Journal of the National Cancer Institute Advance Access published online on May 27, 2008
JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, doi:10.1093/jnci/djn184
© Oxford University Press 2008.
NEWS
An Apple a Day May Be Safer Than Vitamins
Vicki Brower
The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.
Many cancer patients and healthy individuals regularly take vitamin and mineral supplements, often with their physician's blessing. Although many doctors may not believe that supplements prevent disease, most think that they can't hurt. But a growing body of research indicates that, at least in some cases, vitamin and mineral supplements may not be entirely benign.
Several new reports, including a commentary in this issue of the Journal (p. 773–778), are raising concerns about the safety and efficacy of vitamin and mineral supplements in healthy individuals and cancer patients and survivors. Some experts see a need for further studies, whereas others say that there are sufficient negative data to stop vitamin trials altogether.
"A good place for research to start would be food and lifestyle intervention trials," instead of vitamin studies, said Tim Byers, M.D., professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in . . .
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Brower V. An Apple a Day May Be Safer Than Vitamins. J Natl Cancer Inst 2008 May 27. Advance Access (Editorial)
doi:10.1093/jnci/djn184
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/extract/djn184
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/djn184
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/djn184
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What do you think of further investigation of nutrients in clinical trials?
Who should design those trials?
What criteria are used in selecting the agents used - source, form, dose, timing?
How are dietary and lifestyle factors accounted for?
What experience do the authors have with nutritional therapies as a primary component of prevention and treatment?
Have you ever heard anyone trained and experienced in nutritional therapies suggest that food sources (and lifestyle factors) are inappropriate or unimportant subjects of research?