The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued recommendations against the use of two nutritional supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. They are beta-carotene and vitamin E. Specifically, beta-carotene even has the risk of causing cancer. This guide has caused a stir. Is it a waste of money and harmful to buy health supplements?
There is no benefit in taking beta-carotene or vitamin E supplements
Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in many countries, and inflammation and oxidative stress in the body have been shown to trigger these diseases. The perceived anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of taking nutritional supplements are one reason people buy them.
However, in a updated guide published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the USPSTF states:
- Vitamin E supplementation is not beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer. Excessive supplementation increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
- Beta carotene supplementation may do more harm than good. Especially for smokers and workers exposed to asbestos, beta-carotene supplements increase the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease and lung cancer.
the combination of beta-carotene and vitamin A supplementation also increases the risk of lung cancer.
Beta-carotene foods fight cancer, beta-carotene supplements do the opposite
A lot of studies have found that beta-carotene has strong antioxidant effects and that consumption of fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and all-cause mortality. Among others, foods containing carotenoids may have protective effects against cancers of the lung, oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx.
However, smokers who take beta-carotene supplements to prevent lung cancer are likely to experience the opposite effect.
Studies have found that taking high doses of beta-carotene supplements increases the risk of lung cancer, and cancer risk is higher among smokers. As far back as 1994, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that the total mortality rate of male smokers taking beta-carotene was 8% higher than that of non-smokers, with the causes of death being primarily breast cancer. lung and ischemic heart disease.
So how much supplementation is considered “high dose”? A 2010 meta-analysis showed that people who received supplements 20 to 30mg of daily beta-carotene had a significant 16 percent increase in lung and stomach cancers, with the highest risk among smokers and workers exposed to asbestos.
It’s more, Independent Due to the tar and nicotine content of cigarettes, smokers who take beta-carotene supplements have an increased risk of lung cancer. If smokers consume alcohol regularly, the combination of beta-carotene and ethanol can cause hepatotoxicity.
Why do beta-carotene from foods and beta-carotene supplements produce almost completely opposite results on the body? Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center suggests that dietary beta-carotene may interact with other phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables to have better effects in the body than supplements.
Other studies suggest that high doses of beta-carotene supplements can switch from “antioxidants” to “pro-oxidants” and, in smokers, can even cause DNA problems. oxidative damage, making cells more susceptible to cancer.
a 2020 revision published in Antioxidants noted that the interactions of carotenoids in humans, including beta-carotene, are complex and can become either antioxidants or prooxidants. In the latter case, carotenoids can even damage cells.
As for vitamin A supplements, although they are not as risky as beta-carotene, supplementation through diet also recommended
Two studies done in 2019 found that dietary intake of vitamin A, rather than supplementation, reduces all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality, and that diets rich in carotenoids, which are converted to vitamin A in the body, are beneficial for cardiometabolic health.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient, and taking just one supplement can cause too much of it to accumulate in the body. According to the USPSTF, too much vitamin A can reduce bone mineral density or produce hepatotoxic or teratogenic effects.
Are supplements a harmful waste of money?
The new USPSTF guideline also states that there is insufficient evidence to show that supplementation with one or more nutrients can prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer.
The guideline evaluated the benefits of single or combined vitamin supplements, such as beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, calcium, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B3, vitamin B6 and selenium for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. and cancer and for the reduction of mortality. And he came to the aforementioned conclusions.
In an editorial accompanying the guideline, Jeffrey A. Linder, MD, chief of general internal medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, along with his colleagues, said that instead of spending money and paying attention to supplements , low-risk and high-impact medications should be emphasized. Examples include eating a healthy diet, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding tobacco use.
It makes people wonder if buying health supplements is really a waste of money and bad for their bodies. After all, not everyone can enjoy a well-balanced meal on a regular basis.
In this regard, Titan Lin, nutritionist and CEO of Learneating Co. Ltd, said that the intake of a single nutrient supplement usually involves high doses; but supplementing a combination of vitamins is much safer.
On the other hand, a balanced diet can reduce cancer and cardiovascular risks, and eating natural foods can supplement multiple nutrients at the same time.
However, some nutrients are more difficult to obtain in effective doses from food, such as fish oil, and therefore can be supplemented with supplements.
There are also a number of factors that make it necessary for people to obtain essential nutrients from supplements.
USPSTF recommends that pregnant women take a daily supplement of 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400 to 800 mcg) of folic acid to prevent neural tube birth defects in infants.
Lack of vitamin B12 can affect memory, but vitamin B12 is mainly found in foods of animal origin. And long-term vegetarians are prone to vitamin B12 deficiencies and need to take supplements.
Additionally, supplementation with astaxanthin, sesamin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and other non-essential nutrients still provide some benefits.
If it is relatively difficult to obtain them from food, we can also opt for supplements. For example, people who are stressed and have poor sleep quality can supplement sesamin and GABA; and people who work too much and have sore eyes can supplement astaxanthin.
Lin pointed out that the advantage of vitamin and other nutrient supplements is that they can quickly supplement the effective doses needed, or when people really have difficulty improving their diet, they can get the nutrients they need from supplements.
However, he stressed that “you cannot think that you do not have to have a balanced diet if you take supplements.”
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