Weighing your options
I could have sworn I'd already read the article that popped up in my e-mail inbox a couple of months ago as "breaking news." The headline read "Long-term use of nutrient supplements may increase cancer risk." And the article went on to say that a recent study found that the risk of lung cancer was significantly elevated in smokers who took beta- carotene and other nutrients. It sounded so familiar to me that I went back and searched through my files until I found it: An eTip I sent you last June about a nearly identical study. Except that one pointed the finger at vitamin E instead of beta-carotene. But in both cases, the researchers concluded that the supplements were the "deciding factor" in the increased risk. Funny, though, how neither study found increased lung cancer risk in non-smokers who also took the nutrients. Forgive me if I'm just not getting something…but wouldn't it seem more reasonable to attribute this lopsided risk increase to the habit that has already been well-established as a virtual one-way ticket to lung cancer? Rather than frightening people away from taking supplements -- whether they're vitamin E, beta-carotene, or any other essential nutrient -- wouldn't it make more sense to focus on the REAL threat? As I've said before, I know quitting smoking is easier said than done, and that quitting vitamins may seem like a simpler choice. But when you're weighing your options, keep this simple fact in mind: Those vitamins and nutrients help keep you alive -- smoking does the exact opposite. Source:
"Long-term use of nutrient supplements may increase cancer risk," ScienceDaily (www.sciencedaily.com), 2/27/09 | 
