Ask Doc A subscriber wrote in yesterday morning with a couple of great points...
New subscriber from January 2016 and loving the option concept. Thank you for your tutelage.
If I may, two blueberry statements: Just wanted to mention that in the early 80's a dear friend looked at me once and said, "If I could tell you just one thing I would say, 'Eat as many blueberries as you can.'" She told me about the anthocyanins, anti-oxidant activity, and the blueberry's place on the ORAC scale. Was good advice then and from you now. – D.P.
Love it... Thanks for writing in, D.P.
I call blueberries the "perfect blue food." I've said since medical school that many of the worst diseases – like dementia, heart disease, and diabetes – stem from infection and inflammation. Blueberries help fight inflammation and keep you healthy.
And thanks for your kind words about Retirement Trader.
The strategy we use – selling options – is a great tool for generating income in retirement. It's a subject that a lot of folks think is too complicated, or too "Wall Street" for them... So I love hearing when brand-new subscribers write in about their experiences.
We make it as easy as possible to learn this powerful income strategy... with education videos, detailed buy and sell instructions, and even a guide to filling out the extra form with your broker to be able to make these trades. If you've thought about learning how to take the "next step" in your ability to generate income from the market, click here now to try it out with a 30-day, risk-free trial.
Now, on to a few answers to your questions...
Q: My fish oil capsules are 1,200 mg enteric coated and provide 684 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. I'm concerned after reading your last article that by taking one daily that I may be overdosing.
How do you convert milligrams to the international units that you recommend? Thanks. I read your column regularly. – B.J.
A: You don't need to convert milligrams to international units for fish-oil supplements, since the supplements you're buying are likely in milligrams. So we'll stick to milligrams when we talk about dosing in a moment...
There are two key risks to keep in mind when taking fish oil: high toxin content and bleeding.
As I've mentioned before, fish-oil supplements can be full of toxins like polychlorinated biphenyls (a once-common component of plastics, banned by Congress in 1979), mercury, and dioxin. Several watchdog groups have found supplements that contain dangerously high amounts of these toxins.
Fish oil also alters your bleeding and coagulation functions. Take too much and you could induce strokes from bleeding into your brain.
Until high doses of fish oils are studied and the mechanism of action better understood by hematologists (blood doctors), I wouldn't take more than one or two pills a week, or 1,000 mg of oil. I'd recommend going right to the source and eating fish once or twice a week.
Right now, my team is researching the healthiest ways to get essential fatty acids in your diet without taking supplements. So keep an eye out for that in a future issue.
Q: I recently saw where to buy silver dollars. I bought gold and gold stocks when that first came out. All are doing very well. Thank you. However, I can't find the email about silver coins. Could you repeat where you recommend buying that? – P.G.
A: Congratulations on your purchase. Longtime readers know I like to hold some gold and silver just to protect myself from possible economic chaos. You can read about one of my favorite ways to hold silver right here.
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Q: First, I just want to say I enjoy your newsletter, both health and investment thoughts. Thanks. I have a question about I Bonds. Do they go on earning interest or do they have a maturity date? – C.M.
A: I Savings Bonds earn interest for up to 30 years. Just check the issue date of the bond to determine when it will stop earning interest.
You can read more about I Savings Bonds at TreasuryDirect.
Q: My father was with AT&T for dozens of years and participated in the employee stock purchase program for something like 30 years... AT&T made several acquisitions and split-offs over the years. So although the only stock he ever directly purchased was AT&T, he now has eight different stocks.
So there could be 800 (or more) different cost basis numbers, and probably thousands of calculations to account for the splits from the original purchases, even if we knew the original basis prices.
Is there anything people generally do to handle this type of thing? – G.C.
A: Companies like AT&T, with multiple spinoffs, splits, and acquisitions, make finding your cost basis seem impossible. But AT&T has a guide to help you figure it out. Check it out here.
We love reading your stories and suggestions. We read every e-mail. Keep sending them to [email protected].
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