These data are from a telephone survey of more than 2500 randomly sampled noninstitutionalized Americans, which was published in 2002. The tables can also be found here. Continue reading The most commonly used vitamins and herbals
Category Archives: Vitamins
Antioxidants are safe during external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer
A study presented recently during the Society of Integrative Oncology’s Third International Conference in Boston showed that taking antioxidant supplements during external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer has no effect on PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels.
Continue reading Antioxidants are safe during external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Hot flashes: No sweat?
Adriane Fugh-Berman, associate professor in the complementary medicine program at Georgetown University has chronicled the lack of good treatment alternatives for hot flashes.
Vitamins and cancer
According to Eric Jacobs, a senior epidemiologist and vitamin specialist with the American Cancer Society, “There is no vitamin or mineral supplement proven to reduce the risk of cancer.”
A string of negative results summarized in an Associated Press story are depressing.
Risk of herbals and vitamins in HIV/AIDS
 People with HIV/AIDS commonly take herbals and vitamins, often without the knowledge of their doctor.
Here are examples of interactions with antiretroviral drugs that might be harmful. Continue reading Risk of herbals and vitamins in HIV/AIDS
Behold the lowly beet
Here in Orange County New York with its “black earth’ and proud agricultural heritage there are festivals this time of year honoring just about every food you grow in the ground or herd on the range.
My town, Monroe, has its cheese festival (although no one actually sells cheese). And the local newspaper lists many more, with the notable exception of beets. This is especially strange considering how close we are to the Borscht Belt.
Well, here is my ode to the lowly beet from NutritionData.com and whFoods.com.
Fatty fish, lean fish, and the risk of kidney cancer in women
A study of 61,000 adult women in Sweden reports that eating fatty fish lowers a woman’s risk of kidney cancer. Fatty fish included salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Lean fish included cod, tuna, and sweet water fish.
How much lower risk?
Continue reading Fatty fish, lean fish, and the risk of kidney cancer in women
September is National Mushroom Month
In advance of National Mushroom Month came news that a single serving of white button mushrooms – the most commonly sold mushroom – could contain 869% of the daily vitamin D requirement when exposed to five minutes of UV light after being harvested.
Why is this significant?
Magnesium to prevent migraine?
Here’s a quote to consider. “From beta-blockers to magnesium [Mg], — serendipity has guided migraine research. We may seem to have come a long way but migraine therapeutics, particularly preventive or prophylactic therapy, remains purely empirical.”
OK, what is the status of using magnesium to prevent migraine?
ConsumerLab.com tests cholesterol-lowering supplements
Three of 16 products failed the content analysis test. One product did not release its ingredients and two others had less than half the expected ingredients.
That’s less than a 20% failure rate, which is better than often reported by this lab.
An article in Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals reports that the following supplements were tested: sterols, policosanol, guggulsterones, fish oil, garlic, niacin, soy protein, red yeast rice, and stanols. I highlighted the supplements discussed at this blog.
Continue reading ConsumerLab.com tests cholesterol-lowering supplements
Vitamin C, antioxidants, and cancer treatment
Just in time for the berry harvest, two articles published on Friday (6/13/06) revisit vitamin C and antioxidants and their role in the treatment or prevention of cancer. The MSNBC “feel good” article is about vitamin C and antioxidants such as ellagic acid and pterostilbene, which are found in berries. “Do normal portions of berries give us enough phytochemicals to get protective benefits?” After 9 paragraphs the author discloses that we just don’t know, and ? you guessed it ? “more research is needed”.
On the same day, the Kansas City Star published an article that wondered if the two government-sponsored studies intended to test the claims of Linus Pauling, the Nobel laureate-turned-vitamin C advocate, might have succeeded if vitamin C had been administered directly into the vein rather than taken by mouth.
Not sure how this applies to berries bought at Stop & Shop, but at least we are reassured that more research on vitamin C is ongoing.
It has been three decades since Dr. Pauling and his collaborators first reported (first 4 citations listed here) beneficial effects of high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid) therapy for patients with terminal cancer. It might be another 30 years before we can say that research has clarified its role.
Until then, I’ll have strawberries on my corn flakes, please, because I like them and not because the antioxidants they contain make them an unsung cancer weapon.
6/26/06 18:14 JR