supplements they are a growing and multi-billion dollar industry, and many of us have made them part of our daily routine. More than half of Americans take at least one supplement a day. The reasons vary: filling nutritional gaps and protecting against cancer and heart disease are some of the most common. But a group of experts just recommended that you shouldn’t take two supplements regularly, no matter what. Read on to learn more, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss out on these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
On June 21, the United States Protection Task Force (USPTF) officially recommended against take beta-carotene or vitamin E in supplement form. “The USPSTF concludes with moderate certainty that the harms of beta-carotene supplementation outweigh the benefits for prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer,” the experts wrote. “The USPSTF also concludes with moderate certainty that there is no net benefit of vitamin E supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer.”
The task force cited studies indicating that beta-carotene supplementation may increase the chances of lung cancer in people who are already at higher risk (such as people who smoke or have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace) and a review combined of five studies, which found a “statistically significantly increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease” in people who took beta-carotene supplements after four to 12 years of follow-up.
As for vitamin E, the task force cited nine randomized controlled trials that found “no benefit associated with the use of vitamin E on all-cause mortality” or cardiovascular disease or mortality. Furthermore: “Pooled analyzes also did not show any benefit associated with the use of vitamin E on incidence or mortality from any type of cancer,” the experts said.
Beta-carotene is a carotenoid, a natural plant chemical that is one of several red, orange, and purple pigments found in fruits and vegetables. It is found in carrots, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, and apricots.
Fruits and vegetables are great for your health, and there’s strong evidence showing that eating multiple servings a day reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, just to name a few serious health conditions. But isolating certain chemicals from fruits and vegetables in supplement form is a different story: Studies like the ones cited by the USPTF have found that they may actually be harmful.
It is best to eat a varied diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and other nutritious whole foods. “Pills are not a shortcut to better health and prevention of chronic disease,” said Larry Appel, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research. “Other nutritional recommendations have much stronger evidence of benefits: eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and reducing the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and sugar you eat.”
And to protect your life and that of others, do not visit any of these 35 places where you are most likely to get COVID.
Miguel Martin
Michael Martin is a writer and editor based in New York City whose health and lifestyle content has also been published on Beachbody and Openfit. A contributing writer for Eat This, Not That!, he has also been published in New York, Architectural Digest, Interview and many others. read more
