Vitamins And Minerals Only Improve Health When We Get Them From Food

Vitamins and minerals only improve health when we get them from food

Vitamins and minerals can actually improve our health and reduce the risk of death from many causes. But getting these nutrients from dietary supplements can't help even people who are nutritionally deficient. What's more, some supplements have proven to be dangerous in high doses.

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Adequate intake of certain nutrients reduces all-cause mortality, new research suggests. But this happens only when the source of these substances is food, and not biologically active additives (BAA). There was no association between dietary supplements consumption and a reduction in the risk of death.

In addition, excess calcium intake in supplements has been associated with an increased risk of cancer death. The researchers found that this risk occurs when calcium supplements are taken in doses greater than 1000 milligrams per day. The study was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

"As the potential benefits and harms of dietary supplementation continue to be explored, several studies have found links between excess nutrient intake and adverse outcomes, including an increased risk of certain cancers," says Fang Fang Zhang of Tufts University. (Tufts University).

The study used data from more than 27,000 Americans in their 20s to assess the relationship between dietary supplement use and all-cause mortality, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The researchers assessed whether adequate and excess nutrient intake was associated with mortality, and how nutrient intake differed in foods and supplements.

The researchers found:

Adequate intake of vitamin K and magnesium has been associated with a reduced risk of death;

• Adequate intake of vitamin A, vitamin K, and zinc was associated with a reduced risk of death from CVD;
• Excessive calcium intake has been associated with a higher risk of cancer death.

When scientists compared nutrient sources (food and supplements), they found that:

Reducing the risk of death due to adequate intake of vitamin K and magnesium, only concerned the consumption of food, but nutritional supplements;

• Reductions in the risk of death from CVD associated with adequate intake of vitamin A, vitamin K and zinc were also observed only when nutrients were obtained from food, but not from dietary supplements;
• Calcium intake in dietary supplements of at least 1000 mg per day was associated with an increased risk of cancer death, but there was no association between an increased risk of cancer and calcium intake from foods.

In addition, the researchers found that dietary supplements did not affect the risk of death in people with low nutrient intakes. Scientists have also seen signs that the intake of vitamin D in dietary supplements by individuals who do not show signs of vitamin D deficiency may be associated with an increased risk of death from all causes, including cancer.