| Deciding on what to eat for dinner can be a great | | | | attacks or strokes. |
| source of frustration. After dealing with stress | | | | In 2006, the National Institute of health convened |
| throughout the day, the last thing we want is to | | | | an independent panel of experts to evaluate |
| have to think about is what we want to eat. | | | | claims that vitamins could prevent chronic disease. |
| Many times, we prefer ordering out to save us | | | | Once investigations were completed, the panel |
| time and energy of cooking, or we choose to pop | | | | issued a report, which stated that they could find |
| a TV dinner into the microwave because it can be | | | | no strong evidence of beneficial health-related |
| finished in five minutes. But how does eating | | | | effects of supplements taken singly, in pairs, or |
| these convenient foods affect our health? | | | | combinations. |
| The answer is simple. Convenient foods are highly | | | | Antioxidants did not fare much better. In 2007, |
| processed and in many instances are devoid of | | | | after research was carried out on more than |
| essential nutrients. This means that we are not | | | | 252,000 people, the reports published in the |
| absorbing enough vitamins and minerals and you | | | | Journal of the American medical Association found |
| run the risk of developing serious complications. In | | | | that not only did antioxidant supplements fail to |
| order to compensate, most of us take vitamins | | | | offer protection against heart disease, stroke and |
| supplements to bridge the gap. It is as simple as | | | | cancer, they may actually increase the risk of |
| popping a pill and allowing the body to do the rest. | | | | death. Further studies highlighted a link between |
| Vitamin supplements come in various forms. The | | | | antioxidant medication and an increased risk of |
| most common variety of supplements are | | | | various cancers. The study found that ingesting |
| multivitamin tablets that are supposed to help you | | | | certain antioxidant pills can actually feed latent |
| meet your recommended dietary requirements. | | | | cancers and reduce the effectiveness of |
| By taking these multivitamins, we believe we are | | | | chemotherapy. |
| doing the right thing. However, it seems that this | | | | The supplement industry is a $25 billion industry |
| is not the case. During the past two years, | | | | that has not been very forthcoming with the |
| various studies on vitamin supplements raised | | | | results of the studies. There are no leaflets to be |
| doubts as to whether the supplements do any | | | | found in vitamin or antioxidant tablets, which |
| good. | | | | details potential side-effects and consequences of |
| Some studies have shown that they can also | | | | taking them. Perhaps they should be regulated to |
| post some real medical risks. Research conducted | | | | the same extent as pharmaceutical medications, |
| on various patient populations and medical | | | | which have to spell out in detail all side-effects |
| conditions, could not successfully find evidence | | | | that may be experienced by taking the |
| that multivitamins prevent the onset of chronic | | | | medication. Only then will the general public |
| disease in healthy people. They also found in this | | | | become more educated on the benefits as well |
| study on 160,000 postmenopausal women that | | | | as the dangers of taking vitamins and antioxidant |
| multivitamins did not prevent cancer, heart | | | | supplements. |