Vitamins might do more harm than good

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Vitamins might do more harm than good

Posted May 18th 2006 10:30AM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Alternative Therapies, Drug, Prevention

After two days of meeting to discuss the safety and effectiveness of multivitamin and minerals supplements, MVMs, a 13-member independent panel of experts in the fields of food science and human nutrition, biostatistics, biochemistry, toxicology, geriatric medicine, family medicine, pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology, cancer prevention, epidemiology, disease prevention and health promotion, and consumer protection made the following observations and recommendations.

According to the draft of the National Institutes of Health State of the Science Conference Statement on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention, more than half of American adults believe taking MVMs make them feel better; gives them greater energy; improves health and prevents or treats disease. Among the supplement-using population, MVMs are the major category of supplements. Use is higher among women and children of women who use supplements; the elderly; those who have more education; higher income; healthier lifestyles and diets; less obesity and residents who live in the far western States. Those persons who have chronic illness or are seeking to prevent recurrence of serious disease like cancer tend to be more frequent MVM users.

The panel found that:

Vitamin E, beta-carotene and selenium significantly reduces the risk of esophageal and gastric cancers.
Vitamin A and zinc reduces the risk of noncardia gastric cancer.
Vitamin E, selenium, vitamin C, beta-carotene and zinc were associated with reduced risks of all cancers in men.
Postmenopausal women should supplement their diet with vitamin D and calcium.
Anti-oxidants and zinc should be included in the diet of non-smoking adults.
Women of childbearing age should supplement their diet with folate.
Smokers should avoid supplementing their diet with beta-carotene, as it has been shown to increase lung cancer risks.

Overall, the panel stated that not enough research has been done to know for certain that MVMs are a benefit and are concerned that some people may be getting too much of certain nutrients. The final version of this report will be available in about a month. You can read the draft in its entirety here.

Tags: beta-carotene, biochemistry, biostatistics, cancer, children, consumer, disease, elderly, endocrinology, epidemiology, family, food, geriatric, health, human, medicine, men, mineral, multi, nutrition, pediatrics, prevention, protection, science, selenium, supplements, toxicology, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamins, women, zinc

Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. How do you justify your title "Vitamins Might Do More Harm Than Good" when the article that you quote clearly states the benefits of vitamin supplementation?

Posted at 1:09PM on May 18th 2006 by Barbara Havlena

2. Barbara -- While the panel did find some benefit to vitamin supplements, as highlighted in the post above, it did make a final statement that "not enough research has been done to know for certain that MVMs are a benefit and the panel is concerned that some people may be getting too much of certain nutrients." If you read the entire draft by following the link provided in the post above, you will see that the panel has serious concerns about the potential for harm MVMs might pose to the health of those taking them. That is how I justify the title of the post that vitamins might do more harm than good.

Posted at 1:58PM on May 18th 2006 by Dalene

3. It seem they never mention vitamin B's in these types of articles. I have found the B's are decreased by use of Blood pressure (fluid Pills) medication and medication used for depression and the likes. Anytime a medication uses neurotransmitter or depletes fluid from your body or just plain old stess in your life...your vitamin B's are depleted leaving you with a multitude of physical problems. my purpose for coming into this site was to researce the statement about how a smoker should not use beta-carotene or zinc. I just found the statement but no statement as to how.

Posted at 10:37AM on May 24th 2006 by Carol Proffitt

4. There are many more supplements in use especially in the US that are not mentioned in the article. E.g. alpha lipoic acid is a super antioxidant that work synergistically with other antioxidants. Beta-carotene's lack of fighting cancer is old news but not once are the non-acidic novel types of Vitamin C-s are mentioned. Personally, I use both, to great satisfaction. Vitamin E's role has been re-evaluated, too, as the ordinary, most commonly used form might be harmful but gamma-tocopherol seems to be much more beneficial.

Posted at 7:10AM on Jun 8th 2006 by Hedi Hegyi

5. THere are many more supplements in use especially in the US that are not mentioned in the article. E.g. alpha lipoic acid is a super antioxidant that work synergistically with other antioxidants. Beta-carotene's lack of fighting cancer is old news but not once are the non-acidic novel types of Vitamin C-s are mentioned. Personally, I use both, to great satisfaction. Vitamin E's role has been re-evaluated, too, as the ordinary, most commonly used form might be harmful but gamma-tocopherol seems to be much more beneficial.

Posted at 7:11AM on Jun 8th 2006 by Hedi Hegyi



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