Supplements are needed by individuals with vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

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Beverly Harrell
5 years ago
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1 IT is estimated that more than half of U.S. adults take at least one dietary supplement daily, or occasionally but a group of researchers are now saying that vitamin and mineral supplements may be doing some individuals more harm than good, says the February 2012 issue of the Johns Hopkins Health After 50. Supplements are needed by individuals with vitamin or mineral deficiencies. However, many healthy individuals take supplements to prevent chronic disease a benefit that hasn t been scientifically established or has proved inconsistent at best, adds the health letter. The results from one portion of an ongoing Iowa Women s Health Study (which is monitoring women s postmenopausal health and cancer incidence) were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine they suggest a link between multivitamins and an increased risk of death for older women. Starting in 1986, experts collected data from 39,000 women, ranging in age from 55 to 69 years 1 / 5

2 old, about their dietary supplement habits. Almost two decades later, investigators found that women who took multivitamins, iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin B6 and folic acid had a greater risk of dying earlier than those who didn t take supplements the higher the dose of supplements taken the higher the death risk. Only calcium was associated with lower death rates. The results showed that iron, in particular, concerned the researchers. While copper accounted for an 18 percent increase in death rates, most supplements accounted for a 2.4 percent (multivitamins) to 5,9 percent (folic acid) greater risk of dying among older women over almost two decades. However, researchers found no direct link between supplements and premature death although they re suggesting a link, they have no evidence as to what it is. So, don t throw away your multivitamins just yet, says the health letter. Also, while the study was large and well designed, the health letter says that it had the following limitations that may have influenced the outcome: Results of observational studies like this are difficult to interpret because they can t prove that multivitamins caused an increased risk of dying other factors may have played a role. At menopause, a healthy woman s iron needs decrease and she no longer needs iron supplements the postmenopausal women in the study might have overloaded on iron, which increases risk of heart, liver and other diseases. 2 / 5

3 Later in life, after being diagnosed with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, some women might have started taking more supplements which could have swayed the results toward a higher death rate. (At the start, 66 percent of the women used at least one dietary supplement; by the study s end, 85 percent used one or more.) The women in the study were white, so outcomes may not apply to other ethnic populations. On the other hand, the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) has made a stronger case against taking Vitamin E to prevent prostate cancer researchers found that, instead of protecting men against prostate cancer, Vitamin E supplements may actually increase the risk of developing prostate cancer by 17 percent. It s estimated that about half of all men over 60 currently take a supplement that contains Vitamin E, says the health letter. The original purpose of SELECT was to determine whether selenium and Vitamin E supplements could help prevent prostate cancer more than 35,000 men ages 50 and older were recruited for the study which was stopped ahead of schedule in 2008 when it was apparent that neither supplement was beneficial. However, while participants stopped taking the supplements, researchers continued to monitor their health. In 2011, upon review of the latest participants data, researchers found that the group who took only Vitamin E supplements (400 international units a day) were developing prostate cancer at a significantly higher rate than men who took either selenium only, a combination of selenium and Vitamin E, or a pill containing no medicine (placebo). 3 / 5

4 While the men took the supplements for an average of five-and-a-half years, the increased rates didn t appear until after they stopped taking Vitamin E this implies the long-lasting effects of the supplement. Unfortunately, scientists are unable to pinpoint how Vitamin E increases prostate cancer risk and to explain why men who took both selenium and Vitamin E saw no increased risk (this could suggest a beneficial interaction between the two). Although the health letter recommends getting your dietary allowances of vitamins and minerals from food, the American Dietetic Association and the National Institutes of Health say you may need supplements if you are: Over age 50 You may need Vitamin B12 and calcium, commonly low in older adults, and Vitamin D, which is harder for skin to synthesize from sunlight as we age. A postmenopausal woman In order to keep your bones strong, you may need extra calcium and Vitamin D. Dark-skinned or have limited sun exposure (less than 15 minutes a day) The Vitamin D you re getting from the sun alone may not be enough. Frail or elderly and unable to eat sufficient amounts of food A poor appetite or illness may prevent you from getting essential nutrients. Suffering from nutritional deficiencies from a restricted diet You may not be able to get all your nutrients from food if, for instance, you have a food allergy, are a vegan or have undergone weight-loss surgery. 4 / 5

5 Suffering from a medical condition Some illnesses, such as cancer, anemia and celiac disease, cause nutritional deficiencies and require therapeutic doses of supplements. Undergoing medical treatment Some medicines, such as cancer drugs and proton pump inhibitors, can interfere with nutrient absorption or use. Diagnosed with a chronic illness for which supplements are part of treatment Individuals with age-related macular degeneration, for instance, may benefit from high doses of certain vitamins and minerals to slow vision loss. In conclusion, the health letter has these words of caution about supplements you take and why you re taking them: Consult your doctor or dietitian for guidance so he/she can identify any nutritional gaps you may have and make recommendations. 5 / 5

Parapharmaceuticals Dr Eman A. Ha H mmad

Parapharmaceuticals Dr Eman A. Ha H mmad Parapharmaceuticals DrEmanA. Hammad 1 What do you think? 3 Introduction Vitamins are defined as organiccompounds that are intended to supplement the diet and cannot be synthesized by humans Multivitamin