Vitamins Take Another Health Hit

(CBS)  Doctors had hoped that the antioxidants Vitamin E and Selenium, could prevent prostate cancer. But CBS News learned six weeks ago that more than 35,000 patients in the largest prevention trial of its kind were told to stop taking them, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports. Tuesday, it became official.

"Taking Selenium or Vitamin E at the doses that we used in the select trial for an average of five years did not prevent prostate cancer," said Dr. Eric A. Klein of the Cleveland Clinic.

This is just the latest in a string of disappointing news about vitamin pills, a nearly $8 billion industry. Last month, a study showed neither vitamins E nor C prevent heart disease.

CBS News asked the government's top authority on supplements, Paul M. Coates, director of the Office of Dietary Supplements for the National Institutes of Health, for the bottom line on:

Vitamin E: "We have exhausted the possibilities for its role in chronic disease prevention."

Vitamin C: "No effect for cancer prevention."

Vitamin B: "For the prevention of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, the evidence does not point to a benefit of B vitamins."

And what about taking a daily multivitamin?

"There is a lack of ... solid evidence taking multivitamins regularly have an impact on disease prevention," Coates said.

There are some useful supplements. For example: folic acid during pregnancy, Vitamin B12 for patients who can't absorb it and calcium when dietary sources aren't enough.

[iv-star]

<a href="http://allvitamin.co.cc/">vitamin - health</a>

[baileyccc]

According to these clowns our bodies don''t need natural supplements but our bodies must suffer from a deficient of pharmaceutical synthetic supplements laced with side effects. The entire health care system needs to be change.

[thcarson-2009]

I have come to the conclusion that the FDA is one of the most corrupt organizations in our country. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to many health problems but are readily available in many products while natural sweeteners like stevia are blackballed for use as a food additive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia#Political_controversy

[citizenusa-2009]

My father is 82 years old. He has been taking handfuls of vitamins for DECADES. He''s lived longer than ANYONE in his family and is as intelligent as anyone I''ve ever met...btw He smokes and DOES NOT have a healthy diet and gets very little excercise.

The above independent study shows me that vitamins DO have a positive effect on health and well being. Sorry pharmas!!

[citizenusa-2009]

This article brought to you by Pfizer, Abbott, Merk and all the pharma companies losing 8 BILLION dollars a year to Holistic and Preventative Medicine.

[ragingmounta]

Report as aired, VERY BIASED. NO inclusion as to HERBS, and the fact that ANY ingestment in EXCESS has a negative impact.

Also, NO info as to at what stage vitamins are concentrated to attack the disease? Best time to beat a disease is at the BEGINNING.

When original claims made, who and how were such results obtained? NO citations for THAT critical info.

NONE of this covered in the report.

HERBS, A/O vitamins ARE effective. It all depends on how they are used, at what stage, and at WHAT DOSAGE/FREQUENCY?

Let''s get more truth and less BOMBAST in such future reporting, eh?

[ragingmounta]

Report as aired, VERY BIASED. NO inclusion as to HERBS, and the fact that ANY ingestment in EXCESS has a negative impact.

Also, NO info as to at what stage vitamins are concentrated to attack the disease? Best time to beat a disease is at the BEGINNING.

When original claims made, who and how were such results obtained? NO citations for THAT critical info.

NONE of this covered in the report.

HERBS, A/O vitamins ARE effective. It all depends on how they are used, at what stage, and at WHAT DOSAGE/FREQUENCY?

Let''s get more truth and less BOMBAST in such future reporting, eh?

[bobshehan]

Hogwash... For every 500 studies or so that indicates that we DO need vitamins, minerals and antioxidant supplementation (that get no press), something like this comes out and makes headline news. Stop the biased reporting guys and do your research. It''s embarrassing...

[andykinla]

Thank you, all you people whose duty it is to wake up the masses. With more and more nutrient deficient foods reaching our tables, God help us if we allow our supplements to be legislated out of our control, therefore leaving us prey to chronic morbidity and synthetic fixes by Big Pharma.

A healthy body is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Don''t want prostate cancer, stop eating junky food and consume more organic (less toxins), fiber rich foods. Supplements just pick up where good farming practices leave off.

[Marie Zarankevich]

Dear Medical Profession: -- No matter how often you tell me that my Vitamin E will not cure cancer, I still want custody of my vitamins. -- I do not give you authority over my diet nor my body. -- You, as a professional, do not know enough to determine what anyone should or should not do, nutritionally. -- Your knowledge is grossly inept, and I prefer my own intuition over your recommendations. -- I will say that, for the most part, the medical profession does not know enough to practice medicine. -- Far too many patients fall through far too many cracks. -- You need to refine your healing arts before I trust you further than I already do. -- Please stop making sweeping declarations, for all our good. -- Good healing/nutrition requires good sense, wisdom, time, and caring, not clinical studies or more dead lab rats.