Vitamin C and COVID-19: Hope or Hype?
Since the days of Linus Pauling, much has been written, some factual some exaggerations of benefits, about the role of vitamin C in managing or preventing infections. So too, with COVID-19, interest has focused on the use of this supplement to mitigate the devastating effects of the coronavirus. It has been hypothesized that vitamin C may have anti-inflammatory or antioxidant effects in this infectious disease. Read more.

Vitamin D Status and Breast Cancer in African-American Women
There is mounting evidence that vitamin D levels may play a key role in the development of breast cancer among Black women. Black women are more often vitamin D deficient than their White counterparts, and this has been attributed to their darker skin pigmentation, lactose intolerance, lack of supplementation, and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism. A recent case-control study lends further support to these findings. Read more.

Importance of Treating Insomnia
With all of the concerns related to use of sedatives for patients who complain of insomnia, a new study identifies a meaningful advantage: potentially reducing suicidal ideation. The study, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, examined whether targeted treatment of insomnia with controlled-release zolpidem (zolpidem-CR) in depressed adults would relieve some of their suicidal thoughts, compared with placebo. Read more.