An influential panel of experts advises people not to take beta-carotene or vitamin E supplements to prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease, arguing that they have no apparent benefit and may actually increase the risk of these health problems.They also concluded that there is insufficient evidence to recommend taking a multivitamin supplement to prevent both conditions.
The new guidance, released Tuesday, comes from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent group funded by the government but made up of voluntary outside experts.The working group regularly makes and updates recommendations on topics related to disease prevention, such as the public’s need for cancer screening.Their recommendations are widely followed by doctors and can even affect insurance coverage.
In 2014, the USPSTF examined the evidence for the use of supplements as a way to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.The theory is that inflammation and oxidative stress may be the main drivers of these diseases, and that taking supplements may provide enough anti-inflammatory or antioxidant effects to reduce the odds of developing these diseases in the average person.But at the time, experts found there wasn’t enough data to make a judgment on those claims, other than beta carotene or vitamin E.For vitamin E, they found no strong evidence of a protective effect, and for beta carotene (precursor A of the vitamin), they actually found some evidence that taking these supplements regularly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer .
Although dozens of new relevant studies have been published since 2014 (the task force analyzed a total of 84), their latest recommendations have not changed.With moderate certainty, they found that “the harms of beta-carotene supplementation outweigh the benefits of preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer.” They also found with moderate certainty that there was no “net benefit” from taking vitamin E.They found insufficient evidence to recommend taking a multivitamin or multimineral supplement in either case.
In an accompanying editorial published today in JAMA by Northwestern Medicine researchers, the authors go further, arguing that supplements are actually a “waste of money” for the public.If these supplements have any effect on reducing mortality in the general population, the benefits may be very small, they noted.But even that benefit is uncertain because the field is rife with poorly done or non-standardized research, and the products themselves are regulated as much as drugs.They also argue that the perception of supplements as a panacea, fueled by advertising in the multibillion-dollar supplement industry, could distract from activities that are more likely to improve people’s health, such as exercising or Eat a more balanced diet.
Some groups will definitely benefit from supplements.For example, prenatal vitamins are recommended during pregnancy to ensure that the growing fetus is getting enough folic acid.Many people tend to be low or even deficient in certain nutrients, such as vitamin D, so supplementation on a case-by-case basis can help fill those gaps.But currently, an estimated 52 percent of Americans take supplements on a regular basis, while about one-third take a multivitamin.For most people, these updated recommendations suggest that no additional boost is needed and is likely to be detrimental.
Post time: Jun-27-2022