Selling dietary supplements as able to treat/prevent/cure cancer isn't just irresponsible/unscrupulous- it's illegal (treatment, prevention)

[joey2000]

FYI. In fact a claim of this kind is true for ANY disease.

Overview of Dietary Supplements (http://www.fda.gov/food/dietarysupplements/consumerinformation/ucm110417.htm - broken link)

From the link:

Is it legal to market a dietary supplement product as a treatment or cure for a specific disease or condition?
No, a product sold as a dietary supplement and promoted on its label or in labeling as a treatment, prevention or cure for a specific disease or condition would be considered an unapproved--and thus illegal--drug

But I suppose that's because "big pharm" has the gov't in its hip pocket

PS: I am not saying or implying that supplements cannot have health value or use overall. That depends on the specifics and is debatable either way. And I'm confident that most (not all) are at least benign (although that also depends on the specifics). I just urge great caution in believing pie-in-the-sky claims simply due to a desire for it to be true - as well as to those selling them and irresponsible/unscrupulous/stupid enough to make such claims.

[mimimomx3]

Even the top cancer specialists in the world admit that there are plenty of vitamins and herbs that can prevent cancer in many people. Top 5 Vitamins that Protect Against Cancer | Care2 Healthy & Green Living
Even if they Don't work, it's a better bet than feeding your body junk while it's fighting for its life.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by joey2000

FYI. In fact a claim of this kind is true for ANY disease.

Overview of Dietary Supplements (http://www.fda.gov/food/dietarysupplements/consumerinformation/ucm110417.htm - broken link)

From the link:



But I suppose that's because "big pharm" has the gov't in its hip pocket

PS: I am not saying or implying that supplements cannot have health value or use overall. That depends on the specifics and is debatable either way. And I'm confident that most (not all) are at least benign (although that also depends on the specifics). I just urge great caution in believing pie-in-the-sky claims simply due to a desire for it to be true - as well as to those selling them and irresponsible/unscrupulous/stupid enough to make such claims.

Oh, the supplement manufacturers are very careful not to claim to treat any disease! Then they would have to actually prove their products do something beneficial.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

Even the top cancer specialists in the world admit that there are plenty of vitamins and herbs that can prevent cancer in many people. Top 5 Vitamins that Protect Against Cancer | Care2 Healthy & Green Living
Even if they Don't work, it's a better bet than feeding your body junk while it's fighting for its life.

But you can get all of those vitamins from food. You don't have to buy expensive supplements. As far as the cancer patients getting vitamins and surviving so much longer, I would like to see the original article, but the author did not give a reference.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

But you can get all of those vitamins from food. You don't have to buy expensive supplements. As far as the cancer patients getting vitamins and surviving so much longer, I would like to see the original article, but the author did not give a reference.

Certainly you can- but unfortunately most americans don't.

Here's an article about the importance of Vitamin E and cancer- Cancer Project / How Vitamin E Helps Protect Against Cancer with footnotes and here's a study about Vitamin D and cancer, quoting the studies: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/538473 : "In fact, in view of the increasing data showing a link between vitamin-D deficiency and an increased risk of certain cancers (colon, breast, prostate, and ovarian) and in view of the high prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency in the US, researchers argue the case for taking vitamin-D supplements to protect against cancer in a paper published online before print December 27, 2005 in the American Journal of Public Health [ 1 ].
"

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

Certainly you can- but unfortunately most americans don't.

Here's an article about the importance of Vitamin E and cancer- Cancer Project / How Vitamin E Helps Protect Against Cancer with footnotes and here's a study about Vitamin D and cancer, quoting the studies: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/538473 : "In fact, in view of the increasing data showing a link between vitamin-D deficiency and an increased risk of certain cancers (colon, breast, prostate, and ovarian) and in view of the high prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency in the US, researchers argue the case for taking vitamin-D supplements to protect against cancer in a paper published online before print December 27, 2005 in the American Journal of Public Health [ 1 ].
"

But if you don't eat well, there is no need to buy a separate bottle of vitamin E, one of vitamin A, one of Vitamin C, one of vitamin E, etc. ad infinitum. Or buy a supplement that has microdoses of 2 or 3 minerals and take it 3 times a day. Vitamins and minerals are cheap. Supplement manufacturers get creative to make them expensive. They put a few cheap vitamins and minerals in a product, state it "supports" this or that organ, and charge a dollar a pill for it. Just take one generic multivitamin & mineral product a day and you're done. That's what I do, because I do not always eat the way I shoild.

My doctor actually just measured my vitamin D level, and it was normal.

The medscape.com article in your second link requires a login.

[mimimomx3]

I honestly don't understand your adamant oppostion to vitamins and supplements. I've never argued that they should replace medical treatment- rather, they serve as a complement, and the research that I've seen shows that they are beneficial.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

I honestly don't understand your adamant oppostion to vitamins and supplements. I've never argued that they should replace medical treatment- rather, they serve as a complement, and the research that I've seen shows that they are beneficial.

I have never said I am opposed to vitamins. I do believe I have repeatedly said I take them myself. I use Sam's Club's generic multivitamin mineral without iron, for pennies a day.

I am adamantly opposed to supplements that hyperinflate the costs of vitamins and minerals by encouraging people to buy small bits and doses divided into several different bottles: one "to promote heart health", another to "support thyroid function", another for "healthy bones", another for hair and skin, another for the kidneys, another for the adrenals --- and on and on. Then, you are instructed to take it not once a day but three times a day. Someone who starts taking a lot of supplements can end up getting too much of some vitamins and minerals that are toxic in high doses. How is that healthy? And the excess of water soluble vitamins is just excreted from the body. Makes for some very expensive pee!

The supplement manufacturers can pretty much put anything they want into a bottle. No one makes them prove any of their claims, and they only get into trouble if they make someone sick. Doses are not standardized, and some products do not contain what they purport to contain in the amounts on the label. The makers are not required to prove the product is any better than placebo.

There are supplements that can be frankly dangerous: Consumer Reports Says Some Dietary Supplements Could Be Dangerous

As far as protein shakes and supplements are concerned, it is possible to get all the protein you need from diet; vegetarians just need to be a bit more careful about choosing a variety of vegetable protein sources to ensure they get what they need (and take vitamin B12!). Unless you are a world class athlete like Michael Phelps, burning 14,000 (yes, fourteen thousand!) calories per day with a body fat percentage of close to zero, you do not need a protein supplement. It is ridiculous to cut your food intake to next to nothing and then take a "protein supplement', as if that is healthier than real food.

Is it possible to have a true deficiency of a vitamin or mineral? Yes, but if you eat a balanced diet in the USA it is unlikely. There are too many foods that are enriched with vitamins and minerals. If you are eating well, even a multivitamin mineral tablet is likely not necessary. If you do not always eat well, don't spend hundreds of dollars on supplements. Just take one multivitamin-mineral tablet once per day.You've spent pennies. Do not start piggy-backing several different supplements containing the same nutrients. And the idea of "organic" vitamins is just laughable. Your body does not care where the vitamins came from.

Can vitamins prevent cancer? I am not convinced that megadoses of vitamins will prevent a given individual from getting cancer. Just eat a diet containing a variety of foods from all the major groups.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

I honestly don't understand your adamant oppostion to vitamins and supplements. I've never argued that they should replace medical treatment- rather, they serve as a complement, and the research that I've seen shows that they are beneficial.

Have you read the latest studies that show that getting the vitamins/minerals via supplement form is now found to be nowhere near as beneficial as getting them in the food?

[mimimomx3]

I've read lots of studies that fall on both sides of opinion about supplements, and I remain convinced that there are some that are highly beneficial. I've named them before- vitex, st. john's wort, cinammon, omega 3, vitamins d and e. If you choose not to use them, fine.