Use of vitamin supplements warning
Updated on 18 February 2008
People should not rely on vitamin supplements to cut their risk of cancer, with some doing more harm than good, a leading expert has warned.
A healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables is known to cut the risk of cancer whereas there is far less confidence about the effect of supplements, he said.
Professor Martin Wiseman, medical and scientific adviser for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), urged people to ditch the supplements in favour of a healthy diet.
He said: "Many people still think they can reduce their cancer risk by taking supplements, but the evidence does not support this.
"This is why we need to get across the message that supplements should not be taken for cancer prevention and instead people should be aiming to get the nutrients they need from their diet alone.
"It is true that there is some evidence that certain supplements may protect against cancer, but we simply do not know enough to be able to confidently predict the balance of risks and benefits for the general population. Some people may be doing themselves more harm than good."
A major WCRF cancer prevention report published in November examined more than 7,000 studies about how lifestyle affects cancer risk.
This included evidence from almost 50 different clinical trials on supplements, with experts behind the study finding the results too inconsistent to recommend using them.
Some supplements are advisable for specific groups of people, the report said, but these patients should seek guidance from their GP. For example, pregnant women and those trying to conceive should take folic acid to help cut the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in the developing baby.
But in some groups, taking supplements could increase the risk of cancer, studies have suggested. For example, beta-carotene supplements have been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers.
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