Re: Is your multivitamin hurting you?

On Apr 28, 7:39 pm, Myrl <wisgroup_lea...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Is your multivitamin hurting you?
by David Katz, MD, PREVENTION, on Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:40am PDT 172
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Do you take antioxidants or a regular multivitamin? Turns out you
might not need to, according to new research in the Cochrane Review
that refutes the long-held belief that antioxidants prevent disease or
cancer.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of existing studies, pertaining
to more than 200,000 people, and found that antioxidant supplements--
vitamins A, C, and E; beta-carotene; and selenium--do not prevent
heart disease or cancer, do not forestall death, and may even increase
mortality risk slightly.

But the phrase "may increase mortality risk slightly" is important to
put any risk in context. Given the large pool of people analyzed,
researchers would have noticed right away if there was any significant
risk of death associated with the supplements. So if all we have is a
hint of modest harm, the risk is clearly quite small.

This finding is disappointing and counter-intuitive. How can
antioxidant supplements fail to help us and maybe even harm us
slightly?

There are several likely answers. First, we may have the doses wrong.
Just because some of a thing is good does not mean more is better.
Second, maybe we have the wrong combinations. Antioxidants in foods
come packaged with many other nutrients, and they all work together.
When we separate that harmony, we may wind up with sour notes. Third,
the participants in most of these trials were already ill. Perhaps
antioxidants have different effects before chronic disease begins.
They might even help prevent disease if taken earlier.

In general, my advice about a supplement is to remember it's not a
substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle. Use supplements
thoughtfully. Talk to your doctor to be sure there is a sound reason,
tailored to your health, for each one you take. Don’t assume that just
because a clever ad makes a supplement sound good that it truly is.

I take an Omega-3 fish oil supplement every day, and recommend the
same for most of my patients. I believe a multivitamin or mineral
supplement is a good idea for many of us, despite a lack of research
that shows a clear benefit. (I also like a supplement called Juice
Plus, which compresses the nutrients from fruits and vegetables into
capsule form, while preserving their native proportions.)

Based on the science we have at present, there is no reason to fear
any antioxidant supplements you may have been taking--the potential
for harm is minimal. But remember: No pill bottle holds an alternative
for a healthy, active lifestyle.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/is-your-multivitamin-hurting-yo...
______________________________________________________________
A Case Study: Juice Plus

In 1994, when I was Health Editor of Vogue magazine. I read a report
that Juice Plus contains many of the important nutritional
constituents of the fresh fruits and vegetables from which it is made.
I hadn't heard of anything like it before (frankly, I never really
looked!. In any event, )I decided to try it since I was not consuming
enough of the natural products in my daily diet. Since then, most of
my family and I have been taking these capsules regularly.
Subsequently, I learned that several randomized, double blinded, and
placebo-controlled studies had been done on this product and the
findings were, for the most part, consistent with the current
scientific thinking that fruits and vegetables are good for you.

Just for the record, I have never had any financial interest in the
company other than having been being paid for two unrelated talks at
their company meetings some 10 and 14 years ago.

Let me emphasize that these capsules are not a substitute for eating
fruits and vegetables. They are not meant to be taken instead of food,
but only to complement a diet that does not contain them in optimum
amounts. The innumerable anecdotal stories of how well people feel are
not a substitute for scientific studies, of which there are several
valid ones.

Juice Plus is very effectively marketed, and its sales personnel are
inspired and enthusiastic. From time to time, I hear some questions
raised about whether Juice Plus is all it's cracked up to be (usually
from a competitor (whether they identify themselves as such or not).
That's part of the game in a free society. One of the criticisms is
that much of the clinical research conducted on this product has been
funded by NSA, its manufacturer. That's essentially true. However,
it's reasonable for manufacturers to sponsor research on their
products as long as the conclusions are subject to the checks and
balances of internal review boards and their conclusions are reviewed
by a peer review panel of scientists prior to publication. Although
some of the clinical research conducted on this product has been
funded by NSA, I understand that there is at least one ongoing
clinical trial currently being done by the National Cancer Institute
of the National Institutes of Health.

I have heard complaints that Juice Plus has little or no fiber. That's
true because water and some of the fiber in the fruits and vegetables
is removed in order to convert the juice into a concentrated powder.
While some fiber is restored to the capsule, it is not marketed either
as a fiber supplement or as a substitute for eating more fiber-rich
fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Given the high cost of prescription drugs, the growing awareness of
the connection between diet and disease, and the growing number of
nutritional products on the market today, Americans should take a look
at supplements such as Juice Plus - but it's important to do it
correctly. And pay no attention to information written by anyone who
chooses to remain anonymous.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Juice Plus+ Just Take It! www.energynutrition.net
.

Relevant Pages

  • Is your multivitamin hurting you?
    ... Do you take antioxidants or a regular multivitamin? ... heart disease or cancer, do not forestall death, and may even increase ... because a clever ad makes a supplement sound good that it truly is. ...
    (misc.health.alternative)
  • Re: Is your multivitamin hurting you?
    ... Do you take antioxidants or a regular multivitamin? ... heart disease or cancer, do not forestall death, and may even increase ... substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle. ... because a clever ad makes a supplement sound good that it truly is. ...
    (misc.health.alternative)
  • Wholefood Nutrition
    ... has the Vitamin C of 4 oranges, ... benefit has been attributed to the increased intake of antioxidants ... · Juice Plus+ is packed with concentrated whole food nutrition. ...
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