Long-Term Use Of Nutrient Supplements May Increase Cancer Risk

[SidDithers]

Long-term use of beta carotene and some other carotenoid-containing dietary supplements may increase the risk of lung cancer, especially among smokers, according to a study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers.

The study, which also examined use of retinol, vitamin A, lycopene and lutein, appears in the February issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Researchers used questionnaires to assess use of dietary supplements, including multi-vitamins and individual nutrients, by more than 77,000 Americans over 10 years, and matched the results against data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry to track the rates of lung cancer among them.

They found that certain people – especially smokers – who took dietary supplements containing these nutrients, were at higher risk of developing lung cancer than the general population.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227080834.htm

Sid

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[EvolveOrConvolve]

2. I love the Google ads next to the story

Most of them are for nutrients supplements and other woo therapies.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Interesting.

The theory is that enough beta carotene is a good antioxidant, but too much is a pre-oxidant. I hope we see more studies on this topic.