Four Ways You’re Wasting Money on Your Health

A new study just found vitamin D pills don’t actually help your heart.  Other studies had shown a link between heart disease and vitamin D deficiencies.  But the new study found taking pills doesn’t really make a difference.

Things that WILL help your heart include exercise, a healthy diet, and quitting smoking.  Here are four more health-related things you might be wasting money on . . .

1.  Fish oil pills.  The fatty acids in fish, nuts and seeds are good for you.  So try to eat more of those.  But there’s still no proof that fish oil pills do the same thing.  And a new study last week found they don’t help with dementia either.

2.  Anti-aging creams.  Consumer Reports tested nine of them, and the results were, quote, “underwhelming.”  They only worked for some people, and the changes were subtle.  So you’re better off spending that money on sunblock to PREVENT wrinkles.

3.  Brown eggs.  They sometimes cost more, even though there’s no difference in nutritional value.  In general, brown eggs come from hens with brown feathers.  And those breeds are bigger, so they cost more to raise.  The one exception is cage-free and organic eggs, which are better for you and more likely to be brown.

4.  Gluten-free foods.  The jury’s still out on the benefits if you don’t have Celiac disease.  So you might not want to spend the money, unless your doctor says it’s a good idea.

(Thrillist / NY Times / Consumer Reports)