Haven't taken vitamins for years. They're a waste of money even if you take
them as directed on the label, particularly if you're eating right. It has
been known for about 15 years now that anti-oxidants don't work as well in
supplements compared to getting them in food. Anti-oxidants also all have
toxicity, even vitamin C. Check the DRIs.

http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/7/296/0.pdf

"Ignoramus32242" wrote in message
...
If so, you might find this article interesting...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3703498.stm

Vitamins pills do not stop cancer
Vitamin supplements do nothing to prevent gut cancers and may shorten
life expectancy, research suggests.

A review of 14 trials involving more than 170,000 people found
antioxidant vitamins, like vitamin E, offered no protection against
these cancers.

People taking some supplements died prematurely, the European
researchers said in the Lancet.

Cancer Research UK cautioned the findings were preliminary and did not
offer convincing proof of hazard.

We could not find evidence that antioxidant supplements can prevent
gastrointestinal cancers.
Lead researcher Dr Goran Bjelakovic

The study authors themselves emphasised that they had only studied the
effect of certain antioxidant supplements.

"The results should not be translated to the potential effects of
vegetables and fruit, which are rich in antioxidants and other
substances," they said.

Antioxidants are thought to stop cancer by preventing or slowing
damage caused by certain oxygen compounds.

Dr Goran Bjelakovic and his colleagues, working at the Copenhagen
Trial Unit in Denmark, looked at the supplements beta-carotene,
vitamins A, C and E and selenium as different combinations or
separately.

They compared the rate of gastrointestinal cancers, such as stomach,
liver or bowel cancer, among people taking the antioxidant supplements
and people taking fake tablets with no active ingredient.

Other than selenium, regular use of antioxidant supplements did not
prevent gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

In half of the 14 trials reviewed, vitamin tablets appeared to shorten
life expectancy.

Food better than pills

The combination of beta-carotene and vitamin A or vitamin E increased
risk of premature death by 30% and 10%, respectively.

Dr Bjelakovic said: "We could not find evidence that antioxidant
supplements can prevent gastrointestinal cancers.

There are no shortcuts to prevent bowel cancer. If you're taking
vitamins to protect yourself against the disease, you're wasting your
money.
Dr Richard Sullivan of Cancer Research UK

"On the contrary, they seem to increase overall mortality."

He said the potential merits of taking selenium to prevent GI cancers
should be further investigated.

Dr Richard Sullivan of Cancer Research UK said the research could have
been biased because many of the people in the study were smokers, who
have a higher death risk anyway.

"There are no shortcuts to prevent bowel cancer. If you're taking
vitamins to protect yourself against the disease, you're wasting your
money.

"The best way to lower the risk is to eat a healthy diet and not
smoke."

He said the study added to the evidence that trials into the benefits
of selenium are warranted.

'Scary speculation'

"There is currently a study of the protective effects of selenium in
prostate cancer in the US, but further research is needed into the
wider role of selenium."

Selenium is found in nuts, white fish, liver and kidney, shellfish,
cereals, bread and dairy products.

Douglas Altman from Cancer Research UK told the Lancet in an
editorial: "If their findings are correct, 9,000 out of every million
users would die prematurely as a result."

He said this was a "scary speculation" given the vast quantities of
vitamin supplements used.

He said more research was needed and described the study as "work in
progress" that offered no convincing proof of hazard.

Martin Ledwick from CancerBACUP said: "Further investigation is needed
into the effects of vitamin supplements.

"In the meantime, it's probably sensible to avoid taking very large
doses of vitamin supplements and to try to get the necessary vitamins
from eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...th/3703498.stm

Published: 2004/10/01 03:36:03 GMT

BBC MMIV