Supplements not enough to prevent cancer, heart diseases
26 Feb 2014 6:40 AM IST
There is not enough scientific evidence to recommend that people take multivitamins or other nutritional supplements to prevent cancer or heart disease, according to a health panel.
The final recommendations, published on Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, largely mirror draft guidelines that were released by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in November. They do not apply to people with known vitamin deficiencies or chronic illnesses.
‘Because so much money is spent and so many people think they’re doing themselves good by taking multivitamins, we really do need research to find out if that is the case,’ Dr. Virginia Moyer, who chairs the USPSTF, told Reuters Health.
Moyer is also the vice president for maintenance of certification and quality at the American Board of Pediatrics in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
While generally calling for more research on vitamins, the USPSTF concluded there is enough evidence that beta-carotene increases the risk of lung cancer among those who are already more likely to develop it, such as smokers.
After reviewing six trials, researchers who compiled a summary of available evidence for the panel found there were few or no harms linked to taking vitamin E, but it also did not reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer. The new recommendations represent a call for additional research - especially research that takes into account the nuances of nutrition, said Duffy MacKay, senior vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
The final recommendations, published on Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, largely mirror draft guidelines that were released by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in November. They do not apply to people with known vitamin deficiencies or chronic illnesses.
‘Because so much money is spent and so many people think they’re doing themselves good by taking multivitamins, we really do need research to find out if that is the case,’ Dr. Virginia Moyer, who chairs the USPSTF, told Reuters Health.
Moyer is also the vice president for maintenance of certification and quality at the American Board of Pediatrics in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
While generally calling for more research on vitamins, the USPSTF concluded there is enough evidence that beta-carotene increases the risk of lung cancer among those who are already more likely to develop it, such as smokers.
After reviewing six trials, researchers who compiled a summary of available evidence for the panel found there were few or no harms linked to taking vitamin E, but it also did not reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer. The new recommendations represent a call for additional research - especially research that takes into account the nuances of nutrition, said Duffy MacKay, senior vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
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