Dr. Paul Offit says everyone should be more skeptical about taking large doses of vitamins. As Offit wrote in an op-ed the New York Times , a 1994 New England Journal of Medicine study on 29,000 Finnish smokers found beta carotene was associated with lung and heart disease death. Beta carotene and vitamin A in combination were shown in another New England Journal of Medicine study to be linked to a 46% greater risk of death from lung cancer than placebo. A 2012 Cochrane review of multiple randomized clinical trials showed an increase in risk of death may be linked to beta carotene and vitamin E, as well as higher doses of vitamin A. The likely explanation, Offit said, is that supplemental antioxidant vitamins, taken in large quantities, cause unnatural behavior in the body, counteracting oxidation too much and leaving the immune system weaker in its defenses against invaders.
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Supplements for Women’s Health
Boasting promises of slimmer waistlines, bulked-up muscle mass and increased performance, these products are both widely used and largely unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Recently, both NBC News and USA Today published reports with disturbing facts about the dietary supplement industry, including the news that items currently on the shelves diet supplements Fat Zero, Fruit & Plant Slimming and Extreme Body Slim contain sibutramine, a prescription diet drug that was previously yanked from the U.S. market in 2010 because of its potential to damage the heart. How did that fact go unnoticed? Well, its because the legislation surrounding the dietary supplement industry is outdated and misguided.
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The truth about health supplements
Prenatal vitamins must be taken only after consulting a physician. There are several health supplement manufacturers who claim their products are beneficial for women. Often, the composition of the ingredients is imbalanced and some manufactures even use fillers that can cause allergies. It is important to do thorough research on the manufacturer, consult a physician, check the product compliance, read the label to ensure the all the essential nutrients have been provided, and read reviews about the supplements.
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