Every day dietary supplement manufactures and marketers are literally rolling around on their plush carpets laughing hysterically at the millions of people they’ve duped. The public has been hoodwinked by clever snake-oil marketers into believing that dietary supplements like multivitamins, Vitamin E, folic acid, and other magical pills can help prevent certain cancers, heart disease, heart attacks and cognitive decline. The evidence speaks for itself.
From the Annals of Internal Medicine:
Question: Do multivitamins help prevent cancer
and heart disease?
Study: Twenty-seven trials with more than
400 000 participants.
Conclusion:
“After reviewing 3 trials of multivitamin supplements and 24 trials of
single or paired vitamins that randomly assigned more than 400 000
participants, the authors concluded that there was no clear evidence of a
beneficial effect of supplements on all-cause mortality, cardiovascular
disease, or cancer.”
Question: Do multivitamins help prevent
cognitive decline?
Study: 5947 men aged 65 years or older over
a 12 year period.
Conclusion: “There were no differences between
the multivitamin and placebo groups in overall cognitive performance or verbal
memory. Adherence to the intervention was high, and the large sample size
resulted in precise estimates showing that use of a multivitamin supplement in
a well-nourished elderly population did not prevent cognitive decline ….. None of the supplements improved cognitive
function.”
Question: Do multivitamins help prevent heart
attacks?
Study: 1708 women and men who had at least
one myocardial infarction over 4.6 years.
Conclusion:
“There was no significant difference in recurrent cardiovascular events
with multivitamins compared with placebo.”
From PubMed (US National Library of Medicine
and National Institutes of Health)
Question: Do Vitamin E supplements help
prevent cancer and heart disease?
Study: 135,967 participants in 19 clinical trials.
Conclusion:
“Experimental models and observational studies suggest that vitamin E
supplementation may prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, several
trials of high-dosage vitamin E supplementation showed non-statistically
significant increases in total mortality ……
High-dosage (> or =400 IU/d) vitamin E supplements may increase
all-cause mortality and should be avoided.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15537682
Question: Can folic acid supplements prevent
cardiovascular disease?
Study:
A meta-analyses (1966 to 2009) of randomized controlled trials of folic
acid supplementation to prevent cardiovascular disease
Conclusion:
“Folic acid had no effect on cardiovascular disease or stroke. However,
analysis of within-trial results stratified by baseline homocysteine suggests
potential harm in those with high homocysteine at baseline. This interaction
may have important implications for recommendations of folic acid supplement
use. In the meantime, folic acid supplementation should not be recommended as a
means to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease or stroke.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20691310
Question: Can omega-3 supplementation prevent
or reduce all-cause mortality, cardiac death, sudden death, myocardial
infarction, and stroke?
Study:
Twenty studies of 68,680 patients, reporting 7044 deaths, 3993 cardiac
deaths, 1150 sudden deaths, 1837 myocardial infarctions, and 1490 strokes.
Conclusion:
“Overall, omega-3 PUFA supplementation was not associated with a lower
risk of all-cause mortality, cardiac death, sudden death, myocardial
infarction, or stroke based on relative and absolute measures of association.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22968891
Mass Confusion - Berkeley Wellness
“Supplements
are only lightly regulated by the FDA. Manufacturers don't have to prove
efficacy or safety. Federal law limits what kind of health claims can be made
on labels, in ads, and on the Internet, but many marketers make illegal,
unsubstantiated claims for months, even years, before the FDA cracks down on
them. Still, some supplements are clearly beneficial and come in standard
doses. No wonder people are confused. It's the Wild West out there.”
Side Effects - Berkeley Wellness
“Just
because supplements are sold without a prescription, are often touted as
‘natural,’ and come with no warnings on their labels, that doesn’t mean they
are safe. Adverse effects are seldom reported, so safety remains a question.
Supplements can have a powerful and unpredictable impact on the body, possibly
affecting blood sugar, blood clotting, blood pressure, hormone activity, liver
function, and more. What’s more, many supplements (particularly herbs) can
interact with prescription or OTC medications. If you experience side effects
from a supplement, report it to the FDA as well as to your health care
provider.”
The Bottom Line
“The large
body of accumulated evidence has important public health and clinical
implications. Evidence is sufficient to advise against routine supplementation,
and we should translate null and negative findings into action. The message is
simple: Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is
not justified, and they should be avoided. This message is especially true for
the general population with no clear evidence of micronutrient deficiencies,
who represent most supplement users in the United States and in other countries.
“In
conclusion, β-carotene, vitamin E, and possibly high doses of vitamin A
supplements are harmful. Other antioxidants, folic acid and B vitamins, and
multivitamin and mineral supplements are ineffective for preventing mortality
or morbidity due to major chronic diseases. Although available evidence does
not rule out small benefits or harms or large benefits or harms in a small
subgroup of the population, we believe that the case is closed— supplementing
the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements
has no clear benefit and might even be harmful. These vitamins should not be
used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough.”
http://annals.org/aim/article/1789253/enough-enough-stop-wasting-money-vitamin-mineral-supplements
http://annals.org/aim/article/1789253/enough-enough-stop-wasting-money-vitamin-mineral-supplements
The FDA Safety Reporting Portal
“The Safety
Reporting Portal (SRP) streamlines the process of reporting product safety issues
to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of
Health (NIH). Whatever your role, (manufacturer, health care professional,
researcher, public health official, or concerned citizen), when you submit a
safety report through this Portal, you make a vital contribution to the safety
of America's food supply, medicines, and other products that touch us all.” https://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov/fpsr/WorkflowLoginIO.aspx?metinstance=E635C2609126EEC9B26E202536499D6A8DE73650
The IV Vitamin Therapy Scam
“Over the past few years, the popularity of intravenous (IV) vitamin therapy has grown dramatically. It is marketed as a way to recover from hangovers, strengthen the immune system, alleviate jet lag, help people lose weight, ‘extinguish fatigue’ and increase energy. But there’s no evidence it does any of these things…..
“IV therapy is just the most recent and intense version of the illogical ‘more-vitamins-the-better’ mentality. Let’s be absolutely clear: there is no evidence to support the idea that IV vitamin therapy provides any of the health benefits promised by its purveyors. Moreover, there is no evidence that getting vitamins faster, or bypassing the digestive system, provides any health benefits. Unless you have a fairly serious condition that has caused a severe clinical deficiency, the best way to get your vitamins is through the food that you eat.” http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/timothy-caulfield-the-iv-therapy-myth
Additional Resources
8 Alarming Truths That Make Supplement Marketers Squirm http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2016/08/8-alarming-truths-that-make-supplement.html
Do Supplements Really Work? 8 Crucial Guidelines http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2013/10/do-supplements-really-work-8-crucial.html
19 Vitamin & Mineral Supplements: What Works And What’s Bogus http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2014/09/19-vitamin-mineral-supplements.html
9 Quick Ways to Detect Online Supplement Scams http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2015/06/9-quick-ways-to-detect-online.html
Testosterone Supplement Hype: Misguided Masculinity http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2014/11/testosterone-supplement-hype-misguided.html
Dr. Oz and The Doctors: Assessing Exaggerated Health Claims http://www.mybestbuddymedia.com/2014/12/dr-oz-and-doctors-assessing.html
Photo:
http://ei.marketwatch.com//Multimedia/2016/01/21/Photos/ZH/MW-ED773_supple_20160121144306_ZH.jpg?
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it's truly informative.
ReplyDeleteI?m going to watch out for brussels. I?ll appreciate if you continue this in future.
Many people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
My partner and I stumbled over here from a different web address and thought I may as well check
ReplyDeletethings out. I like what I see so i am just following you.
Look forward to looking over your web page repeatedly.
Touche. Solid arguments. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteI saw a lot of website but I believe this one has got something special in it.
ReplyDeleteI would like to thnkx for the efforts you've
ReplyDeleteput in writing this site. I'm hoping the same high-grade blog post from you in the
upcoming as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has
inspired me to get my own web site now. Actually the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly.
Your write up is a great example of it.
Awesome article once again! Thanks:)
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity you don't have a donate button! I'd definitely donate to this outstanding blog!
ReplyDeleteI guess for now i'll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to brand new updates and will
share this blog with my Facebook group. Talk soon!
Hello.This article was extremely remarkable, especially because I was investigating for thoughts
ReplyDeleteon this issue last couple of days.
Yay google is my world beater helped me to find
ReplyDeletethis great website!
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful
ReplyDelete& it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.
That is really fascinating, You're an excessively
ReplyDeleteprofessional blogger. I've joined your rss feed and stay up for in search of
extra of your wonderful post. Additionally, I have shared
your website in my social networks
I like this web blog very much, Its a real nice berth to read and find information.
ReplyDeleteWay cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this article and the rest of
ReplyDeletethe site is extremely good.
Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that.
ReplyDeleteAnd he actually bought me lunch as I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
This is a topic that is near to my heart... Cheers!
ReplyDeleteExactly where are your contact details though?
Right here is the perfect site for anyone who wishes to understand this topic.
ReplyDeleteYou understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you
(not that I actually would want to?HaHa). You definitely put a
fresh spin on a topic that's been written about for many years.
Excellent stuff, just excellent!
I do accept as true with all of the ideas you have presented for your post.
ReplyDeleteThey are really convincing and will certainly work.
Still, the posts are very short for starters.
Could you please prolong them a bit from next time?
Thanks for the post.
Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and
ReplyDeletesources back to your weblog? My website is in the
very same area of interest as yours and my users
would really benefit from some of the information you
present here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Regards!
Hello there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group?
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of people that I think would really appreciate your content.
Please let me know. Thank you
If some one desires to be updated with newest technologies after that he must be
ReplyDeletevisit this site and be up to date daily.
I'm impressed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that's equally educative and
ReplyDeleteinteresting, and without a doubt, you've hit the nail on the head.
The problem is an issue that too few men and women are speaking intelligently about.
Now i'm very happy that I found this in my search for something regarding this.