You could be getting more than you bargained for in your daily vitamin. According to a story in Consumer Reports, many of America's dietary supplements are also packing carcinogens and kidney- and heart-damaging contaminants.

This information comes from an article in the September issue of Consumer Reports. The article lists 12 different supplemental ingredients associated with negative health consequences. These include bitter orange (an ephedra-like supplement associated with heart attack and stroke), germanium, coltsfoot and colloidal silver, which has been marketed as an immune system booster but is known to cause argyria and kidney damage.

Wonder how these vitamins managed to slip past the FDA? Guidelines for vitamins and supplements differ greatly from those for food and traditional drugs. Supplement manufacturers are responsible for clearing the safety of their products and providing information, but many companies aren’t even required to register products or gain approval. The FDA can’t take action until the product goes to market.

“Supplements are marketed with very seductive and sometimes overblown sales pitches,” Nancy Metcalf, senior program editor for Consumer Reports, said in a news release. “Consumers are easily lulled into believing that supplements can do no harm because they’re ‘natural’.”

Metcalf also noted that not all natural ingredients are safe. “The FDA has repeatedly found hazardous ingredients, including synthetic prescription drugs,” she added.

The guidelines for supplements are flawed, but legislators have been moving slowly to boost the FDA’s oversight. Until then, Consumer Reports urges consumers to take responsibility in educating themselves on the health effects of their vitamins.

Get the full scoop at ConsumerReports.org or get vitamin information from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Research indicates that indoor tanning could be an addictive habit, and all those rays could mean trouble for tanning addicts.           

Of 229 college students from a large university in the northeastern United States that used indoor tanning facilities, four in 10 met DSM-IV criteria for tanning addiction. Three in 10 met criteria for a test similar to the CAGE test (acronym for Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener). CAGE is a four-question self-test sometimes used to increase awareness of use and/or abuse of alcohol.

Students who met criteria for both also had greater anxiety and substance use than their counterparts, which leads some to believe tanning addiction may be related to stress.

"There is some growing evidence now that people use tanning as a way to cope with stressors, as way to increase positive mood, decrease negative moods, [and to] cope with environmental demands,” Catherine E. Mosher, co-author of the study, said in an interview with Health Day. “In that way it's similar to other addictive behaviors."

Sun exposure stimulates Vitamin D production in the body. Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, but it’s also been known to boost mood. Just 10 minutes a day in the sun’s UV rays—the same rays that allow tanning beds to produce that golden glow—is enough to boost these levels.

However all of this UV exposure can cause serious skin damage. For tanning addicts, this means a significantly higher risk of skin cancer. Mosher says counseling may be one way to reduce the impulse to tan

“Counseling could be a logical intervention for these people who have excessive visits to tanning salons,” Mosher said. “If, for some people, tanning is a way to cope with emotions, then there are obviously healthier ways to do so than to go to tanning salons every week.”

Read more about Mosher’s study on Health Day, or find her study’s abstract in The Archives of Dermatology.

Osteoporosis affects more than 10 million people in the U.S., 80 percent of whom are women. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), another 34 million with low bone mass are at risk.

Inadequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D in the diet are contributing factors, and what better way to get these minerals than drinking a glass of milk? You might be surprised to learn that cow’s milk isn’t the only “milk” around that’s chockfull of these nutrients.

An article by MSNBC nutritionist Joy Bauer gives a whirlwind of options for getting the recommended amount of calcium. The milk-a-palooza has plenty of options for everyone, including vegans and people who are lactose-intolerant.

We broke down these options to give you the benefits associated with each:

Reduced Fat and Enhanced Skim Milk

Good, old-fashioned cow’s milk contains about 30 percent of the recommended daily intake of calcium and more than 6 percent protein. Organic and vitamin D enhanced options are also available.

Lactose-Free Milk

Lactose-free milk is made from actual cow’s milk. The enzymes needed to digest lactose are added to make it safe for people with lactose intolerance to consume. It’s full of protein and calcium, and has less fat and sugar than regular milk. Some brands actually taste like cow’s milk.

Soymilk

Protein-packed soymilk is made from soybeans. It is low in cholesterol and saturated fat and is a source of good carbs, Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, B1 and B2.

Rice Milk

Rice milk is made from water and ground rice. It has more carbs and less protein than regular milk, but many varieties are fortified with calcium and vitamin D. As an added bonus, rice milk (like soymilk) often comes in several flavors.

Almond Milk

Almond milk has no lactose or cholesterol, which makes this a very healthy option for those of you who are lactose-intolerant or vegans. It’s full of protein, vitamin E, manganese and unsaturated fat. Its subtly sweet flavor makes it a hit with children.

There are plenty of other great sources of calcium if milk’s not your thing. The NOF site recommends eating right, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and getting tested early for bone density to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis and its complications.

Visit MSNBC.com to read Bauer’s full story on getting the most from milk.

Your vitamin regimen may be boosting more than your immunity/metabolism. Certain herbal supplements can also increase blood lead levels.

A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. investigates the effects different herbal supplements on blood lead levels. Supplements with high heavy metals levels included Ayurvedic herbs, echinacea, ginseng, St. John’s wort, bee pollen, ginko, and nettle.

Lead exposure can result in medical complications, including high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, heart disease and peripheral artery disease. High blood lead levels also pose a risk for women planning to become pregnant. Lead can lead to pregnancy complications for both the mother and the developing child.

“Among adults, the potential implications of low-level lead exposure are most relevant to women of child-bearing age,” study authors write. “As lead is especially harmful to developing nervous systems of fetuses and children and passes through the placenta and breast milk.”

Researchers recruited 6,712 Unites States women in good health who were of reproductive age—20 or more years old. Participants self-reported their vitamin regimen for 30 days, and were divided into groups based on the type of supplements they used.

Women who took these supplements had significantly higher lead levels than women who took other herbal medicines. Blood lead levels of women who took Ayurvedic supplements were 24 percent higher than non-users. St. John’s wort wasn’t far behind with 23 percent higher levels.

Greater lead levels were not seen in individuals who used other supplements, such as garlic. Researchers acknowledge that these supplements can have some beneficial effects on personal health, but recommend firmer regulations.

“Our data suggest testing guidelines for herbal supplements,” they write, “and regulations limiting lead in supplements are needed.”

Batten down the hatches and break out the vitamin C. Cold season is officially here, and it’s possible to get two strains at once!

Two new studies of human rhinovirus (HRV), the common cold, have welcomed a new cold bug to the family. Previously, there were only two known species of the virus—HRV-A and HRV-B. Now a third, HRV-C, can be added to the list.

The HRV-A and HRV-B species alone represent different strains of the virus, 99 to be exact. What’s surprising is that HRV-C, which has an additional seven strains, appears to be a hybrid of both.

Researchers of the first study discovered the new species while doing genome sequences for all 99 strains of the original HRV set. Genome sequencing allows scientists to break down and more closely examine a virus’ RNA to find different combinations of genetic material.

When a person carries two strains of a virus, the strains can come together to exchange this material, a process called recombination. Because the new species shares characteristics of both HRV-A and HRV-B, researchers have concluded that it is possible for a person to carry both strains at once. So yes, you can have two colds at once.

“Coinfection with multiple HRVs is known to occur,” authors of the second study write, “We now know that this can lead to strains that may have distinct biologic properties and clinical characteristics.”

The second study examined 64 Chinese children, many of whom had what they called a “triple infection.” Many had a form of rhinovirus and another respiratory virus (such as the flu), but some had two rhinovirus strains in addition to another respiratory virus.

When the body hosts a cocktail of viruses, this makes it easier for different strains to exchange RNA and multiply quickly. Further investigation suggests that there may actually be another species of the cold on the way—HRV-D.

Researchers of the second study plan to continue exploring HRV genetic material, and hope this will help lead to better treatment and more effective medications.

“The clustering of small clades (biological groups), the recombinations, and the mutations found in all regions of these genomes suggest that future HRV epidemiologic studies might benefit from full genome sequencing rather than the more limited serotyping,” they say.

Seven in ten children in the United States are not getting enough vitamin D, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2001-2004).

Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes calcium absorption, fortifying bones and teeth, and maintaining the level of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.

Vitamin D deficiency can result in conditions such as rickets in children (usually <11 ng/mL), and osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults (typically levels <25 ng/mL). Low levels of vitamin D also increase the risk of bone and heart disease, and are also associated with higher blood pressure and lower calcium and HDL cholesterol levels in later life.

Based on the information obtained from the survey, researchers found that, of more than 6,000 of children followed, nine percent (equal about 7.6 million) were vitamin D deficient, and a greater number were found to be getting an insufficient amount—61%, representing 50.8 million U.S. children. Only 4% received the recommended daily amount of vitamin D.

Children classified as “insufficient” had 15-29 ng/mL, while those who were classified as “deficient” had levels of 15 ng/mLor less. Normal range, according to the National Institute of Health, is 30-74 ng/mL.

The study is the largest of its kind to date, gaining nationwide rather than just regional data. "We expected the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency would be high,” says lead author Juhi Kumar, M.D., M.P.H., of the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, “but the magnitude of the problem nationwide was shocking."

Vitamin D deficiency is more common for female children, those that are older, obese, drink less than one glass of milk week, and those who spend four hours or greater on the computer or watching television per day. African-American and Mexican-American children also had a greater risk.“It’s very hard to get enough vitamin D from dietary sources alone,” says Dr. Michal Melamed of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York.

Melamed, co-leader of the study, attributes part of this problem to lifestyle, recommending parents send their children outdoors. One source of vitamin D is UV-B sunlight, which converts cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D. She also recommends ditching the sunscreen for a while: “Just 15 to 20 minutes a day should be enough…don't put sunscreen on them until they've been out in the sun for 10 minutes, so they get the good stuff but not sun damage.” Individuals with darker skin and those who live in northern regions with less sun exposure should spend more time outdoors.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens get at least 400 IU per day, double the previous recommendation of 200IU per day. Good sources of vitamin D include fish, milk, eggs, cod liver oil, and fortified foods. Vitamin D levels can also be increased with the use of supplements.

The study's abstract is available online, and will be published in September's issue of Pediatrics.

According to a study published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), taking folic acid, vitamin B6 or vitamin B12 supplements does not reduce (or increase) the risk of invasive cancer or breast cancer in women. This study was conducted because previous studies had suggested a protective effect for B vitamins against cancer.

In the JAMA study, the researchers examined the incidence of invasive cancer and breast cancer among 5,442 female health professionals who took daily supplements of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 and those who took a placebo. There was no real difference in cancer rates between the groups of women studied. Women in this study had preexisting heart disease or several risk factors for heart disease.  

B vitamins are important for growth and other cellular functions. Leafy green vegetables and fortified cereals are a good source of folic acid and other B vitamins. Folic acid is added to cereals and breads to prevent serious birth defects.  The March of Dimes recommends that women take a daily multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid before and during early pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects in babies.

At least for now, there appears to be little benefit for women who take folic acid or other B vitamin supplements in order to prevent cancer.  

Have a question about vitamins or other dietary supplements? Ask our Dietary Supplements Health Community.

 

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Vitamin E and the mineral selenium do not prevent prostate cancer, according to a large study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) was halted early after a preliminary analysis of the data showed that these supplements, taken alone or together, did not reduce prostate cancer risk among more than 35,000 men age 50 and older who were studied.

Of more concern, the study suggested that the two supplements may carry an increased risk to men’s health: men who were taking only vitamin E showed a small increase in the number of prostate cancer cases, and those taking only selenium had a slight increase in the incidence of diabetes. However, these findings are still preliminary and they were not statistically significant, meaning that they could have been caused by chance.

Study participants are being notified by a letter that they should stop taking the supplements but will continue to have their health monitored for about three more years.

The findings are a major disappointment after previous studies suggested that Vitamin E might lower prostate cancer risk by more than 30 percent and selenium by over 50 percent. A drug called finasteride that is currently used to treat an enlarged prostate and male pattern baldness was recently shown to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer by 25 percent, but is not currently approved by the FDA as a preventative agent.

The doses involved in the study were higher than what is found in a typical multivitamin: 400mg/day vitamin E (the recommended daily intake is 15mg) and 200mcg/day selenium (U.S. RDI is 50-75mcg).

If you are currently taking daily vitamin E or selenium supplements, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of continuing their use. Or ask the health experts on Healia Health Communities.

 

_{Photo: Twenty Questions, Flickr, Creative Commons}

 

New research shows that people with Alzheimer’s disease who consume very high levels of vitamin E seem to live longer than those who do not. The findings stem from a 15-year study of the survival rates of 847 men and women already diagnosed with various stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Are high levels of Vitamin E safe? This has been a major research topic as some studies have suggested that high doses may also carry unwarranted health risks. The American Heart Association has stated that high amounts of vitamin E may be harmful for the average person and that taking 400 IU or more per day may increase the risk of death.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect the body’s tissue from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals. Free radicals can harm cells, tissues, and organs. They are believed to play a major role in certain conditions associated with aging.

Do you have a question about vitamin E or Alzheimer’s disease? Ask an Expert at Healia Communities or connect with others in the Alzheimer’s Disease Community.

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This week is Folic Acid Awareness Week and women of childbearing age should be particularly aware of the benefits of folic acid. The Week is sponsored by the National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA), a partnership of national and state organizations and government agencies charged to improve health by promoting the benefits of folic acid.

Folic acid is a B-vitamin necessary for proper cell growth. If taken before and during early pregnancy, folic acid can prevent from 50% up to 70% of some forms of birth defects called neural tube defects. According to the CDC, birth defects of a baby’s brain or spine happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman knows that she is pregnant.

It is possible, but difficult, to consume the recommended daily amount of folic acid in foods. In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration required the addition of folic acid into enriched breads, cereals, flours, pastas, rice, and other grain products to help increase folic acid consumption in the U.S.

Women of childbearing age should take 400 micrograms of synthetic folic acid daily, from fortified foods and/or a daily multi-vitamin, and eat a variety of foods as part of a healthy diet. According to the NCFA, the easiest way to get the recommended daily amount of folic acid is to take a multi-vitamin each day.

Additional health benefits associated with folic acid include reductions in cardiovascular disease and decreased risk of colon, cervical, and breast cancers. Folic acid may also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and protect against Parkinson’s disease.

Folic Acid Awareness Week is January 7-13, 2008. To find more information regarding folic acid, please search healia.com.

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