The exceptions to the Task Force’s recommendations are beta carotene and vitamin E.
“Beta carotene and vitamin E…clearly do not help prevent diseases.”
The experts advised that people not use these supplements for the prevention of heart disease or cancer. Vitamin E supplements were found to have no disease-fighting benefit and beta carotene could actually be harmful, since it appears to boost the risk of lung cancer in people already at greater risk for this disease.
Task Force: “Focus On Diet”
“Many people take dietary supplements to support their general health and wellness,” panel member Dr. Wanda Nicholson said in the Task Force news release. “In the absence of clear evidence about the impact of most vitamins and multivitamins on cardiovascular disease and cancer, health care professionals should counsel their patients to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that is rich in nutrients. They should also continue to consider the latest scientific research, their own experiences, and their patient’s health history and preferences when having conversations about nutritional supplements.”
The Task Force panel posted its draft recommendation on the use of vitamin, mineral and multivitamin supplements to prevent heart disease and cancer on its website on Monday. The evidence-based recommendations will be available for public comment until Dec. 9. The Task Force’s evidence report is also published in the Nov. 12 online edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Vitamins: Worth It Or A Waste? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
