High Dosage Vitamins Increase Cancer Risk... when they're synthetic vitamins Even though my own product, The Pilot’s Super Supplement, delivers concentrated doses of vitamins—among other nutrients—I am constantly warning my customers, friends and relatives about the dangers of high dosage vitamins. And with good reason. A new study has just been published stating that, “taking too many [vitamins] may increase men’s risk of dying from prostate cancer.” We could not agree more with this statement. The study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute followed the overall health and diets of 300,000 men. The study concluded that “heavy multivitamin users were almost twice as likely to get fatal prostate cancer as men who never took the pills”. There was a small catch in the researchers’ findings. There was no link found between vitamin use and early stages of prostate cancer. “The researchers speculated that perhaps high-dose vitamins had little effect until a tumor appeared, and then could spur its growth.”1 Taking a multivitamin may actually increase the growth of tumors? What is wrong with this picture? Taking a daily vitamin should promote health within the body. The problem arises when people are consuming synthetic vitamins. The majority of all vitamins sold in stores today are synthetic. This means they are created in a laboratory. For example, Vitamin C is commonly sold as ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is made by combining corn syrup and hydrochloric acid. In fact, most vitamins in supplements are petroleum extracts, coal tar derivatives, and chemically processed sugar (plus sometimes industrially processed fish oils). Other acids and industrial chemicals (such as formaldehyde) are used to process them.2-5 Does that sound like it would be good for the body? There was even a study published in the Los Angeles Times that illustrated how synthetic ascorbic acid (sold as vitamin c) gave participants 2.5 times thicker arterial walls, thus increasing their risk of heart disease. Another study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that taking megadoses of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can cause rebound scurvy; strange considering scurvy is a deficiency in Vitamin C. There is study after study that prove synthetic vitamins are not only not good for your health, but can actually be detrimental! The British Heart Protection study tracked a large number of adults for 5 years. They found that people who regularly take antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E) had no reduction in heart attacks, strokes, cancer, or diabetes. The researchers speculate that people may get more benefit from getting their daily requirement of vitamins from fruits and vegetables instead of a pill. In fact, each increment of 3 daily servings of fruits and vegetables equates to a 22% decrease in the risk of stroke.6 It would be difficult for even the healthiest individuals to get their entire daily allotment of all vitamins and minerals from foods. Many foods do not contain the vitamin content they once did. This is due to soil depletion, current farming methods, and methods of food production and preparation.7 There is an alternative to make sure one is meeting their daily requirement of vitamins: whole food vitamins—vitamins that are obtained directly from the foods! The body is built to easily recognize and utilize whole food vitamins. There are vitamins available on the market today that show only whole food sources. For example: Vitamin C listing oranges, broccoli, black currants, and acerola cherries as the main ingredients. This ensures the vitamin is in the form nature intended, from food. Has there ever been a study showing the negative side effects from the Vitamin C consumed from oranges or the Vitamin A consumed from carrots? They do not exist. The problems only arise when the consumer is taking a synthetic version of the vitamin. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that every American needs to take a multi-vitamin.8 In addition to the need for all-natural whole food vitamins, there are other nutrients that are shown to promote healing within the body. When it comes to most any disease—even prostate cancer—certain nutrients can help the body to heal itself. In the Townsend letter for medical doctors a study done with saw palmetto, which is extracted from a type of palm tree, has been shown to prevent the conversion of testosterone to DHT, and to reduce prostate symptoms in clinical tests.9 Another study found that men consuming the most dietary selenium (whole food based selenium) developed 65% fewer cases of advanced prostate cancer than did men with the lowest levels of selenium intake.10 Other nutrients that have been proven to help with prostate health include: zinc11, lycopene12, vitamin E13, pygeum14, stinging nettle15, omega-3 fatty acids16, and proteolytic enzymes17. The body has the ability to heal itself. It just needs to be given the proper nutrients. The body is an amazing device that wants to be healthy. If given the right nutrients the body has its own tremendous healing powers. It is easy to create more deficiencies or problems by taking the wrong kind of nutritional supplements. Make sure to read the labels on any products considered and as a good rule of thumb, if the ingredients are all chemical names (or unpronounceable) it would be wise to stay away. 1. Lawson KA, Wright ME, Subar A, Mouw T, Schatzkin A, Leitzmann MF. Multivitamin Use and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the National Institutes of Health - AARP Diet and Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007; 99: 754-764. 2. Budvari S, et al editors. The Merck Index: An encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals, 12th ed. Merck Research Laboratories, Whitehouse Station (NJ), 1996. 3. Vitamin-Mineral Manufacturing Guide: Nutrient Empowerment, volume 1. Nutrition Resource, Lakeport (CA), 1986. 4. DeCava JA. The Real Truth About Vitamins and Antioxidants. A Printery, Centerfield (MA), 1997. 5. Hui JH. Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology. John Wiley, New York, 1992. 6. Gillman et al. JAMA. 1995; 273; 1113. 7. Fletcher & Fairchild, “Vitamins or Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults”. JAMA, June 19, 2002. 8. I Eat Good, I Don’t Need Vitamins. Health Warf. Retrieved August 6, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.bioactiv.com/i_eat_good.htm 9. Walker M. Serenoa repens extract (Saw palmetto) relief for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Townsend Letter for Doctors: 1991;2-3:107-10; Perlmutter D. LifeGuide. Naples, FL, LifeGuide Press, 1994. 10. Yoshizawa K, Willett WC, Morris SJ, et al. Study of prediagnostic selenium levels in toenails and the risk of advanced prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998;90:1219–24. 11. Smeltzer SC, Bare BG. Medical Surgical Nursing. 7th Ed. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott Co. 1992. 12. Journal of the American Medical Association 276: 1957-1996. 13. Pavon Maganto E. Zinc in prostatic physiopathology. I. Role of zinc in the physiology and biochemistry of the prostatic gland. Arch Esp Urol. March 1979; 32(2):143-152. 14. Clinton SK, et al. Cis-trans lycopene isomers, cartonoids, and retinol in the human prostate. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1996 Oct; 5(10):823-833. 15. Clark LC, et al. Decreased incidence of prostate cancer with selenium supplementation: results of a double-blind cancer prevention trial. Br J Urol. May 1998; 81(5): 730-740. 16. Heinonen, OP. Prostate cancer and supplementation with alpha tocopherol and betacarotene: Incidence and mortality in a controlled trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. March 1998; 90(6):440-446. 17. Bartlet A, et al. Efficacy of Pygeum africanum Extract in the Medical Therapy of Urination Disorders Due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Evaluation of Objective and Subjective Parameters. A Placebo-controlled Double-blind multicenter Study. Wien Klin Wochenschr. November 1990; 102(22): 667-673. |
