The following is an excerpt from an article in the UK Evening Standard. It supports the theme of my life and therefore my blog. Calm down, everything is fine unless you freak out.
Vitamins taken by around a third of the population do not extend life and may even cause premature death, according to a respected group of international scientists.
After reviewing 67 studies involving more than 230,000 men and women, the experts say there is no convincing evidence that taking supplements of the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E can make you healthier.
The alarming findings, published today, will shock Britons who spend £333million a year on supplements.
Forty per cent of women and 30 per cent of men take a vitamin pill each day.
The review involved trials on beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium.
It says in-depth analysis of the different trials does not support the idea that vitamins extend lifespan.
'Even more, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E seem to increase mortality,' says the review.
Vitamin A was linked to a 16 per cent increase in mortality, beta-carotene - the pigment found in carrots, tomatoes and broccoli which the body converts into vitamin A - to a 7 per cent increase and vitamin E to a 4 per cent increase. However, there was no significant detrimental effect caused by vitamin C.
'There was no evidence to support either healthy people using antioxidants to prevent disease or for sick people to take them to get better,' said the review.
It said more research was needed on vitamin C and selenium.
Antioxidants are used by the body as protection against free radicals, which are molecules produced during normal metabolism.
These can damage the body if they flourish in an uncontrolled way as a result of illness, overexposure to toxins or ageing.
It is thought antioxidants such as vitamin C confer health benefits by 'grabbing' or neutralising free radicals, and many people take them as health 'insurance'.
The theory behind using antioxidants is to combat oxidation - the chemical reaction that causes metals to rust - which in cells can damage DNA, thus raising the risk of cancer, other diseases and the changes associated with ageing.
Previous human and animal laboratory research suggested that boosting antioxidant levels in the body might extend life, but other studies produced neutral or even harmful results. The review is published by the Cochrane Library, a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organisation which evaluates healthcare research.
Altogether 47 trials involving 180,938 people were classified as having a low risk of bias which showed 'antioxidant supplements significantly increased mortality'.
Goran Bjelakovic, who led the review at the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, said: 'We could find no evidence to support taking antioxidant supplements to reduce the risk of dying earlier in healthy people or patients with various diseases.
'The findings of our review show that if anything, people in trial groups given the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E showed increased rates of mortality.
'There was no indication that vitamin C and selenium may have positive or negative effects. So, regarding these antioxidants, we need more data from randomised trials.
'The bottom line is that current evidence does not support the use of antioxidant supplements in the general healthy population or in patients with certain diseases.'
The review does not offer any biological explanation as to why supplements can cause harm, although it has been suggested that betacarotene, for example, might interfere with the body's use of fats.
Relate this to my previous post about the cost of insurance, and more importantly, legally required coverage for certain things. Defenders "universal coverage" in the U.S. say that there would have to be mandates for preventative care and penalties to encourage "healthy living habits" in order to keep costs down. The previous article supports the idea that medical professionals and scientists in general know relatively little about human health and exsistence. Policy makers always panic when confronted with new information about human health risks such as global climate change, asbestos, lead paint, mercury in drinking water etc. Inevitably someone, somewhere will discover the exact opposite is true through a flaw in the research or new advances and discoveries. Red meat is healthy, diet drinks make you fat, exercise deteriorates your body, crack cocaine makes you smart. Well 75% is a passing grade, and as I tell my children, C's get degrees.
Vitamins taken by around a third of the population do not extend life and may even cause premature death, according to a respected group of international scientists.
After reviewing 67 studies involving more than 230,000 men and women, the experts say there is no convincing evidence that taking supplements of the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E can make you healthier.
The alarming findings, published today, will shock Britons who spend £333million a year on supplements.
Forty per cent of women and 30 per cent of men take a vitamin pill each day.
The review involved trials on beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium.
It says in-depth analysis of the different trials does not support the idea that vitamins extend lifespan.
'Even more, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E seem to increase mortality,' says the review.
Vitamin A was linked to a 16 per cent increase in mortality, beta-carotene - the pigment found in carrots, tomatoes and broccoli which the body converts into vitamin A - to a 7 per cent increase and vitamin E to a 4 per cent increase. However, there was no significant detrimental effect caused by vitamin C.
'There was no evidence to support either healthy people using antioxidants to prevent disease or for sick people to take them to get better,' said the review.
It said more research was needed on vitamin C and selenium.
Antioxidants are used by the body as protection against free radicals, which are molecules produced during normal metabolism.
These can damage the body if they flourish in an uncontrolled way as a result of illness, overexposure to toxins or ageing.
It is thought antioxidants such as vitamin C confer health benefits by 'grabbing' or neutralising free radicals, and many people take them as health 'insurance'.
The theory behind using antioxidants is to combat oxidation - the chemical reaction that causes metals to rust - which in cells can damage DNA, thus raising the risk of cancer, other diseases and the changes associated with ageing.
Previous human and animal laboratory research suggested that boosting antioxidant levels in the body might extend life, but other studies produced neutral or even harmful results. The review is published by the Cochrane Library, a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organisation which evaluates healthcare research.
Altogether 47 trials involving 180,938 people were classified as having a low risk of bias which showed 'antioxidant supplements significantly increased mortality'.
Goran Bjelakovic, who led the review at the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, said: 'We could find no evidence to support taking antioxidant supplements to reduce the risk of dying earlier in healthy people or patients with various diseases.
'The findings of our review show that if anything, people in trial groups given the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E showed increased rates of mortality.
'There was no indication that vitamin C and selenium may have positive or negative effects. So, regarding these antioxidants, we need more data from randomised trials.
'The bottom line is that current evidence does not support the use of antioxidant supplements in the general healthy population or in patients with certain diseases.'
The review does not offer any biological explanation as to why supplements can cause harm, although it has been suggested that betacarotene, for example, might interfere with the body's use of fats.
Relate this to my previous post about the cost of insurance, and more importantly, legally required coverage for certain things. Defenders "universal coverage" in the U.S. say that there would have to be mandates for preventative care and penalties to encourage "healthy living habits" in order to keep costs down. The previous article supports the idea that medical professionals and scientists in general know relatively little about human health and exsistence. Policy makers always panic when confronted with new information about human health risks such as global climate change, asbestos, lead paint, mercury in drinking water etc. Inevitably someone, somewhere will discover the exact opposite is true through a flaw in the research or new advances and discoveries. Red meat is healthy, diet drinks make you fat, exercise deteriorates your body, crack cocaine makes you smart. Well 75% is a passing grade, and as I tell my children, C's get degrees.
Generally people are reasonable but government appointed authorities who risk criticism if they don't "DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT" are not. There are other over-reactionary entities that exist in society and like to scare our children. Companies who stand to make a profit from a wholesale paradigm shift and sensationalist media outlets who need to sell papers or commercials by always having EXCITING news. I always consume "news" with this brain filter on. It just makes life so much more enjoyable when you have the proper perspective.
No comments:
Post a Comment