I think that everyone should stop getting worried about health risks(unless you already have a health problem and need to avoid some things.)I have a small spoonful of honey in my morning tea, simply because I like it, I don't take any sugar in other tea, and have a half teaspoon of brown sugar in my coffee, again because I like it.I am not obese ( or anything like it!) if I was, then cutting sugar as well as other calories may be a consideration.I don't take any tablets or supplements at all, but eat a balanced diet.By balanced, I don't mean any fad diets, I don't do those either, just smaller portions, and fruit and veg every day.The health industry does very nicely out of people's fears that they need all kind of vitamin supplements.[/QUOTE]
It wouldn't surprise me to learn that people taking combinations of one or more supplements along with prescribed (and necessary) meds cause all kinds of side effects that never occur to them (i.e., tinnitus).
What's the healthy choice? A better question might be "what's the least harmful?"
For people who aren't sugar junkies, diabetic or have some other medical reason for avoiding sugar, that teaspoon of sugar in coffee or tea is probably not going to do any damage.
Whatsisname, The Father of My Children, was in the medical field for many years. Not long ago, he told me about a patient who was very ill and presented various symptoms but her medical team was at a loss to diagnose the problem. One day at the daily meeting when each patient's care was discussed, he was astounded to hear that she was being treated with nine different meds. The first one to combat the initial symptoms and each one thereafter to combat new ones.
He commented that eliminating meds one at a time starting with the most recently prescribed first, might make it simpler to zero in on the problem. It took a while, but eventually all her symptoms were gone. Gone. The best they could determine, the first med caused side effects that were treated with an additional med and it snowballed from there. When all the meds had been discontinued, all the symptoms were gone. Apparently, whatever it was that was the problem to begin with had been misdiagnosed and treated incorrectly, causing another problem, then another and another and another. By the time she was discharged, she was well and taking no meds. She had been hospitalized for many months.
If you're taking more than three different meds with no definite and particular explanation for each and that should not (but might) adversely interact with each other, it's time to question your doctor.
And it might help a great deal to chuck the OTC meds and supplements from your medicine cabinet unless they've been specifically recommended to you by your doctor. When you're considering OTC meds, ask your pharmacist if they're anything that can't be taken with meds you've been prescribed.
