U.Ok. examine finds fish oils and calcium most typical
A current cross-sectional survey of simply over 1,000 adults with breast, prostate, or colorectal most cancers discovered that 40% used dietary dietary supplements (DSs) and 19% believed that taking DSs would assist scale back their threat of most cancers recurrence.
Researchers additionally discovered that the usage of dietary supplements was extra widespread amongst girls, these with out weight problems, and people who ate beneficial quantities of vegetables and fruit. Fish oils have been the most typical dietary supplements taken, adopted by calcium with or with out vitamin D, multivitamins, and different dietary supplements, in accordance with the survey, which used baseline information for recruitment from the Advancing Survival Most cancers Outcomes Trial (ASCOT).
“Some girls talked about throughout cellphone 24-hour remembers that they’d been prescribed a calcium and vitamin D complement to cut back the osteoporosis threat related to their most cancers remedy,” wrote Rana Conway, PhD, RNutr, of College Faculty London, and colleagues within the journal Cancer. “Osteoporosis is a identified facet impact of some breast most cancers medicines and is extra prevalent in older girls than different teams; it was reported by 9% of the ASCOT individuals. There was no indication that having prostate or colorectal most cancers was related to use of any particular sort of complement.”
The examine authors additionally famous that the most typical comorbidity reported by the survey respondents was arthritis, which additionally may clarify the prevalent use of fish oils and calcium.
These outcomes, nonetheless, fly within the face of present tips, examine authors identified, particularly on the subject of most cancers prevention. In reality, the World Cancer Research Fund states particularly: “Don’t use dietary supplements for most cancers prevention.”
The American Cancer Society (ACS) additionally advises in opposition to the thought of utilizing dietary supplements to cut back most cancers threat: “Though a weight-reduction plan wealthy in greens, fruits, and different plant-based meals might scale back the chance of most cancers, there’s restricted and inconsistent proof that dietary dietary supplements can scale back most cancers threat. Additional, some research have discovered that high-dose dietary supplements containing vitamins similar to beta-carotene and nutritional vitamins A and E can truly improve the chance of some cancers. Nonetheless, greater than half of U.S. adults use a number of dietary dietary supplements.”
The ACS added: “Some dietary supplements are described as containing the dietary equal of greens and fruits. Nevertheless, the small quantity of dried powder in such drugs usually comprises solely a small fraction of the degrees in the entire meals, and there’s little or no proof supporting a job of those merchandise in decreasing most cancers threat. Meals is the perfect supply of nutritional vitamins, minerals, and different necessary meals elements. If a dietary complement is used for basic well being functions, your best option is a balanced multivitamin/mineral complement containing not more than 100% of the ’day by day worth’ of vitamins.”
In the end, they wrote: “At the moment, the ACS doesn’t advocate the usage of dietary dietary supplements for most cancers prevention.”
For his or her examine, Conway and colleagues had individuals full a mailed survey in addition to phone or on-line 24-hour dietary remembers (MyFood24). The survey questions lined basic info, together with age, gender, ethnicity, marital standing, training, most cancers remedies, most cancers sort, most cancers stage or whether or not it had unfold, and comorbid circumstances. They have been additionally requested about life-style and most cancers, such because the significance in lowering threat of most cancers recurrence, with a listing of things that may do this—dietary supplements have been among the many responses.
“Responses have been collected through a Likert scale, with 1 indicating ’under no circumstances necessary’ and 5 indicating ’crucial,” the examine authors defined; responses have been dichotomized as “not necessary’ (1-2) and ’necessary’ (3-5).”
In all, 5,835 responses to the survey have been accomplished with 1,151 people indicating their curiosity within the trial. There have been 1,049 who competed the 24-hour recall, and these information have been used within the evaluation. Most individuals have been White (94%) and feminine (62%), and the imply age was 64.
The usage of dietary supplements was “positively related to being feminine (odds ratio [OR], 2.48; confidence interval [CI], 1.72-3.56), assembly 5-a-day fruit and vegetable suggestions (OR, 1.36; CI, 1.02-1.82), and believing that DSs have been necessary for lowering most cancers recurrence threat (OR, 3.13; CI, 2.35-4.18),” Conway and coauthors wrote, including that the alternative was true for these with weight problems (OR, 0.58; CI, 0.38-0.87).
“We discovered one in 5 individuals who had been handled for most cancers mistakenly thought that taking nutritional vitamins or different dietary supplements would assist scale back the chance of their most cancers coming again. Additionally, those that believed dietary supplements have been necessary for lowering their threat of most cancers recurrence have been 3 times extra more likely to take them,” mentioned Conway in a statement in regards to the examine. “Because the variety of individuals dwelling with or past most cancers will increase, there’s a rising want for a extra holistic method to long-term well being care. Details about the position of dietary supplements and the dearth of proof that they scale back most cancers recurrence could be helpful, alongside discussions about the advantages of wholesome consuming and bodily exercise.”
In the identical assertion, Martin Ledwick, RN, MSc, head info nurse at Most cancers Analysis U.Ok., famous, “There’s no proof that taking unprescribed dietary supplements can forestall most cancers from coming again, and a few nutritional vitamins or minerals might intrude with how nicely most cancers medication work. It’s necessary that any most cancers affected person who’s contemplating taking dietary supplements discusses it with their physician, specialist nurse, or dietitian.” Ledwick was not an creator on the examine.
Limitations of the examine embody that the info have been self-reported, limiting the examine to these with particular cancers, and the 24-hour report missed intermittent complement use. The findings additionally might not be generalizable exterior the U.Ok.
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A cross-sectional survey of simply over 1,000 adults with breast, prostate, or colorectal most cancers discovered that 40% used dietary dietary supplements (DSs).
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Regardless of tips suggesting the alternative, 19% believed that taking dietary dietary supplements would assist scale back their threat of most cancers coming again.
Candace Hoffmann, Managing Editor, BreakingMED™
The examine was funded by Most cancers Analysis UK.
Conway reported no disclosures.
Cat ID: 118
Matter ID: 78,118,730,16,118,22,23,25,935,691,192,94,73,925
