Vitamin pills do not protect against GI cancers

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Vitamin pills do not protect against GI cancers

 

Lancet 2004; 364: 1219-1228

 

Vitamin supplements fail to prevent gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, and may

even shorten life expectancy, investigators claim in The Lancet.

 

Previous study findings have suggested that taking vitamin supplements is

futile, as most nutrients can be obtained from the diet. However, the

current review of clinical trials looking at the intake of certain vitamins

and GI cancer risk suggests taking vitamin supplements could actually

endanger a person, increasing the risk of premature death.

 

Goran Bjelakovic, from the University of Nis in Serbia and Montenegro, and

colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 14 studies involving more than

170,000 healthy people, and discovered that taking beta-carotene, vitamins

A, C and E, and selenium in any combination had no effect on the incidence

of esophageal, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, or liver cancer.

 

" We could not find evidence that antioxidant supplements can prevent GI

cancers, " said Bjelakovic. " On the contrary, they seem to increase overall

mortality. "

 

The team's analysis revealed a 6% increase in the risk of mortality among

people taking vitamins, rather than placebo. Although small, this figure is

still statistically significant, note the researchers.

 

Furthermore, when the team considered specific vitamin combinations, they

found a 10% and 30% increased risk of death among those taking beta-carotene

with vitamin A or vitamin E, respectively.

 

One positive finding of the review was that four of the trials suggested

that taking selenium supplements reduces the risk of GI cancer, but the

researchers say more research is needed to confirm these findings.

 

In an accompanying commentary, David Forman, from the University of Leeds,

in the UK, and Douglas Altman, from the charity Cancer Research UK, note:

" The prospect that vitamin pills may not only do no good, but also kill

their consumers is a scary speculation given the vast quantities that are

used in certain communities. "

 

The UK's Health Supplements Information Service said the findings were of

" borderline statistical significance " . A statement from the organization

added: " What is important to take away from this piece of research is that

these results are preliminary and further investigations into the role of

vitamins in cancer are needed. "

 

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