Health Buzz: Vitamin Pills and Cancer Prevention and Other Health News
Vitamins, Beta Carotene Supplements Don't Seem to Prevent Cancer
Antioxidant-rich vitamin and beta carotene supplements don't appear to prevent cancer in women, according to new research, published online yesterday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. "Simply taking antioxidant supplements is insufficient to prevent cancer development," lead study author Jennifer Lin, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told HealthDay. A better bet: Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, which are also rich in antioxidants, she advised. Studies released in recent years suggest that calcium, folic acid, and vitamins B, C, D, and E don't offer the cancer-prevention benefits many once thought they had. Earlier studies suggested vitamins might offer protection via antioxidants, which decrease cell damage in the body. In the new study, 8,171 women took vitamin C, vitamin E, or beta carotene supplements. They were assigned to either take one supplement, a combination of supplements, or a placebo, HealthDay reports. There was no evidence that the supplements helped or hindered the participant's risk of ending up with cancer.
Do vitamins and supplements work as weapons in fending off chronic and age-related disease? The answers are mixed, depending on the supplement. It might be best to adjust your diet in order to get essential nutrients. Try these 11 easy ways to load up on healthful omega-3 fats. Also, consider four distinct diet styles that promote health, the Mediterranean diet, Asian diet, Latin American diet, and vegetarian diets.
How to Beat Stress and Angst Through Meditation
There's nothing like economic calamity to focus the mind. But instead of obsessing over your job security or declining 401(k) balance, try diminishing your stress via a very old tool: meditation. Stretching back thousands of years to ancient spiritual traditions, meditation—while still not exactly mainstream—has been attracting a growing following of secular practitioners in recent years. Data released in December by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, show that 9.4 percent of adults surveyed in 2007 had tried meditation at least once during the previous year, a significant increase from 7.6 percent in 2002. And 1 percent of children had zoned in, too.
Once considered far outside the mainstream, alternative medicine is now being embraced by top hospitals. Learning the art of relaxation through meditation and other techniques can help you get through the holiday season—and through other stressful times of the year.
FDA Approves Eyelash Growth Drug. Should You Take It?
A new drug called Latisse was approved last week by the Food and Drug Administration for those with dull or thinning eyelashes. The drug, made by the manufacturer of Botox, contains the active ingredient of the glaucoma drug Lumigan, which was found to cause thicker eyelashes during treatment. Latisse is meant for those with a real (and often genetic) health problem called hypotrichosis, in which no hair grows on the eyelid. It may also be useful for those who've suffered permanent eyelash loss because of chemotherapy or other medical treatments. But U.S. News's Deborah Kotz blogs that she's concerned about tabloid headlines like this one in the British Telegraph declaring, "Chemical drug by Botox makers could spell the end of mascara." As with any FDA-approved drug, Kotz reports, doctors can use their discretion to prescribe this drug to any woman who complains of thinning lashes. And like any drug, Latisse carries a risk of side effects.
Kotz has written earlier about the price women pay for beauty. Some get Botox, hoping it will help them land a job. Others get face-lifts, even before aging sets in. Meanwhile, the FDA is taking a closer look at wrinkle treatments.
—January W. Payne
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Reader Comments
buss off the pill (vitamins)
Years ago I toke boys scouts to camp in Mt. and they had a pill they sold in col. called buss of was a vitamins . What one B?
Vitamin D Does Help Prevent and Treat Cancer
Vitamin D does prevent cancer, particularly if taken in high doses. This reporter didn't do the research on Vitamin D. The Creighton University Study, using a higher dose of 1,100 iu daily, reduced the incidence of cancer in a large group of older white women by 70%. It has shown particular efficacy in reducing the rates of colon cancer. It is a useful adjunct in cancer treatment. Do another story! Here are the details:
Vitamin D3 is an important component of the immune system that is required by every cell. Without Vitamin D, immature cells will not differentiate into a mature cell, which suggests one reason Vitamin D plays such a broad role in maintaining overall health. Taken at high levels (2,000 to 4,000 iu per day) Vitamin D3 switches on over 300 important genes, reduces symptoms of autoimmune diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes type II, rheumatoid arthritis, congestive heart failure, multiple sclerosis, gum disease, and, pertinent to this article, it drastically reduces the incidence of cancers. It also reduces the rate if infection (it is an antiinflammatory) including colds and the flu. It helps fight tuberculosis, and, reduces the incidence of cesarian sections, not to mention its time-honored role in reducing rickets and osteoporosis.
Most academic researchers recommend a dosage of 2,000 to 4,000 iu daily, based on the amount the body actually utilizes. An older individual should take at least 5,000 iu as older skin won't make as much Vitamin D and an older gut won't absorb it as well (see Vieth, et al.). You can make up missed doses; if you miss a dose, double up your dose the next day. This hormone is created when sun strikes your skin, but few individuals get much sun exposure in our society. Dark-skinned individuals have natural sunscreen that further limits their exposure. African-Americans or anyone else with dark skin, and, anyone who uses sunscreen extensively will reduce their statistically higher rates of auto-immune diseases and cancers by taking 4,000 iu daily.
For good health, everyone should consider taking at least 2,000 iu each and every day for the rest of one's life. If you do not have calcium in your diet from dairy or some other source, you should consider taking a calcium supplement also. Magnesium and zinc levels are also an issue.
You can buy Vitamin D3 cheap at Walmart or on the Internet (Amazon.com = Vitamin D3 2000).
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