Supplement science
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
A healthy diet with adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables is more advisable than taking vitamin or mineral supplements, suggests a report entitled "Vitamins and Minerals: Does the Epidemiological Evidence Justify General Supplementation." Released by the American Council on Science & Health in February, the report concludes, "while intriguing and encouraging, the scientific evidence to date does not provide a firm basis for advocating dietary supplementation in normal, healthy adults to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease." One exception the 41-page report makes is for calcium's efficacy in decreasing the risk of osteoporosis in women. The report also examines B vitamins and heart disease as well as antioxidants and cancer, heart disease and age-related macular degeneration