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Should women stop taking multivitamins? A recently documented Swedish study followed 35,329 Swedish women, aged 49-83 years, from 1997-2007, and found that of the 26,312 non-users, 681 developed breast cancer, while 293 of the 9,017 takers of multivitamins developed cancer.
When I first looked at these numbers, it would seem to be a no-brainer that consuming multivitamins substantially diminished female risk. How on earth did they conclude that multivitamins increased the risk of developing breast cancer? However, as was explained to me by my colleague and friend John Wright, a software developer and nutritionist whose practice is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, http://www.starfireresearch.com/, once you do the maths, non-users outnumbered the users 3: 1, and other risk factors are added to the calculations, you arrive at what is called a relative risk (RR) evaluation. The conclusion; taking multivitamins actually raises the RR to 1.19,
At the same time, a far less reported study, which examined the effects of multivitamins on the health of Puerto Rican women between the ages of 41-60, found that those who took multivitamins experienced a 33% decrease in breast cancer risk. This study also revealed that taking multivitamins improved DNA repair.
So what is the verdict? Are multivitamins dangerous or beneficial? There are a host of studies which go both ways, equally supporting and refuting the claims that taking multivitamins is a worthwhile enterprise. I don’t have an easy answer for this except to say that many of the patients I see are deficient in the vitamins and minerals found in supplements. Taking these would guarantee that they are provided with the essential nutrients they need. What we really need are tests which assess early cancer risk while you take vitamins to ensure that you aren’t endangering your health. These tests aren’t available yet.
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Question: I am a 23 year-old male and have always been very thin and was wondering if there was any way I could be prescribed a course of human growth hormone to try to put on some mass. I would like to get it under a doctor’s supervision.
Answer: While taking growth hormone might enhance muscle mass and improve muscle repair after intense exercise, some of the assumed benefits are due to fluid retention. Taking growth hormone can also raise blood sugar levels and at least in some studies are associated with cancer growth, while others don’t show this. Taking this hormone, if your body is producing sufficient amounts, might also not be wise, which is why getting a physician to assess your growth hormone status is prudent.
Question: I wondered if you could recommend a good Co Enzyme Q10 product please.
Answer: It is difficult to judge which is the superior product. Taking 300mg a day with food is thought to be an adequate dose. Coenzyme Q10 is located at the heart of a biochemical structure called the electron transport chain where energy is made in every cell of the body. Studies demonstrate that the immune system can be boosted, blood pressure can be lowered, migraine headaches can be reduced, muscle function in muscular dystrophy sufferers can be improved and functional decline can be lessened in early Parkinson’s disease. Statin medications used to lower cholesterol can diminish the body’s capacity to manufacture coenzyme Q10.
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