(HealthDay News) -- More than half of Americans take a dietary supplement of some kind, the Cleveland Clinic says.

But all supplements aren't safe and effective. The clinic offers this primer:

* There's no better substitute for a healthy, balanced diet, which can provide most healthy people with all of the nutrients they need.
* Supplements are a good option for people who can't get enough of certain needed nutrients through diet. Pregnant women, athletes and vegetarians are prime examples.

(HealthDay News) -- Workouts for your mind are as important as they are for your body, especially as you get older.

Here are suggestions on how to keep your mind sharp, courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic:

* Challenge yourself with activities. Try a crossword puzzle, take a class, or build something.
* Create to-do lists to help you remember appointments and activities.
* When learning something new, make sure you are not distracted. Give it your full attention, and use all of your senses to become familiar with it.

(HealthDay News) -- Hiking is a great way to get exercise and fresh air, but you should take certain precautions.

Here are suggestions to keep you safe when you hit the trail, courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic:

* Map out the trail you want to take, familiarize yourself with the area, and choose a trail that fits your hiking skills.
* Prepare for any threats, such as wild animals or poison ivy.
* If you hike by yourself, make sure someone knows where you are and when you are scheduled to return.
* Dress appropriately for hiking and current weather conditions.

(HealthDay News) -- Too much dietary cholesterol can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood, which can be a risk factor for heart disease.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions to help lower your cholesterol:

* Avoid high-fat or fried foods.
* When you do eat foods with fat, look for foods with unsaturated, not saturated, fat.
* Reduce the amount of red meat that you eat, and eat more fish and poultry.
* Get enough soluble fiber by eating plenty of fruits, beans, peas and oats.
* Don't eat more than three egg yolks per week.

CLEVELAND - Brad Kaster donated a kidney to his father this week, and he barely has a scar to show for it. The kidney was removed through a single incision in his bellybutton, a surgical procedure Cleveland Clinic doctors say will reduce recovery time and leave almost no scarring.

"The actual incision point on me is so tiny I'm not getting any pain from it," Kaster, 29, said Wednesday. "I can't even see it."

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MONDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- In 2004, Medicare reduced its reimbursement rates to doctors for drugs that treat prostate cancer by blocking the activity of male hormones.

Coincidentally or not, the use of surgery -- castration -- to accomplish that same goal started to increase at just the same time, a new study found.