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Some Dietary Supplements May Be More Than a Waste of Money

People taking dietary supplements may, in some cases, be paying to make themselves sick. This video covers folic acid, beta carotene, and green tea supplements.

June 8, 2012 |
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Supplementary Info

Some Dietary Supplements May Be More Than a Waste of Money, 4.6 out of 5 based on 5 ratings

Sources Cited

Ibiebele TI, Hughes MC, Pandeya N, Zhao Z, Montgomery G, Hayward N, Green AC, Whiteman DC, Webb PM; Study of Digestive Health; Australian Cancer Study. High intake of folate from food sources is associated with reduced risk of esophageal cancer in an Australian population. J Nutr. 2011 Feb; 141(2):274-83.

Maserejian NN, Giovannucci EL, McVary KT, McKinlay JB. Dietary, but not supplemental, intakes of carotenoids and vitamin C are associated with decreased odds of lower urinary tract symptoms in men. J Nutr. 2011 Feb; 141(2):267-73.

Schönthal AH. Adverse effects of concentrated green tea extracts. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2011 Jun; 55(6):874-85.

Acknowledgements

Transcript

A triad of new studies showing once again that those taking dietary supplements may, in some cases, paying to make themselves sick. They’re all pretty self-explanatory. High intake of folate from food sources (like beans and greens) associated with reduced risk esophageal cancer, In contrast, high intake of folic acid from supplements associated with a significantly elevated risk of Barret's Esophagus with precancerous changes.
 “Dietary, but not supplemental, intakes of carotenoids and vitamin c (like eating carrots, sweet potatoes, greens, broccoli, citrus) are associated with decreased odds of lower urinary tract symptoms in men. And again, those taking them in pill form in fact got worse. Unless you pills look like this.
 Green tea good; green tea supplements bad. there no longer can be a reasonable doubt that ingestion of concentrated extracts of Chinese green tea poses a real and growing risk to liver health.”

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Serena

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Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

This is the final video of a three-part series on the latest information about the safety of dietary supplements. See Dietary Supplement Snake Oil and Heavy Metals in Protein Powder Supplements for the first two. For background on the folic acid versus folate story (which may explain any multivitamin breast cancer connection), see Can Folic Acid Be Harmful? For more on avoiding esophageal cancer see Poultry and Penis Cancer, Coffee and Cancer, and Bacon and Botulism. For how to boost your absorption of carotenoid phytonutrients like beta carotene see Raw Food Nutrient Absorption and Forgo Fat-Free Dressings? Pretty scary about green tea supplements, but green tea has a variety of health-promoting properties. Check out my 21 videos on tea, and hundreds of videos on more than a thousand other topics.

For some context, please check out my associated blog post: Plant-Based Workplace Intervention.

  • Michael Greger M.D.

    This is the final video of a three-part series on the latest information about the safety of dietary supplements. See Dietary Supplement Snake Oil and Heavy Metals in Protein Powder Supplements for the first two. For background on the folic acid versus folate story (which may explain any multivitamin breast cancer connection), see Can Folic Acid Be Harmful? For more on avoiding esophageal cancer see Poultry and Penis Cancer, Coffee and Cancer, and Bacon and Botulism. For how to boost your absorption of carotenoid phytonutrients like beta carotene see Raw Food Nutrient Absorption and Forgo Fat-Free Dressings? Pretty scary about green tea supplements, but green tea has a variety of health-promoting properties. Check out my 21 videos on tea, and hundreds of videos on more than a thousand other topics.

    • HemoDynamic, M.D.

      Good week of Vid’s!  In the future it would be interesting to see something on some of the supplements that are “good” for us like NAC (N-Acetyl-cysteine) and Milk thistle for liver protection.  Acetylated L-Carnitine for brain protection.  That is, if in fact, they are good for us. 
      When on the liver transplant team we routinely used NAC and Milk Thistle and some studies show some benefit to Acetyl-L Carnitine for brain protection. 
      Just curious if in the future you are bored and have nothing else better to do to get you take on these supplements ;-}
      Have a great weekend!

      • Michele

        Interesting . . . I also am interested in Dr. Greger’s thoughts on these supplements.  Should be a GREAT weekend, I’ll be attending the Health, Healing, and Happiness conference in Las Vegas!  Thank you for all the brilliant info Dr. Greger!

        • HemoDynamic, M.D.

          Good to see you again!  I hope all is well.  Have fun in Vegas but I hope what you learn in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. I hope you bring all the good stuff you learn back to share with everyone you treat!

      • HemoDynamic, M.D.

        In replying to myself it seems that NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine, no it’s not an acronym for Not Another Chemical or Not Another Comment) may be one of the few useful supplements:

        Antioxidants (NAC) as antidepressants: fact or fiction? Fact !http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22668245

        H. pylori treatment with NAC: making Resistance unresistant. Fact
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22650647

        NAC attenuated inflammatory response and acute lung and kidney injury after hemorrhagic shock:  Fact!
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22664745

        NAC can prevent Retinal Ganglion Cell Death and may help prevent Glaucoma: Fact!
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22618532

        • Stefan Juhl M.D.

          Thats interstering especially the part with oxdative stress and depression – dr Greger now it is you! Any comments?

    • Lieberman

      Hi Doc,

      I’m curious if L-Theanine is one of the green tea products you’re referring to here?  As it been widely praised as an alternative to benzo’s. :(

  • Stefan Juhl M.D.

    Correct me if I am wrong. Folate (in food) and folic acid (in pills) is not exatly the same molecule. Thats one reason why pills does not work. Beta-carotene is just one out of several carotenoides and you need them all. Thats another reason why popping a pill (with only beta-carotene) does not work. Several intelligent people (including dr Greger I think) says that food is a package. You have to eat the package, not just one single vitamine, nutrient og minerale. So bottom line: You can not cure disease caused by meat, dairy, eggs, fre oils and 6000 kcal/day with prescription drugs or with selene, A-vitamine, beta-carotene or any other “wonder” vitamine. Reservatrol probably has some effect if you get it from berries ond red wine (yeah ! :-) ) not from a pill. Eat food, not pills.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/PGMDQYLIP27TINVLRALRU3KMBA PaulC

       I’m pretty sure that the experiments on animals which showed health benefits for resveratrol were all done with concentrates, equivalent to the pill form since it is found in such low quantities in foods. Red wine, which contains the highest concentration of resveratrol in a food, has no more than 12.5 mg per liter- if you’re lucky. Yet usually they recommend 250 mg per day. However, I agree that it’s easy to get adequate levels of folate, selenium, beta carotene and vitamin C from plant-based foods.

      • Stefan Juhl M.D.

        Thanks for your input PaulC. I have heard that resveratrol is not “stable” in a pill, so when you buy the pill there is no active resveratrol left. Do you know anything about this? Drinking 20 liters of red wine pr day is probably too much! Even if it is from California :-)

    • HemoDynamic, M.D.

      Dr. Juhl, I’m eating, I’m eating already–my rice, quinoa, lentil and arugula salad already!!  And it’s D-lish!

      • Stefan Juhl M.D.

        Yes it is. Have you also noticed that a vegan diet makes you more energetic and alert? I have. I hope that your patients are following your advice, because then they will become more healthy and probably get rid of a lot of their prescription drugs for DM, hypertension, chol. and so forth. Vegan ruels !!!! Dr Dynamic – have a nice vegan weekend !

        • HemoDynamic, M.D.

          All my patients that follow a Vegan diet get at the very least a little better 100% of the time!  No exceptions.  They may not cure every problem but they lower their cholesterol, lower their blood pressure, stop their acid reflux, stop their insomnia, reduce their anxiety, reverse their Type 2 Diabetes, inhibit, stop and even reverse their autoimmune disorders and their cardiovascular disease, and they ALL improve their quality of life.  And that’s what it’s all about–Living Better!

          You have a nice Vegan weekend as well my friend!

          • Ghazeltine

            A few months back I purchased this wonderful blender and started having a “dr. greger shake” daily in the morning. I eat a primarily plant based diet and have for many years.

            I just had all my blood work done and my TSH was off. (hypothyroid for many years) When I went on the synthroid website it said an increase in fiber can cause a change in levels. Weird right? Who would have thought I would need to increase my thyroid meds just because I increased my fiber?

    • Justin

      Folic acid isn’t the only form of folate supplement. Other forms include folinic acid and L-methylfolate. I would imagine the adverse effects of supplementation would probably be eliminated if either of these other forms were used. 

      This article talks a little bit more about that:

      http://chriskresser.com/folate-vs-folic-acid

  • April Barnswell

    I try really hard to get all of my nutrients directly from the whole plant foods. I make a point of rotating our fruits and veggies each week so that we eat a wide and varied mix of plants. We always eat lots of cruciferous plants daily, but we also try to add in other veggies and fruits on a rotating basis. We eat a lot of vegan foods on a daily basis that are supplemented with B12 (i.e., almond milk, coconut milk yogurt). But we also add a sublingual B12 pill, because I’m afraid to fall short on B12. I also take a general multivitamin most days. Other than that, we have stopped taking any other supplements, because I read that the food is always the best source for nutrients. I can understand why nutrients in isolation are not nearly as good as nutrients in their natural, synergistic state.  

    • Stefan Juhl M.D.

      If you live 100% vegan B12 is essential. As a neurologist a have seen B12 myelopati – and you dont want that! Some authors recommend methylcobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin – does anybody have a comment? – dr Greger?

      • john

        I believe that will turn out to be a 100% myth over time… long time vegan.. 10+ years, I don’t supplement it. I know 60 somethings vegan most of their life who have never supplemented either. Seems to be the intestines synthesize B12 and it only becomes a problem when something causes it from being absorbed. Hence why many meat eaters end up with b12 deficiencies despite a “high intake of B12″

  • Strix

    What I never get is whether the problem is with the high amount of the product being consumed in concentration, or whether there is something about the pill/extract/powder ITSELF or the processing that is the danger. If it’s just the overdose, then the supplementation itself isn’t really the problem, just the amount.
    Anyone?

  • maya

    Can you speak about moringa oleifera as a supplement?

  • lani

    Aside from my Vit B12 supplementation as a vegan, I simply take a Centrum silver(along with extra calcium and vit D) Is taking a daily multivitamin harmful?

  • BeckyN

    Are CoQ10 supplements good or bad for you?

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