Something’s fishy

Your doctor has suggested that you take fish oil supplements, as they contain heart–healthy omega–3 fatty acids. If you’re pregnant, they could help your baby’s eye and brain development. But the pills cause fishy–tasting burps. Bypass the bad taste with these tips, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic:

• Swallow the capsule frozen. It slows fish–oil breakdown in your stomach and won’t hurt the effectiveness of the supplement.
• Take the pill right before you eat. Food keeps fish oil in the stomach and can take the edge off the fishy taste.
•Purchase an odorless supplement. This is a specially coated capsule that dissolves in the intestines instead of the stomach.
•Try a different brand. Some may taste less fishy than others. If you don’t mind forking over the extra cash, pure omega–3 fatty acid products don’t taste fishy. Before you take any supplement, check with your doctor first about the right dosage, as when taken in high doses, omega–3 fatty acids could have harmful effects, such as an increased bleeding risk.

Vitamins don’t cut heart disease and cancer risks in older women

Hoping to ward off heart disease and cancer with that multivitamin? You may want map out a different battle plan. According to new research from the Women’s Health Initiative, taking a multivitamin won’t hurt you, but it won’t benefit you either. Researchers followed 161,808 postmenopausal women—41.5 percent of them took a multivitamin—and found no link between taking vitamins and a reduced risk of heart disease and breast, colorectal, endometrial, lung and ovarian cancers. Researchers chalk this up to the fact that the vitamins you get from a pill aren’t exactly the same as those you get from fruits and vegetables, which do lower your risk, so eating a well–balanced diet is your best prevention option. However, the findings come with a couple of caveats: The women probably ate a pretty healthy diet to begin with (most vitamin–takers do), so it’s still unknown how a multivitamin would affect women with poor eating habits. And, chronic diseases aside, the vitamins may still be of benefit to those who don’t get all the necessary nutrients in their diet.

Air pollution: Exercise with caution

Spring is a great time to take your workout into the great outdoors. But if you live in an area with polluted air—as millions of Americans do—that after–dinner walk could do more harm than good. We breathe more deeply when we exercise and we mostly use the mouth, bypassing the natural filtering function of the nasal passages and making us more vulnerable to the damage air pollutants can cause, according to the American Lung Association (ALA). Breathing lead and other fine particles and gasses such as ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide can increase the odds of having health problems like heart or lung disease, especially for older adults and children. But it’s not all doom and gloom. The ALA recommends these simple guidelines:
• Work out early or in the evening. Avoid midday or afternoon activities, when pollution levels tend to be highest.
• Avoid congested streets. Pollution levels can be high as much as 50 feet from the roadway.
• Skip outdoor workouts if local health officials issue a high–ozone alert or other health warnings. 

Stroke signs: Still a mystery to many

Quick: List the warning signs of stroke and what you should do if you think someone is having one. Give up? Many people—especially those most likely to suffer a stroke—can’t name the warning signs, according to researchers at the International Stroke Conference in San Diego. In 2007, they polled more than 86,000 people by phone and found that fewer than two in five knew all of the stroke warning signs: sudden weakness in the face, arm or leg; sudden severe headache with no known cause; sudden vision problems in one or both eyes; sudden confusion or difficulty speaking; and sudden dizziness, loss of balance, loss of coordination or problems walking. Many of those polled also didn’t know to call 911 immediately. Older adults, prior stroke sufferers, minorities, people with lower incomes and people with less education fared poorly in the poll. Researchers stress the importance of knowing the warning signs, as the quicker you’re treated for stroke, the better your odds of surviving and limiting any stroke–related disabilities.