Latest LARGE study shows vitamin supplements not helpful in disease prevention.
 

The results of a very large study extending over several years about the use of vitamin supplements has recently been published as many of you know. It says that multivitamin supplements have not proved successful in the prevention of cancer and other diseases and in some cases taking multivitamins can be harmful.

Yesterday it was reported that taking vitamin B supplements, (moderately) can promote eye health in older people.

It also reaffirms that nutrients obtained from food are more effective to promote general health and even if our diet is not all that "healthy" our bodies do absorb what they need.

What are the citations/sources of the studies referred to?

Freeda.

I typed "multivitimins not helpful" into Google and there were many responses because it has been in recent news frequently. Here is a link to an article in The New York Times this morning. (Not MY favorite paper lol) I believe that the Fred Hutchison Cancer Center on the west coast oversaw the study that was conducted in many areas across the country over several years. If I remember correctly it included more than a thousand participants.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/0...-multivitamin/

I am interested personally because our dear daughter had life threatening Cancer when she was 29 and survived. I also had Cancer four years ago. Helene lives with us and I am the cook of the house. I have tried to prepare almost every evening meal at home with two vegetables or a vegetable and a fruit along with the protein, not because of this study, but because that is how I was raised. It is comforting to know that it is "the right thing to do" according to the latest research. The study says that nutrients obtained from food were important in disease prevention, if I remember correctly.

Helene "makes" us all go to the exercise class at Odell Center three times a week. Now if I would just stop eating cookies..............

Kindest regards,

Gracie.

Don't make health decisions on sensationalized headlines
 

These studies need to read in their entirety to make informed decisions. Many are very flawed in design.

Anyone interested in nutritional supplementation should join the Life Extension Foundation.

You can read their monthly journal where all articles are referenced.... no hype, pure science.

go to www.lef.org

costs 75 dollars a year to join.... the monthly journal is fantastic.

Wait... What about rickets and scurvy?
Are the experts just ignoring the diseases that vitamin supplements do prevent?

I am personally wary of most studies.

I remember a time when most doctors routinely prescribed hormone replacement treatment for "mature" women. Because "reliable" studies had emphasized the many benefits. Then, suddenly a new study was published saying HRT could potentially increase the possibility of cancer and heart problems! Doctors dropped HRT like a hot potato!

As rshoffer pointed out, many studies are very flawed in design.

Here is my 2 cents...I will only talk about the food aspect. When cooking, you must take into account the world we live in. You cook vegetables...and serve fruits...awesome. But, these are not our Grandparents fruits and veggies anymore. The soil that these foods were grown in used to flourish with vitamins and minerals...they were grown naturally!

Now this same soil is replete of what the body needs and contaminated with chemicals and pesticides. Canned foods are pretty much a waste of time. Never eat anything from a can!

So...my suggestion...very simple...though more expensive...only eat organically grown fruits and vegetables whenever possible. They taste so much better and will pump up your immune system like nothing else.

You know you should eat your fruits and vegetables, but with a "dirty dozen" list of pesticide-contaminated produce out today and the recent e.coli outbreak linked to supposedly safer organic produce, what's a would-be healthy eater to do?
The answer from health experts -- and even the people who did the study on pesticide residue in produce -- is still the same: Eat those fruits and vegetables, but get them as clean as you can.

The importance of washing produce before eating or cooking it was driven home today by the release of a "dirty dozen" list of fruits and vegetables that tested positive for the highest concentration of pesticides.

"Pesticides are toxic. They are designed to kill things and most are not good for you" said Sonya Lunder, senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group, which released the study. The non-profit organization attempts to raise awareness about pollutants and dangerous chemicals
Apples, a staple in many refrigerators, topped the list with 98 percent testing positive for a pesticide and 92 percent testing positive for two or more pesticides. Coming in second was celery, with more than 95 percent testing positive for at least one pesticide.

Others on the list of shame include: strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce and kale or collard greens.

http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/gty_a..._110613_wg.jpgGetty Images
A helicopter sprays an apple orchard with pesticide in Wenatchee, Wash. Apples topped a government list of fruits and vegetables with 98 percent testing positive for a pesticide and 92 percent testing positive for two or more pesticides.


The benefits of fruits and vegetables are well known, however Environmental Working Group spokesman Alex Formuzis says the pesticides they're coated with have been linked to nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone system disruption and IQ deficits in children.
But even though some pesticides were still found on the produce after they were washed and peeled, Formuzis said the benefits of fruits and vegetables still outweigh the problems associated with some other snack foods.

"If it's a choice between an apple and potato chips, choose the apple," he said.

Pesticides, which are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, are used to protect produce from bugs and also extend its supermarket shelf life.
The Alliance for Food and Farming, a trade group that opposes the new study, says consumers should keep eating the fruits and vegetables in the so-called "dirty dozen."

"Not only are farmers of fruits and vegetables meeting requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for pesticide residues, but their crops are shown to have either no residues at all or with residues 10 times to 100 times below already stringent safety limits," said Teresa Thorne of the AFF.
The Environmental Working Group agrees that eating from the "dirty dozen" is better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all, but suggested that when possible, these items should be bought organic.

A portion of Americans do worry and choose to buy organic produce, which has long trumpeted itself as a healthier, albeit costlier alternative. However, after a deadly E.Coli outbreak linked to organic sprouts recently killed 36 and sickened 3,000 in Germany, is going organic really any safer?
According to Joan Salge Blake, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, the answer is simple: Eat your fruits and vegetables, whether they're organic or not.

"I don't want people being afraid of eating mother nature's finest," she said. "Fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of so many diseases and fight obesity."

"Corn", though it's on your "clean" list, is likely to have pesticides built right in, by way of genetic modification. You can't wash that off! In the U.S., genetically modified ingredients are not labeled, but they ARE prohibited from organics (at least for now).Only certified organic corn is "clean", although, as the genetically modified crops contaminate the natural ones, that may soon change."Corn" (and it's many derivatives), "Soy", "Canola", "Cotton", and soon "Sugar" (beets not cane), and 'Alfalfa" (food for dairy cows and honeybees), are likely to be genetically modified if not certified organic. I put them in quotes because they are really new species, genetically distinct from the genes of both contributing organisms, and ones that wouldn't normally occur in nature.


PAGE TWO: ABC EVENING NEWS


Pesticides in Fruits and Vegetables: Are They Really Healthy?

The best guarantee for keeping produce safe is to make sure it's thoroughly washed.

The Food and Drug Administration offers several tips for cleaning both fresh and organic produce, including:

Wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating or cooking.


"Everyone has a job to do -- from the farmer to the person taking the produce to the store to the people selling the produce. And when you bring your produce home, you have a job to do too," Blake said.
The EWG's "Dirty Dozen":
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines - imported
7. Grapes - imported
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries - domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/Collard greens
The EWG's Clean 15:
1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplants
9. Cantaloupe - domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit



15. Mushrooms

MY POST Quoted here is THREE YEARS OLD.

MY goodness, I might have changed my mind since then. ..lol. I am thinking about taking Krill oil.

Good thread, graciegirl. It doesn't matter whether the study is 3 years old or 10 years old; I like it. Over the years there have been many many articles pointing out the harm of vitamins that were once thought to be beneficial. There was one really big article in The Wall Street Journal. If I can find it I'll give more information on it later.

What impressed me the most was a health book (not sure which one) that stated vitamins are not the same as food. For example, vitamin C is not the same as an orange, tomato or broccoli. Although those foods contain vitamin C they also contain lots of other nutrients that are balanced by nature. And it was estimated that something like 25% of the nutrients in foods are still unknown. So, it's kind of silly, in my opinion, to put much faith in multiple vitamins. I have never taken any multiple vitamins and I'm perfectly healthy at 71. (No drugs either.)

I just read in the Alzheimer's book (100 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's) that older people should not be taking a multiple vitamin containing iron and copper. Those two items greatly increase your risk for Alzheimer's. (And, by the way, what does red meat contain? A lot of iron and copper.)

Multi-vitamins are designed for people who don't like healthy foods and want to ease their conscience. They can go through the day eating junk and think, "I'm going to be okay because I took my multi-vitamins this morning."

Of course vitamins prevent diseases that are caused by vitamin deficiency. I understood Gracie to be referring to all sorts of claims made by the nutritional supplement industry that high doses of this or that prevents cancer or arthritis or colds, etc.

three years old or not when you have an egd/colon they can sometimes be found still intact, see them more than you want to know

I agree with your last paragraph totally, but will add.....
Many near anorexic type folks who do not want to consume "calories" think that popping a vitamin will be sufficient. The vitamins' components are no way comparable to eating the whole food.

My pet peeve is seeing our own mature and elderly family members traveling with bags and bags of "supplements".......some could be overdosing on these alone. Subscribers to "Prevention Magazine", they try every new supplement out there........

I doubt if our bodies were meant to use vitamins solely as a food source.

Topic for another thread is that the "wheat" we eat today is not the wheat of old.......ditto for the meat. Our younger family members have educated us in the positive changes of buying organic whole foods, not by preaching, but by example.....and in what they've encouraged their own "little ones" to consume. Treats are saved for special occasions and nothing is totally restricted.....or that would make for a very boring existence.

We all can be proud of this younger generation of parents.
The children love their RAW veggies and gobble them up, or fresh fruit in abundance......

Yes there is a lot of hope with the new generation of parents looking further than what they read on the bottle/bag or in the advertisements. I have recently been educated as to Mosanto's mission: They are genetically engineering these food sources that perform better for profits but not necessarily for the benefit of human kind. In fact, they are already modifying food sources so they do not reseed so that farmer need to repurchase. Eventually, if they have their way, they will control the food supply.

Now that would be an interesting subject, for sure.

All of the processed food boxes, etc. have such a LONG list of "additives" and such.....that in reality should NOT be there at all.

We've watched several documentaries on CORN and other such commonly used ingredients. CORN is in everything !!!

Having a family member whose parent formed and ran a HUGE agricultural pesticide/herbicide type chemical corporation that sold to farmers all over our U.S. and the world, it's interesting to see this young person SHUN totally anything "artificial" as pertains to our food source. They are meat eaters but only organically grown.

Believe it or not, young couples in our state and other states are now RAISING their own "laying hens".....chickens for the purpose of the daily egg collection........others are raising chickens for meat sources.

It's a new trend I guess.......but we've seen it in action.

We also know young (twenty somethings to thirty +) couples who are making their own cleaning products to keep their progeny safe from harmful chemicals.
Like our moms used vinegar and water to clean, etc.

Bill Gates and Monsanto
 

Just listened to a video clip about Bill Gates partnering with Monsanto to bring GMO seeds to Third World countries. Our SIL was in Africa last year and was talking to the farmers who were saying that their whole way of life was being affected by the over growth of the seeding of the GMO seeds and they are losing their own staple food. Wonder where that will lead re health issues. Sounds like Bill Gates has unfortunately been misguided in his philanthropy. Why have so many countries banned GMO and yet North America is growing it so freely. And as our consumption of it goes down with more people refusing to buy it, then the exporting of it to the Third World goes up. Does this make sense for world health? And we wonder why the gov't refuses to support labelling of GMO ingredients. What could they be afraid of? Look for the labels that say GMO free. That is the only way that the conscious companies could get around the situation.


LW888

Here is an interesting piece of info:
We have over 100,000 horses going across the Canadian and Mexican borders to be slaughtered for human consumption and sent to Europe and Japan/China. This is mainly because of overbreeding...just like puppy mills. The EU as well as the other countries are now realizing the horses that are coming to them are filled with drugs that our FDA has labelled "Not for Human Consumption". They have now instituted restrictions which will require the horses to come with a "passport" showing all drugs from birth. This may not make a hoot of difference because the entire horse slaughter industry is based upon deceit and is dishonest at every level with forged paperwork by even the auction vets. Most horses that go to slaughter are people's pets and they have no idea their horse is going to slaughter and not to some little girl with pigtails and a desire to love their horse. They are racehorses who didn't cut it by 4 years of age. They are young, vital healthy animals...not the old, sick, abandoned...The industry leaves those on the side of the road.

Now there is a small group of people, breeders for the most part, who would like to open horse slaughter for human consumption in the US which was banned in 2007 by defunding USDA inspections. 80% of Americans do not believe in slaughtering and eating their horses. But they have managed through midnight DC finagling to get $5 million directed to USDA inspections to inspect horse meat. So far, there are still a few reasons why they haven't been able to open a horse slaughter plant but they are working very hard to make it happen. They are hoping to convince Americans that horse meat is better for them because it is leaner. What they will not tell you, or they poopoo, is the detriment of the drugs. As breeding horses for slaughter is not profitable because of how horses "fill out" , if you choose to eat horse meat, it will be eating someone's pet and its meat will be filled with drugs ranging from steroids, vaccinations, dewormers, to "bute" which is proven to cause various cancers in humans. They essentially need slaughter to get rid of their overbreeding and would like to make a larger profit here rather than send it to foreign countries. What is similarly disturbing is that the USDA has been laying off workers and closing USDA offices across the nation and yet some special interest group is getting $5 million to inspect a food supply that goes to other countries.
Everyone who cares about their tax dollars and cares about what they put in their mouths and what we are sending to others to put in their mouths should be calling their federal senators and congressmen and telling them to support the Moran amendment to defund the USDA inspectors for horse meat. It is a waste of our tax dollars and it is anything but the right thing to do. One more example of private special interest polluting the food supply to satisfy their greed.

EXCELLENT POST. So sad for the horses....

I'd rather put my money into good food than into pills any day. It's better for you and tastes better. Isn't there an old Italian saying about it's better to give your money to the grocer that to the doctor? Always liked that one but can't remember it exactly. Darn!

Good post except for your concept of "preaching". I'm not exactly sure what it is. Perhaps you could state how one would go about giving an example of not getting cancer, heart trouble, diabetes, arthritis etc.. Youngsters can observe adults eating healthy foods but they may not know the prupose unless they are told. If you tell people what will happen if they continue eating this or that, is that preaching? Was your post preaching?


Sounds like an opinion from someone who has cravings for unhealthy foods. I'm happy to say I don't have such cravings. From my experience, whenever you have "treats" you reinforce the need for more in the future. And that sets up a self destructive existence.

[QUOTE

I'm happy to say I don't have such cravings. From my experience, whenever you have "treats" you reinforce the need for more in the future. And that sets up a self destructive existence.[/QUOTE]

Yikes!!!! Sounds quite rigid versus balanced. lol oops. This isn't the balanced diet thread. It is the supplement thread. Hmmn. Can treats be supplements or perhaps supplements be treats?

If something sounds "rigid" it's usually because of a lack of understanding. Just like good balance doesn't come from taking vitamins, you will also fail to get good balance by eating junk food in moderation.

To clear up any lack of understanding:

rig·id   [rij-id] Show IPA
adjective
1.
stiff or unyielding; not pliant or flexible; hard: a rigid strip of metal.
2.
firmly fixed or set.
3.
inflexible, strict, or severe: a rigid disciplinarian; rigid rules of social behavior.



4.
exacting; thorough; rigorous: a rigid examination.
5.
so as to meet precise standards; stringent: lenses ground to rigid specifications.

An interesting link related to Vitamins and Minerals
 

Dr. Joel Wallach, a long standing expert on Nutrition and Health gave a good talk that I think really covers the subject well. Also I was thinking that the original article may have been referring to multi vitamin supplements like Once a Day which typically do not have the adequate amts of the different Vit and Mins.

Again I'm just the messenger though the info made alot of sense to me.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgrBRMp44dU]Have You Heard - Part 1 of 8 - YouTube[/ame]


LW888

Discussing the issue of vitamins can get you into as much trouble as discussing politics and religion.

I have family members whom take mega doses of vitamins. I won't comment but from all my reading over the years mega doses stress the organs and what are not used pass through. My wife and I have always and continue to eat balanced meals each day. Obviously there are some special circumstances were vitmins are beneficial

This is just an anecdote but it illustrates what you just said about putting stress on organs: I had a cousin who was a health nut and believed in taking mega doses of vitamins. Most of them were taken separately like C, E, and soforth. He had a whole cabinet full of various kinds. Then one day he started getting pains in his midsection. When he went to the doctor it was diagnosed as liver cancer and he only lived for about another 2 weeks.

Some may be quick to point out that I can't prove it. That's true, I can't. But I have read in various books that too many vitamin supplements can be toxic. I even read that too many antioxidant supplements can bring about an imbalance, backfire, and cause problems.

Some drug company is working on a pill for resveratrol and at first I thought it was a great idea. But if it gets sold over-the-counter like a supplement, I wonder how many people will overconsume it as if it's a miracle cure for some inflammatory condition? (I know it's already sold as a supplement but it's not formulated and tested by a drug company.)

Yes for a DOG, he's a veterinarian ...........come on.......Another wing-nut

He's only a self proclaimed expert.

Read this about his background, scroll down a bit.

A vet first and then a medical doctor. He became a pathologist who discovered many interesting links between disease and nutritional deficit. No comment on the Quackwatch references.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath. Nuff said.

LW888

Talking about vitamins and health supplements is akin to discussing politics and religion. The published materials that I have read indicate that in most cases these products are worthless,save some placebo effect. Fortunes are spent by gulible consumers on these products when appropriate diet and exercise regimens would produce better results. There now, I've said it and I am glad!!!

Villages PL: I have some similar stories so know where you are coming from. I believe in a balanced diet, exercise and reducing stress. I won't take vitamins, won't take aspirn etc unless I an't stand it anymore, etc

The most recent Daily Sun article I could find was Nov. 2011 by Dr. David Lipschitz. The Heading: "Data looking ironclad that supplements harm"

I'll try to give some of the highlights:

Older people may get too much iron because 1) fortification of food and 2) nutritional supplements containing iron. (not to mention the iron that comes from eating red meat)

This may cause an increased risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's. Because iron is an oxidant, it can lead to cell damage.

Study quoted: Iowa Women's Health Study

Question: How can vitamins shorten life expectancy?

Possible explanation: Vitamin supplements are too unlike vitamins and minerals found in food.

Conclusion: The best source for vitamins and minerals comes from eating food.

I found about 4 other articles warning about vitamins but I'm not sure I want to take the time to summarize all of them. It's very time consuming. :)

I am taking a vitamin supplement called Triple Action Omega-3 by Purity Products. I checked with my new FL doctor first and he said it was OK to take this as my NJ doctor said my triglycerides were quite high 170 something so she said to start taking an Omega-3 pill. I was taking a regular Omega-3 pill and it did not make a difference at all until I heard a radio commerical on this new supplement. I go on August 13 for new blood work to see if my triglycerides went down. I am hoping this supplement is doing the trick. Since taking this supplement I feel like I have more energy and it provides me with cardiovascular, brain, cholesterol and joint fuction support. After getting my results, I will post back if it did it's job. If not it only cost me $4.95 for S&H 30 day trail size. My doctor did say sometimes you do not get enough nutrients in your regular diet especially if you are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. So I will see.

For those concerned about prostate cancer:
 

Anyone who's interested can read the article by Yahoo!-searching the following headline:

Vitamin E pills raise prostate cancer risk, study suggests - USA Today

Of course, it is preferred that vitamins and minerals come from eating food. Of course. We're talking here about people who don't feel they are getting enough vitamins, minerals and calcium from food sources. In that situation, do you think it is a good idea to take a supplement? I'm especially interested in your thoughts on calcium supplements.

Sesame Seeds
Whole roasted sesame seeds contain 989 mg of calcium per 100 grams or 99% of the RDA.
Sesame seed butter or tahini contains 426mg per 100 grams or 43% of the RDA.

Almonds
Almonds contain 367 mg per cup or 37% of the RDA.

Collard Greens
Collard greens contain 266 mg per cup or 27% of the RDA.

Garlic
Garlic contains 246 mg per cup or 25% of the RDA.

Spinach
Spinach contains 254mg per cup or 24% oof the RDA.

Soybeans
Soybeans contain 175 mg per cup or 18% of the RDA.

Swiss chard
Swiss chard contains 101 mg per cup or 10% of the RDA.
Kale Kale contains 93 mg per cup or 9% of the RDA.

Raisins
Raisins contain 82.5 mg per cup or 8% of the RDA.

Oranges
Orange slices contain 72 mg per cup or 7% of the RDA.

I must be missing something .....

50 almonds contain 300 calories and 15% of calcium needed.
To get 100% of RDA, you need to eat 7 times that amount.
7 times 50 almonds equals 2100 calories. :ohdear:

You'll need those sturdy bones to hold up your new big body! lol :1rotfl:

:clap2:That was a very astute observation.

Now that is funny!