Feds question vitamins' vitality

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/05/18/100wir_a4vitamins001.cfm

Feds question vitamins' vitality
A study finds little evidence to support the health claims of
multivitamins.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - More than half of U.S. adults use multivitamins, yet
there's little evidence that most of the pills do any good, and concern
that some people may even get a risky vitamin overload, advisers to the
government said Wednesday.

Worried about bottles that promise 53 times the recommended daily
consumption of certain nutrients, specialists convened by the National
Institutes of Health called Wednesday for strengthened federal
oversight of the $23 billion dietary supplement industry, especially
efforts to pin down side effects.

For the average healthy American, there's simply not enough evidence to
tell if taking vitamins is a good or bad idea, said Dr. Michael
McGinnis of the Institute of Medicine, who led the NIH panel's review.

"We don't know a great deal," he said, calling for more rigorous
research.

Moreover, McGinnis added, "The product with which we're dealing is
virtually unregulated," meaning there are even questions about how the
bottles' labels convey what's really inside.

Vitamins and minerals, often packaged together, are the most-used
dietary supplements, and widely assumed to be safe. After all, vitamins
naturally occur in some of the healthiest foods, and vitamin
deficiencies have been known to be dangerous since scurvy's link to a
lack of fruits and vegetables was discovered centuries ago.

The NIH panel concluded the people most likely to have nutrient
deficiencies are the least likely to use multivitamins.

There are only a few proven disease-preventing supplements, the NIH
panel concluded:

* Women of childbearing age should take folic acid supplements to
prevent spina bifida and related birth defects.

* Calcium and vitamin D together protect the bones of postmenopausal
women.

* Antioxidants and zinc may slow the worsening of the blinding disease
called age-related macular degeneration.

On the other hand, smokers should avoid taking beta-carotene
supplements, because the pills can increase their risk of lung cancer,
the report stresses.

For other vitamins, concern arises mainly with super doses that exceed
the government's "recommended daily amount," or RDA. Between 1 percent
and 11 percent of supplement users may be exceeding the upper limits
set for certain nutrients, if they add together their doses from pills
and their diets, said Cornell University nutritionist Patsy Brannon.

Too much niacin can damage the liver. Among other examples, too much
vitamin A can cause birth defects, and too much vitamin E can cause
bleeding problems. Some vitamins also can interact dangerously with
medications, and doctors should ask their patients what they take, the
NIH panel said.

If you choose to take vitamins, use those labeled with 100 percent of
the RDA or "daily value," advised Brannon. Together with a good diet,
that would provide most people plenty without getting near the upper
limit.


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http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3239/33048.aspx

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------

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TC

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