Vitamins & Supplements - Sept 2012 Consumer Reports Investigates

Vitamins & Supplements - Consumer Reports Investigates

paywalled: Dietary Supplements and Cancer Prevention: Balancing Potential Benefits Against Proven Harms

Dietary Supplements and Cancer Prevention: Balancing Potential Benefits Against Proven Harms

Abstract

Nutritional supplementation is now a multibillion-dollar industry, and about half of all US adults take supplements. Supplement use is fueled in part by the belief that nutritional supplements can ward off chronic disease, including cancer, although several expert committees and organizations have concluded that there is little to no scientific evidence that supplements reduce cancer risk. To the contrary, there is now evidence that high doses of some supplements increase cancer risk. Despite this evidence, marketing claims by the supplement industry continue to imply anticancer benefits. Insufficient government regulation of the marketing of dietary supplement products may continue to result in unsound advice to consumers. Both the scientific community and government regulators need to provide clear guidance to the public about the use of dietary supplements to lower cancer risk.

abstract: Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and colorectal cancer risk in the United Kingdom Dietary Cohort Consortium - 2012 - International Journal of Cancer

Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and colorectal cancer risk in the United Kingdom Dietary Cohort Consortium - International Journal of Cancer 

Abstract

The risk for colorectal cancer may be influenced by the dietary intake of various vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. We conducted a pooled analysis of dietary data collected using food diaries in seven prospective studies in the United Kingdom Dietary Cohort Consortium. Five hundred sixty-five cases of colorectal cancer were matched with 1,951 controls on study centre, age, sex and recruitment date. Dietary intakes of retinol, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, n − 6 fatty acids, n − 3 fatty acids and the ratio of n − 6 to n − 3 fatty acids were estimated and their associations with colorectal cancer examined using conditional logistic regression models, adjusting for exact age, height, weight, energy intake, alcohol intake, fiber intake, smoking, education, social class and physical activity. There were no statistically significant associations between colorectal cancer risk and dietary intake of any of the vitamins, minerals or essential fatty acids examined.

Vitamin B12’s reputation as an energizer exceeds evidence; deficiency rate is low - The Washington Post

Vitamin B12’s reputation as an energizer exceeds evidence; deficiency rate is low - The Washington Post

NIH launches consumer-friendly tips series on complementary health practices, March 6, 2012 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

NCCAM Press Office

NIH launches consumer-friendly tips series on complementary health practices

A new series of monthly health tips, Time to Talk Tips, will provide consumers with easy-to-read information on complementary health practices. The effort is managed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health.A resource in NCCAM's Time to Talk campaign, the series highlights specific health topics, such as the safe use of dietary supplements, natural products used for the flu and colds, and mind and body approaches used to manage symptoms of a variety of conditions.
The series will include simple tips, such as: Taking vitamin C regularly does not reduce the likelihood of getting a cold but may improve some cold symptoms, and some dietary supplements may interact with medications (prescription or over-the-counter) or other dietary supplements.

“An increasing number of consumers and patients use the Internet to answer health questions, yet the information they find can be overwhelming and is not always relevant or credible,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of NCCAM. “This series will give people evidence-based facts to help them make more informed health care decisions. Health care providers can also provide these tips to their patients who are interested in learning more about complementary health practices.”

The tips accompany topics found in the NCCAM Clinical Digest, a monthly e-newsletter for health care providers that addresses the state of science on complementary health practices for a variety of health conditions. These same topics will also be discussed in monthly Twitter chats (@NCCAM), allowing the public to interact with the center, ask questions, and receive answers in real time.

Nearly 40 percent of Americans use some form of complementary health practice, according to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey. Through its Time to Talk campaign, NCCAM encourages patients and providers to talk about the use of complementary health practices by offering tools and resources—such as wallet cards and tip sheets—that are available for free at nccam.nih.gov/timetotalk.
To learn more about NCCAM's Time to Talk Tips, visit http://nccam.nih.gov/timetotalk.

The mission of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in improving health and health care. For additional information, call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll free (in the U.S.) at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

open access: Perspective: Assessing Supplement Safety — The FDA's Controversial Proposal — NEJM

"Each year, Americans spend more than $28 billion on supplements assuming that they are both safe and effective. More than 100 million Americans consume vitamins, minerals, herbal ingredients, amino acids, and other naturally occurring products in the form of dietary supplements....."

Risks - When Too Much Vitamin D Is Too Much - NYTimes.com

references Johns Hopkins University study  published in The American Journal of Cardiology.

abstract: Vitamin/mineral supplementation and cancer, cardiovascular, and all-cause mortality in a German prospective cohort (EPIC-Heidelberg)

Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University (research institute vitamins/micronutriends/phytochemicals)

Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute investigate the role that vitamins and essential minerals (micronutrients) and chemicals from plants (phytochemicals) play in human aging, immune function, and chronic diseases, especially heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. A major emphasis is to understand the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in disease etiology, and the preventive effects of dietary constituents with antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties.

The goal of these studies is to understand the mechanisms by which diet, micronutrients, and dietary supplements affect disease initiation and progression and can be used in the prevention or treatment of human diseases, thereby enhancing lifespan and healthspan......cont'd

NIH/NCCAM
Center of Excellence

The Linus Pauling Institute is one of the nation's first two Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine designated by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

podcast/text: Benefits and Dangers of Vitamin Supplements for Cancer Patients - Cancerwise | Cancer blog from MD Anderson Cancer Center

Note: includes discussion regarding cardiovascular risks

Reputable online resources
Through online resources, patients can check into the efficacy and safety of herbal or natural supplements. MD Anderson has several online articles and web pages that provide information about supplements and nutrition. The Learning Center at MD Anderson can also provide information on other reputable online resources.

Role of Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation and Aspirin Use in Cancer Survivors — JCO

Note: a recent study indicated a beneficial effect of aspirin use in Lynch Syndrome patients but not in colon cancer patients (those w/o a mutation), search blog for further information on this specific issue "The potential beneficial or adverse effects of dietary supplements and aspirin in survivors of cancer warrant further study."

Anticancer Vitamins du Jour—The ABCED's So Far

"The only association observed in this set of 6 analyses was a troubling one: that risk of pancreatic cancer was doubled for those in the highest quintile of circulating vitamin D levels. This observation is disconcerting both because pancreatic cancer is now the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States and because the proponents of the vitamin D hypothesis are now arguing that substantially elevating circulating blood concentrations into that range should be a nutritional policy objective for the general population (15, 16). As pointed out by Dr. Helzlsouer (20) in this issue of the Journal, many ongoing randomized controlled trials are now using quite high doses of vitamin D. As we await clearer evidence of benefits from those trials, we will also need to be prepared to be vigilant about their individual and collective power to assess any potential harms (21, 22). It is timely for us to now reflect on the history of the past 25 years of our alphabetical approach to studying single vitamin deficiency states as causal factors for cancer. We have learned some hard lessons along the alphabetical way. We now know that supernutritional levels of vitamins taken as supplements do not emulate the apparent benefits of diets high in foods that contain those vitamins (13), and we now know that taking vitamins in supernutritional doses can cause serious harm. In short, we have found that the reality of human biology is far more complex than is suggested by our simple ideas."

Studies clash on vitamin benefits - CNN.com