with the production and activity of hormones in the body, which could contribute to infertility, early puberty, obesity, and other problems,” said Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports chief medical advisor.

“And with little evidence that they are more effective than soap and water, they are not worth the risk,” Lipman said. “When it comes to fighting disease, hand washing is key, but using regular soap and water does the job," he said.

When soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer such as Germ-X and Purell is OK. (Click on www.consumerreports.org/health/fda-says-no-antibacterial-soap to watch the video on the most effective hand washing technique.) 

Products to Avoid

Manufacturers have a full year to reformulate or remove their antibacterial soaps, and they can continue to sell antibacterial toothpastes and cleaners. But Consumer Reports health and safety experts say you should avoid them, starting now.

We found triclosan listed as an ingredient in Noxzema Ultimate Clear Bacteria Fighting Cleanser, Dial Complete Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash, and CVS Antibacterial Gentle Cleansing bar, as well as in Colgate Total toothpaste. And we found triclocarban listed on Dial For Men Power Scrub soap bar, Rite Aid Renewal Antibacterial Gold deodorant soap, and others.

Those and other banned antibacterial ingredients are also included in many household cleaners. So avoid products that have an "antibacterial" claim on their label, or that contain any of these newly banned chemicals:

• Cloflucarban
• Fluorosalan
• Hexachlorophene
• Hexylresorcinol
• Iodine complex (ammonium ether sulfate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate)
• Iodine complex (phosphate ester of alkylaryloxy polyethylene glycol)
• Nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy) ethanoliodine
• Poloxamer-iodine complex
• Povidone-iodine 5 to 10 percent
• Undecoylium chloride iodine complex
• Methylbenzethonium chloride
• Phenol (greater than 1.5 percent)
• Phenol (less than 1.5 percent)
• Secondary amyltricresols
• Sodium oxychlorosene
• Tribromsalan
• Triclocarban
• Triclosan
• Triple dye

New Packaging Law Aims to Protect Kids From E-Cig Liquid Nicotine Exposure

Poison-control centers last year received more than 3,000 

reports of exposure  to these dangerous liquids

Consumer Reports / Lauren Cooper/ January 28, 2016

President Obama today signed into law a bill that requires child-resistant packaging for liquid nicotine containers used for e-cigarettes and other vaping devices.

Liquid nicotine, used in battery-operated vaping devices such as e-cigarettes and vape pens, is extremely dangerous. One teaspoon is potentially lethal to a child, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Poison-control centers last year received 3,067 exposure reports across all age groups. In 2014, poison-control centers responded to 3,783 e-cigarette and liquid nicotine exposure cases. More than half of those involved children under age 6 who might have ingested or inhaled liquid nicotine or gotten it on their skin or in their eyes. In December 2014, a 1-year-old boy from Fort Plain, N.Y., died after ingesting liquid nicotine.

Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, supported the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act since its introduction in January 2015 by Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida), Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), and 20 other senators.

E-cigs and related devices have been on the market for only about a decade, and experts are still evaluating many aspects of their safety. But “the danger that liquid nicotine poses to young children is undeniable,” says William Wallace, a policy analyst for Consumers Union, which partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Consumer Federation of America, and Kids In Danger to help educate lawmakers about the threat of young children being poisoned by liquid nicotine.

“Coming in a variety of bright colors and in flavors like cotton candy and gummy bear, liquid nicotine refills used in e-cigarettes have found their way into the hands of children across the country, causing serious and even deadly health consequences.” says Kyran Quinlan, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention.

Under the new law, liquid nicotine can only be sold in child-resistant bottles and containers packaged in accordance with the Consumer Product Safety Commission's standards. That means that they must meet the same standards as other potentially poisonous household substances as set forth in the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970. Among other stipulations, the law requires that the packaging must be difficult for children under 5 years old to open. Manufacturers have six months to comply.

The American Vaping Association agrees that requiring child-resistant packaging makes sense.

“Parents are recognizing that these products should be kept away from children,” says Gregory Conley, president of the organization. “Requiring child-resistant caps on e-liquid products is a reasonable regulation and is already the law in fifteen states,” he says, adding that, “The Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act [brings] uniformity across all 50 states on this issue."

Next up: preserving the FDA’s ability to regulate e-cigarettes, which is under threat by some members of Congress.

“The new law helps address a known safety risk to children, but e-cigarettes have not been around long enough for us to know the long term effects of using them. It’s critical that the FDA retains the ability to address additional health risks that may emerge with these untested products,” Wallace says.

6 Safety Tips for Serving Shrimp Cocktail

Consumer Reports
Lauren Cooper
December 30, 2015

Bacteria on shrimp can give you food poisoning. Here’s how to avoid it

As far as finger food goes, shrimp cocktail is nutritionally one of the healthier options out there. Consider: One large shrimp provides just 7 calories and virtually no fat, yet packs more than a gram of protein; by comparison, one cocktail-size pig-in-a-blanket has 67 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 1.5g protein. But serve up that shrimp platter without taking the proper safety precautions and you might end up sending your guests home with an unwanted party favor: food poisoning. Why? Because shrimp may harbor bacteria that could make you sick.

Last year Consumer Reports purchased and tested nearly 500 pounds of frozen shrimp (some raw, some cooked) from an array of stores in 27 cities across the country. What we found concerned us: 60 percent of the raw samples and 16 percent of the cooked samples harbored bacteria, including vibrio and E. coli—bacteria that can cause food poisoning, which can include diarrhea and dehydration. (Read the full coverage of our testing here, including which shrimp to buy.)

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should cross that shrimp platter off your party menu. Handling and cooking shrimp properly can go a long way towards preventing bacteria that might be on your shrimp from multiplying. And if you're cooking it yourself, almost all the bacteria we found will be destroyed during the cooking process.

Here are six tips to help you serve the safest (and healthiest) shrimp platter possible.

1. Choose Wild Shrimp Caught in the U.S.

In our tests of raw shrimp, the samples of U.S. wild shrimp were least likely to contain bacteria: 20 percent contained bacteria as compared with 69 to 83 percent of the farmed shrimp from Indonesia, India, and Bangladesh.

2. Buy Shrimp Last

Bacteria multiply at temperatures above 40° F, so don’t let shrimp warm up before cooking or serving. Make shrimp one of the last items you place in your grocery cart, and if you’re buying shrimp at the seafood counter, ask for a bag of ice to keep them chilled for the ride home.

3. Wash Up

If you’re deveining and cooking raw shrimp, immediately wash your hands, and any kitchen utensils that have come in contact with them, with soap and water. That reduces the risk of spreading bacteria from the shrimp to any other food you’re serving. Running any kitchen implements, including plastic cutting boards, through the hottest cycle in your dishwasher is an effective way to eliminate bacteria. Consult our guide for more tips on how to safely devein and prepare shrimp.

4. Keep Shrimp Refrigerated

Once you’ve arranged your shrimp platter, place it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. To store shrimp and all other foods safely, your fridge should maintain a temperature between 35° F and 38° F.

5. Put Shrimp on Ice

Never leave perishable foods out of the fridge for more than two hours (1 hour when temperatures are above 90° F). That's because bacteria that can cause illness grow quickly at warm temperatures. To help keep it cold, serve shrimp on chilled stainless steel platters or in stainless steel bowls placed over a slightly larger platter or bowl lined with ice. That way the platter transmits the cold and your shrimp stay chilled.

6. Serve Shrimp the Healthy Way

This isn’t exactly a safety tip, but why ruin shrimp’s healthfulness by serving it up with sugary sauces? A quarter cup of McCormick Original Cocktail Sauce for Seafood, for example, packs 16g of sugar—that’s four teaspoons of the white stuff. Instead, Consumer Reports in-house chef Claudia Gallo has masterminded this delicious, no-sugar recipe that will look festive on any holiday spread.

Shrimp Cocktail With Herbed Green Sauce

• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, cooked and chilled
• 1 cup parsley leaves
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper

In a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, walnuts, chives, garlic, and jalapeno. Pulse to a rough paste. Add the lime juice; process until the sauce comes together. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil; process until combined. Stir in the salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information: 4 oz of shrimp plus 1-1/2 tbs sauce contains 230 calories, 12g fat, 230mg cholesterol, 400mg sodium, 1g dietary fiber, 0g sugar, and 29g protein.