Nutritional Supplements: Health or Hype?

Focused on Health

By Carlandrea Clark for MD Anderson Cancer Center

Aisles in grocery stores and pharmacies are stacked with vitamins, minerals, herbs or other plants that you take in pill,

pills
pills

capsule, tablet or liquid form. And, many of us buy these supplements and take them regularly, hoping to lower our chances of getting cancer and other diseases.

But do supplements really work wonders? Should you take them to help prevent cancer?

Our experts say beware.

"Don't be fooled by the label on the bottle," says Sally Scroggs, health education manager at MD Anderson's Cancer Prevention Center. "Researchers are still unsure about whether or not supplements actually prevent cancer."

Some studies have suggested that supplements may actually increase cancer risk by tilting the balance of nutrients in the body.

Results from the Women's Health Study and The Physicians' Health Study II found that vitamins E and C do not prevent cancer. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial showed similar results, suggesting these supplements didn't help prevent prostate cancer.

Not sure which foods get the job done? See our list of recommended foods packed with cancer-fighting nutrients.

Supplements may benefit some

More research is needed to truly understand the relationship between supplements and cancer risk, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Still, there are some situations when taking a supplement might do your body good.

Keep reading ...


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