Many Angelenos take one or more—sometimes a dozen or more—vitamins daily; however, that may not be a good thing. Falling on the heels of a study published October 10, which suggested an increased risk of death for older women taking vitamin and mineral supplements, is a new study on men taking vitamin and mineral supplements. The study, which was published in the October 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, reported that men taking Vitamin E and selenium had a slightly higher risk of developing prostate cancer. These two new studies add to the growing body of evidence that taking extra doses of vitamins can do more harm than good. “You go back 15 or 20 years, and there were thoughts that antioxidants of all sorts might be useful,” said Dr. Eric Klein, a Cleveland Clinic physician and national study coordinator for the prostate cancer and vitamin E study. He added, “There really is not any compelling evidence that taking these dietary supplements above and beyond a normal dietary intake is helpful in any way, and this is evidence that it could be harmful.”
The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial, which was dubbed the Select trial, evaluated whether selenium and Vitamin E, either alone or in combination, could lower a man’s risk for prostate cancer. The trial was halted early in 2008 after a review of the data showed no benefit. Furthermore, it found a slight risk of prostate cancer and diabetes that wasn’t statistically significant. The latest data, based on longer-term follow-up of the men in the trial, reported that users of Vitamin E had a 17% higher—and statistically significant—risk of prostate cancer compared with men who did not take the vitamin, a level that was statistically significant. There was no increased risk of diabetes.
The dosage evaluated in the Select trial was 200 micrograms of selenium and 400 international units of vitamin E. By comparison, most multivitamins contain about 50 micrograms of selenium and 30 to 200 international units of vitamin E. The authors concluded: “Based on existing evidence, we see little justification for the general and widespread use of dietary supplements.” Everyone requires vitamins, which are essential nutrients that the body cannot manufacture; however, in the past few years, several high-quality studies have failed to show that high doses of vitamins, at least in pill form, help prevent chronic disease or prolong life.
See Also:
Vitamin supplements may increase risk of death in older woman
Government panel just says no to prostate cancer test
New UCLA study reports flaws in prostate cancer treatment
New study: Vitamin D did not reduce falls in elderly women
Organic source of Vitamin D now available
New study reports that Vitamin D is safe for pregnant women
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