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About-Supplements: The Experts Nutrition ReportHere's what world experts conclude about dietary supplements Custom Search Did you hear? The American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) recently released a global perspective nutrition and cancer prevention report you should know about. After five years of hard work and research from around the world, the AICR’s Expert Report on Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Weight Management and the Prevention of Cancer was released several weeks ago. You might have seen it on CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC or your local news broadcast. It was a front-page story in USA Today and many others papers, magazines and Web sites across the country, and across the world. You probably heard about the link between excess body fat and cancer risk. The evidence is stronger than ever--in fact, body fat is now linked to six different cancers--so the news put the emphasis on that aspect of the story. You probably also heard about the convincing evidence linking red and processed meat to colorectal cancer because it disturbed many meat-loving Americans. But there’s a lot more to the report --- after all, in its 517 pages it looks at over 7000 studies on all aspects of diet, physical activity and weight to determine how these factors increase or decrease the chances of getting cancer. If you are not a nutrition geek like I am, don't have time for all 517 pages, but want to look over an executive summary of this report -I've made the link available here:
"Don’t Rely on Supplements for Cancer Prevention."
This recommendation might confuse some people. After all, the report did find evidence that high-dose supplements of certain specific substances can and do influence cancer risk. And we know that women of childbearing age can benefit from supplements of folic acid, and that many people don’t get enough vitamin D. So what’s the reasoning behind AICR’s recommendation? The language of the recommendation is very important. It doesn’t say “Don’t use supplements.” It says “Don’t use supplements to protect yourself from cancer.” It’s true that supplements of selenium and calcium may offer a measure of cancer protection, at some levels and for some people. But other high-dose supplements (beta-carotene, for example) may actually increase cancer risk.
And because these effects on cancer risk have only been observed among small groups of high-risk subjects, it’s difficult to predict how those supplements will affect everyone else. And there’s a larger issue here. If you look at the more formal language the AICR Expert Panel used when coming up with this recommendation, you can probably guess it: “Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone.” We know that whole foods offer many things necessary for good health – fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. But we still don’t know if taking these substances in isolation will provide the same benefits. And taking them at high doses can be downright dangerous. So the AICR recommendation really cautions against relying on this or that supplement as a means to protect yourself from cancer. A better approach is to get what your body needs from a balanced diet, if you can. We know that such a diet – high in a variety of plant foods – offers cancer protection. But if you need help getting what you need through diet alone, a qualified nutritionist or nutrition coach can offer more personalized guidance about vitamins and supplements. Try my online meal planner to see if your current diet makes the grades it needs to provide you with complete balanced nutrition before you decide to blindly pop supplements. Here's how to reach me:
David P. Dansereau, MS,PT
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