Vitamins & prostate cancer

[Dr Mordrid]

Link....

Prostate Cancer Linked to Multivitams

A new study finds that heavy vitamin users were almost twice as likely to get fatal prostate cancer as men who never took the vitamins, with the researchers saying that perhaps high-dose vitamins had little effect until a prostate tumor appeared, and then could spur the prostate tumor's growth.

There's more worrisome news about vitamins: Taking too many may increase men's risk of dying from prostate cancer.

The study, being published today, doesn't settle the issue. But it is the biggest yet to suggest high-dose multivitamins may harm the prostate, and the latest chapter in the confusing quest to tell whether taking various vitamins really helps a variety of conditions - or is a waste of money, or worse.

Government scientists turned to a study tracking the diet and health of almost 300,000 men. About a third reported taking a daily multivitamin, and 5 percent were heavy users, swallowing the pills more than seven times a week.

Within five years of the study's start, 10,241 men had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Some 1,476 had advanced cancer; 179 died.

Heavy multivitamin users were almost twice as likely to get fatal prostate cancer as men who never took the pills, concludes the study in today's Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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[KRSESQ]

Wow. I'm glad I never touch the stuff.

Kevin

[Brian Ellis]

[rant] Normal, healthy, people should never take supplements of any sort. If they have a balanced diet, it is never necessary and a surplus of any supplement may be potentially harmful in some way or another. In my whole life, the only time I took supplements was for two weeks when I was unable to eat normally and that was part of my prescribed medical treatment. Otherwise, they are a waste of money, as well as a health risk, and the purveyors know that full well. [/rant]

[TransformX]

[rant] Normal, healthy, people should never take supplements of any sort. If they have a balanced diet, it is never necessary and a surplus of any supplement may be potentially harmful in some way or another. In my whole life, the only time I took supplements was for two weeks when I was unable to eat normally and that was part of my prescribed medical treatment. Otherwise, they are a waste of money, as well as a health risk, and the purveyors know that full well. [/rant]

I need extra hands or thumbs here!

[Gurm]

The caveat here is that most of America, as well as many other parts of the world, do NOT get a "good balance diet". We eat crap. Even when we don't WANT to eat crap, we do. You can't get away from it without spending half your day acquiring and preparing food. Thus... the need for a decent multivitamin. But lots of people overdo it, for sure.

Now, if we could all eat better, and if the government would start banning "high fructose corn syrup" and other artificial CRAP that goes into our food... maybe we wouldn't need the vitamins. But right now, most Americans can't AFFORD good natural food that comprises a balanced diet.

[Brian Ellis]

most Americans can't AFFORD good natural food that comprises a balanced diet.

That is just more crap than goes into the food. Locally produced fruit and veggies can be bought for far less than a meal from McD's or Pizza Hut or KFCs and cheap cuts of meat are just as nutritious as fillet steak (possibly more so). Every time I go to the USA, I'm amazed that one portion of a restaurant meal would feed two elsewhere. Eggs and cheese are also cheap. It's fast food that is costly for the amount of nutrition. Slow food is much better and tastier, to boot.

Last Saturday, we (2 persons) roasted a medium lemon-stuffed chicken and served it with roast potatoes and carrots, with giblet gravy. We ate about 1/3 of it, so we made a stew with the leftovers, with loads of onions, garlic, carrots, dried bolets, and added a chicken cube to the left-over gravy and added a small can of beer. This did us for two more meals with boiled potatoes. I bet the average cost of each of those three meals for two was, by far, less than a meal for two at a fast-food outlet and was more tasty and nutritious.

[ZokesPro]

I heard that if you take too much multivitamins that your body has a hard time getting rid of the excess and can be toxic for the body. Besides, if you eat right there's no reason to take any. I used to take one a day and sometimes an extra one before a game of hockey until I noticed some negative effects it had on me. I did finish the bottle cause there was 3-4 left but haven't bought any or taken in a few months now and I feel just as good, if not better! But it's like anything else, too much of a good thing can be bad for you.

[Technoid]

Bahh, those that got cancer didnt wank enough

[TransformX]

But it's like anything else, too much of a good thing can be bad for you.

Will you say that about BEER too?

[Brian Ellis]

Bahh, those that got cancer didnt wank enough

Not true: I got prostate cancer!

[ZokesPro]

Will you say that about BEER too?

Only the cheap stuff.

[Gurm]

That is just more crap than goes into the food. Locally produced fruit and veggies can be bought for far less than a meal from McD's or Pizza Hut or KFCs and cheap cuts of meat are just as nutritious as fillet steak (possibly more so). Every time I go to the USA, I'm amazed that one portion of a restaurant meal would feed two elsewhere. Eggs and cheese are also cheap. It's fast food that is costly for the amount of nutrition. Slow food is much better and tastier, to boot.

Brian, not to nitpick but you're not shopping for a family of four in Boston. Try finding preservative, additive, and crap-free food here without spending half your day shopping and doubling your budget. Go on, I dare ya!

Our weekly food budget would make your eyes pop out of your head, we do the best we can but it's really hard with two parents working.

[Dr Mordrid]

We're lucky enough to live near several excellent farmers markets, organic-but-reasonably priced poultry farms (chicken, turkey, game hens, pheasants etc.) and a mom & pop grocery store that will cut meat to order, also reasonably. Fresh ground beef with <10% fat for $1.99/pound ("regular" hamburger runs 20% to 30%).

[Brian Ellis]

Brian, not to nitpick but you're not shopping for a family of four in Boston. Try finding preservative, additive, and crap-free food here without spending half your day shopping and doubling your budget. Go on, I dare ya!

Our weekly food budget would make your eyes pop out of your head, we do the best we can but it's really hard with two parents working.

In which case, you want to try it in Central Europe. Have a look at the prices here and tell me how they compare. For reference, the current multiplier into dollars is 0.3951. A few samples:
Migros fillet of beef $38.74/kg
Ground beef 20-30% fat $8.93/kg
Good apples/pears $1.82/kg (NOT organic)
Organic apples $3,14/kg
Cheapest bread $1.26/kg
Cheapest potatoes $0.78/kg
Batavia lettuce $0.69 each
Cucumber $0.89 each
Tomatoes $1.72/kg
Cauliflower $2.61/kg
(above not organic)
Semi-skimmed milk $0.55/l
Now, these prices are from Migros, which are amongst the cheapest in the country for reasonable fresh quality, being the kinda sorta Walmart of Switzerland. So tell me that Boston is expensive.

Now you understand why I'm an economic refugee from Switzerland on a state pension. Things are a little cheaper here, but not much, except locally grown fresh produce and meat, which are considerably cheaper.

[Gurm]

We're lucky enough to live near several excellent farmers markets, organic-but-reasonably priced poultry farms (chicken, turkey, game hens, pheasants etc.) and a mom & pop grocery store that will cut meat to order, also reasonably. Fresh ground beef with <10% fat for $1.99/pound ("regular" hamburger runs 20% to 30%).

It's MUCH easier in the summer around here. Lots of local farmstands, so I can just stop in on my way home from work. But because of the nature of the location, the farmstands aren't "year-round", so once September hits, the produce is found only at the supermarket.