Dietary Supplements Increase Mortality Rate in Older Women
Posted by Dobri Kiprov, MD | Tags: Lifestyle , Diet , Science , Health
A study just published in Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(18):1625-1633. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.445 assessed the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in relation to total mortality in 38 772 older women in the Iowa Women's Health Study; mean age was 61.6 years at baseline in 1986. The study revealed that in older women, several commonly used dietary vitamin and mineral supplements may be associated with increased total mortality risk; this association is strongest with supplemental iron. In contrast to the findings of many studies, calcium is associated with decreased risk.
A 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association linked vitamin E, vitamin A and beta- carotene to higher death rates. Another, published in the same year in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, linked multivitamins to an increase in prostate cancer.
Here is my take.
Millions of Americans take multivitamins and other supplements, yet very few really need them. There are people with certain deficiencies who will benefit from a particular supplement but this requires medical evaluation and Rx. These are the minority of people who take nutritional supplemnts. The majority is driven by relentless, usually unsubstantiated advertising claims for medical benefits by the manufacturers of these supplements. Many people buy into these adds (available on every major page of the internet, TV and magazines) and take them, whether they need them or not. As we are finding out, the long term consquences of taking these supplements may be disastrous. One of the main problems is that nobody really knows what is in these pills. They are currently not regulated by the FDA, so there is no strict manufacturing supervision. There is a considerable difference in many of these preparations from different manufacturers although they may carry the same generic name. At this time, the FDA is moving towards stricter rules for these manufacturers. Until such time I would encourage you to consult a physician before I take anything bought from the internet or over the counter. All vitamons and micronutrients are present in food. If you eat good food it is unlikely tht you will need nutritional supplements. For more info on this subject, consult Lifestyle In Motion.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
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