so Multi-Vitamins cause cancer, premature births and don't boost health
 

some new research shows a connection between multivitamins and breast cancer

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/n...st-cancer-risk

also, they cause premature births

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63D40J20100414


vitamin myths

Last year, researchers published new findings from the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term study of more than 160,000 midlife women. The data showed that multivitamin-takers are no healthier than those who don't pop the pills, at least when it comes to the big diseases?cancer, heart disease, stroke. "Even women with poor diets weren't helped by taking a multivitamin," says study author Marian Neuhouser, PhD, in the cancer prevention program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle.


In 2007, researchers analyzed a raft of studies going back several decades and involving more than 11,000 subjects to arrive at a disappointing conclusion: Vitamin C didn't ward off colds, except among marathoners, skiers, and soldiers on subarctic exercises.

An analysis of seven vitamin E trials concluded that it didn't cut the risk of stroke or of death from heart disease. The study also scrutinized eight beta-carotene studies and determined that, rather than prevent heart disease, those supplements produced a slight increase in the risk of death. Other big studies have shown vitamin C failing to deliver. As for B vitamins, research shows that yes, these do cut homocysteine levels ?but no, that doesn't make a dent in heart danger.

Don't take these pills, the American Heart Association says. Instead, the AHA offers some familiar advice: Eat a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

The old thinking went something like this?sure, vitamin pills might not help you, but they can't hurt either. However, a series of large-scale studies has turned this thinking on its head, says Demetrius Albanes, MD, a nutritional epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute.

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/5-v...cle175625.html

Interesting find. Time to stop taking the daily.


Sig.

Natural > synthetic

Thanks for making me question more things. Just had a kid and my girl is taking natal vitamins..

Regarding the first article, it seems to me that people who are more likely to take a multivitamin are those who eat less healthy overall (they're trying to compensate.) The article said the study corrected for certain factors like alcohol use, but didn't mention diet.

I doubt that, people who take them probably eat more healthy. Unhealthy people aren't going to bother eating a vitamin.

dont' take shitty vitamins. spend on quality.

actually, from the several articles i've read, it's common for people who do not eat healthy to take a multi to make up for it. it's how things are advertised and peeps fall for that.

take a pill and everything will be better!

:upsidedow

the results above are not predicated on quality of vitamins.

Myth: A multivitamin can make up for a bad diet
An insurance policy in a pill? If only it were so.

Last year, researchers published new findings from the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term study of more than 160,000 midlife women. The data showed that multivitamin-takers are no healthier than those who don't pop the pills, at least when it comes to the big diseases—cancer, heart disease, stroke. "Even women with poor diets weren't helped by taking a multivitamin," says study author Marian Neuhouser, PhD, in the cancer prevention program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle.

Vitamin supplements came into vogue in the early 1900s, when it was difficult or impossible for most people to get a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Back then, vitamin-deficiency diseases weren't unheard-of: the bowed legs and deformed ribs of rickets (caused by a severe shortage of vitamin D) or the skin problems and mental confusion of pellagra (caused by a lack of the B vitamin niacin). But these days, you're extremely unlikely to be seriously deficient if you eat an average American diet, if only because many packaged foods are vitamin-enriched. Sure, most of us could do with a couple more daily servings of produce, but a multi doesn't do a good job at substituting for those. "Multivitamins have maybe two dozen ingredients—but plants have hundreds of other useful compounds," Neuhouser says. "If you just take a multivitamin, you're missing lots of compounds that may be providing benefits."

That said, there is one group that probably ought to keep taking a multi-vitamin: women of reproductive age. The supplement is insurance in case of pregnancy. A woman who gets adequate amounts of the B vitamin folate is much less likely to have a baby with a birth defect affecting the spinal cord. Since the spinal cord starts to develop extremely early—before a woman may know she's pregnant—the safest course is for her to take 400 micrograms of folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) daily. And a multi is an easy way to get it.

Hmm, idk, I eat very healthy and I take vitamins. I don't really see how they can hurt you, its the same stuff thats in food. Most people eat like potato chips on the couch... I eat like a hunk of plain baked chicken and sliced up mangos to pig out while I watch tv lol and I only drink water except when I occasionally go out and drink alcohol lol, still need to get drunk once in awhile....

Myth: Hey, it can't hurt
The old thinking went something like this?sure, vitamin pills might not help you, but they can't hurt either. However, a series of large-scale studies has turned this thinking on its head, says Demetrius Albanes, MD, a nutritional epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute.

The shift started with a big study of beta-carotene pills. It was meant to test whether the antioxidant could prevent lung cancer, but researchers instead detected surprising increases in lung cancer and deaths among male smokers who took the supplement. No one knew what to make of the result at first, but further studies have shown it wasn't a fluke?there's a real possibility that in some circumstances, antioxidant pills could actually promote cancer (in women as well as in men). Other studies have raised concerns that taking high doses of folic acid could raise the risk of colon cancer. Still others suggest a connection between high doses of some vitamins and heart disease.

Vitamins are safe when you get them in food, but in pill form, they can act more like a drug, Albanes says?with the potential for unexpected and sometimes dangerous effects.

Damn, time to throw at the multi vitamins.

So they expect people to get all their vitamins from McDonalds? lol

There are hundreds of these "studies" about what causes cancer. What doesn't cause some type of cancer?

I like this one

Oral sex triggers risk of head and neck cancer in young people

how many of those people would have been at higher risk anyhow?

i believe the point is that we have all been led to believe that vitamins are a panacea and in all instances good for us when there is some questions about that now. it's up to each of us to educate ourselves and make a decision on what's best.

If that is your theory, what makes you think that you aren't now being led to believe they are bad for you? No one profits from a healthy population.

i eat garbage mostly 5 days a week and take a vitamin daily...

how would that make any difference? if i read that there are questions about popping a multi so consequently i change my habits to eat better, getting my nutrients from food and not a pill, then that is a good thing eh.

and plenty of businesses and people profit from a healthy population.

its pretty impossible to ensure you are getting all of the right nutrients and the right amounts. hell, even cooking vegtables kills most of the nutrients making them almost useless.

well, according to my understanding, it's not difficult to get the daily required nutrients from food. anything close to a balanced diet will supply all needed nutrients. it only requires a bit of planning, prep and understanding which foods provide what nutrients.

and there are several ways of cooking vegs to keep the nutrients intact- steaming, roasting, stir-fry, panned, microwave, and keeping them raw.

i am not trying to sell anyone on this, btw. i am speaking from my own, and about my own, experience.

here's a quick read on cooking vegetables

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=34

I had some blood tests done recently and I was (according to the doctor) perfect in all the things they look for. I don't take vitamins, I just eat healthy.

I've read that OD'ing on vitamins is actually bad for you. Drug companies want everyone to take multivitamins to make $ for themselves but in most cases you're doing yourself more harm than good by taking them.

I have never taken any kind of vitamin supplements in my entire life and my parents never made us take any when we were kids. I can always remember a friend of mine who would always take multi vitamins because his parents made him take them when he was a kid. He was always off school with some kind of bug or flu ... I think if you eat correctly you should never need them anyway.

yeah, i have a steamer but its a pain in the ass to wash. i think i eat pretty well but also take multivitamins. my parents have taken multivitamins and suppliments religiously for 15-20 years now i guess. i just wonder if i should seriously reconsidering doing the same.

good to know! :thumbsup


i'm with you, i just took my 2nd multi of the day along with some baked chicken, wild rice and broccoli. i do not know if the studies will end up being right or wrong but as a result of learning about them, i believe i will try harder to consistently get my nutrients from a range of healthy foods and not rely on a pill.


:)

My current views (do's and dont's) on health are as follows:

1. Don't microwave food
2. Don't take any synthetic vitamins
3. Drink green tea 6-10 times per day
4. Steam or Stir fry vegetable
5. Cook with conola, olive and flax oil (flax also tastes fucking nice on salads because it is slightly sweet)
6. Eat as many different coloured fruits and veg everyday.
7. Drink fruit juice and water instead of coke etc.. (I used to drink a ton, now I have about 200ml of soda a day)
8. Get outside even if it's cold to get some fresh oxygen in your body.
9. Only eat wholewheat bread
10. Think of more ways to get healthier :)

Just boil veg, as long as you don't overdo it you should be fine.

A varied, balanced diet is all you need.

BTW if anyone reading this thread is a smoker, never ever take beta-carotene in pill form. If it is synthetically made taking too much elevates the risk of lung cancer.

Eating carrots and other veg and fruit containing it doesn't cause the same risk though.

If you read the whole article it goes on to say about folic acid being bad for women, and the iron levels causing cancer.

Iron is something our body needs but doesn't need a lot of. There is a lot of multi vitamins that are specifically iron free for that reason.

Hmm...Does this reffer to PEZ multivitamins as well?

good stuff, but what's the reason for no microwave? :thumbsup

I quit the microwave too. I figured if things coming out of the microwave tasted different from normal cooking, it must be doing something to the molecules of food.

I switched to a toaster oven and it only takes a few minutes longer to heat stuff up, and it tastes way better.

Good page here about the microwave. I think this is a good quote for this thread

http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm

I bet you can't wait to use your microwave again! lol

Um, microwaves kill nutrients, one of my friends is a bodybuilder and he refuses to microwave eggs because he says they kill the protein nutrients and just to never use microwaves.

IMO I dont really like microwaves because its shooting fucking RADIATION around in a metal box which I do not trust to keep it ALL safely inside and not shooting into my baby maker. If it blocks radiation, you should be able to put a cell phone inside and when you call it, it shouldnt ring.... try it, it still rings.

And speaking of everything giving you cancer, you dont think cell phone waves shooting through your skull do anything?

Um, microwaves kill nutrients, one of my friends is a bodybuilder and he refuses to microwave eggs because he says they kill the protein nutrients and just to never use microwaves.

IMO I dont really like microwaves because its shooting fucking RADIATION around in a metal box which I do not trust to keep it ALL safely inside and not shooting into my baby maker. If it blocks radiation, you should be able to put a cell phone inside and when you call it, it shouldnt ring.... try it, it still rings.

And speaking of everything giving you cancer, you dont think cell phone waves shooting through your skull do anything?

:pimp:pimp:Oh crap