An old friend, who also happens to be a doctor down in the States, sent me a really interesting article from the New York Times yesterday on the results of studies done on vitamin consumption and their impact on health (News Keeps Getting Worse for Vitamins by Tara Parker-Pope, November 20, 2008).
Factoid #1: Long-term ingestion of vitamins C and/or E don’t seem to help prevent cancer.
Factoid #2: Vitamins C and E do not seem to prevent heart disease.
Factoid #3: Vitamin C seems to not only protect healthy cells but cancerous cells as well.
Factoid #4: Vitamin E, especially when taken in combination with other vitamins and/or minerals, seems to actually account for a HIGHER mortality rate (4% if only taking vitamin E — 6% if taking vitamin E in combination with other vitamins/minerals — according to one study) than taking nothing at all.
Factoid #5: In one study, people being treated with radiation for neck and head cancer were given doses of vitamin E. It seemed to reduce the side-effects of the radiation, but the cancer recurrence rates seemed to be higher in the group taking vitamin E.
On a positive note … well, it’s not all bad. B12/folic acid is still a good thing if you’re a woman of child-bearing age. And taking calcium does seem to help with osteoperosis if you’re a woman over the age of 65.
It’s a fascinating article – suggest you check it out.
