Study flags risk of daily vitamin use among older women

[seabeyond]

The study highlights concerns about the long-term use of supplements and vitamins in people who do not have severe nutritional deficiencies, the authors say. An accompanying editorial notes that findings "add to the growing evidence demonstrating that certain supplements can be harmful."

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"I think the main message is researchers are finding very little benefit from these substances," says lead author Jaakko Murso, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. "Other studies have not shown the mortality risk our study shows, but those studies have not seen any positive effect either."

Researchers used data from the Iowa Women's Health Study to examine the link between vitamin and mineral supplements and death rates among 38,772 women, average age 61.6. Women filled out questionnaires about supplement use in 1986, 1997 and 2004. "Out of 15 studied supplements, seven are associated with increased total mortality risk," Murso says.

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"This study is very puzzling and calls for more research," says Miriam Pappo, director of clinical nutrition at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "I wouldn't conclude from this that you stop taking a standard multivitamin. Very few people eat the required amount of fruits and vegetables a day. It's best to get your daily needs from food, but few people do that."

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/womenshealth/story/2011-10-10/Study-Vitamins-may-boost-death-risk-in-older-women/50722104/1

[no_hypocrisy]

1. My naturopath prescribes my supplements and monitors my status via blood studies.

I agree to some extent about indiscriminate use of supplements. I'd recommend physicians only if they're knowledgeable about vitamins and supplements.

[undeterred]

2. My mother is 84 and takes an aspirin a day. That's all.

She avoids doctors like the plague. She has no medical problems except arthritis. And she regulates age related blood pressure by being careful about her diet.

She's going to live to be 100.

[seabeyond]

3. my father takes an aspirin a day.

thanks for your post