Lancet on multivitamins
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Panel recommendations from the National Institutes of Health provide an opportunity for physicians to educate patients about nutrition, according to an editorial in The Lancet May 27. The independent panel determined May 17 that there currently is too little evidence to support - or advise against - the use of multivitamin and mineral supplements for the prevention of chronic diseases (1"The Tan Sheet" May 22, 2006, p. 6). Herein lays the chance for physicians to become better informed counselors and caregivers, The Lancet says. "Consumers need to know about the supplements and foods they choose to buy. But there is a clear role for informed medical advice to patients here too." The Lancet adds that the escalating obesity epidemic, and its impact on chronic diseases, amplifies the need for nutritional counseling to figure more prominently in medical school curricula. "Doctors must tackle their patients not only about how much they eat, but also what they eat," the journal reports...