There is a great temptation to rely on vitamin supplements to make up for a poor diet. Nowhere will that gain you less than with breast cancer prevention. Studies show proof positive that real fruits and vegetables provide a powerful effect, whereas there’s no such scientific proof that individual vitamins do the same. Singling out individual nutrients is called reductionism to the extreme. This strategy is also beginning to backfire. Research links beta-carotene supplements with increased risk of both lung and colon cancer. Some researchers believe that beta-carotene may block other important carotenes, of which there are nearly 500, from being absorbed, thus increasing the cancer risk by depriving the body of these important nutrients. Sloan-Kettering’s breast cancer chief, Dr. Larry Norton, has shown that vitamin C can actually grow breast cancer cells in a petri dish. He recommends that his breast cancer patients take no vitamin supplements. Are there supplements you should consider? For protection against heart disease and neural tube defects, vitamins B6, B12, and folate are important and are often taken as supplements. Vitamin E helps to prevent fish oils from oxidizing in the body and protects against heart disease. However, there are no vitamin supplements known to protect against breast cancer. With the risk that some supplements, such as beta-carotene or vitamin C, could increase the cancer risk, the best advice is to get the maximum amount of vitamins from foods and then to supplement only after reviewing the need with your doctor.
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Women’s health