BY MICHAEL ROIZEN, M.D., AND MEHMET OZ, M.D.Jack had his magic beans; the "Magic School Bus" took Mrs. Frizzle's class on a tour of the human body. But beware of so-called "magic" pills that contain dimethylamylamine, or DMAA.
They claim to increase fat-burning and muscle-building, and to enhance your performance. But according to an alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, what they really do is raise blood pressure and trigger shortness of breath and even heart attack. DMAA is particularly dangerous when used with caffeine. At least five deaths have been reported.
The FDA is getting the product off shelves (it also appears on labels as MHA, DMP and geranium sources, like its oil, extracts, stems or leaves), but you may still have some at home or spot it online. Take a pass. Instead, try this one-two combo to make your RealAge younger, burn fat and build muscle -- right from your fridge.
Luckily, current technology easily can extract a cloudy or opaque lens from an affected eye (that's what a cataract is) and insert a new lens that provides clearer sight. (About 20 percent of the time, what's mistakenly called a secondary cataract makes things seem cloudy again. But that's from changes in the tissue that holds the lens, not the new lens itself. Clear vision can be restored with a quick trip back to the doc's office.)
By age 80, 50 percent of folks have cataracts. Age-related reduction in water and nutrients supplied to the lens may trigger the condition, and so can diabetes, smoking and overexposure to the sun's UV rays (always wear sunglasses outside if it's not nighttime). But smart food choices will reduce your risk.
We recommend: three 4-ounce servings a week of eye-loving omega-3 DHA from salmon and ocean trout, or 900 milligrams a day of DHA algal oil supplements. Also lookin' good: lutein/zeaxanthin in tomatoes, kale, spinach, collard greens, romaine, broccoli, zucchini and peas; vitamin C in fruits; vitamin E in almonds, hazelnuts and peanut butter; and zinc in poultry, seafood, beans and nuts.