Antioxidant supplements once again under attack
Added 16.07.2008
Once again the media publish a study that many researchers consider to be a clear attempt to discredit the use of dietary supplements by manipulating existing scientific data.
This is not the first time antioxidant supplements have been given negative press and sadly criticism is being liberally strewn without any real scientific basis. It is shocking that a supposedly reputable medical journal such as JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) could promote a study that has clearly manipulated data and that many serious scientific researchers consider un-scientific and non-conclusive. One cannot help but wonder who really is behind such a study. The only industry that would financially benefit from such a manipulation is the pharmaceutical industry.
In 2007, a review of studies regarding "mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention" was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) with the objective of determining the effect of antioxidant supplements on mortality. Their results? That synthetic vitamin A and synthetic vitamin E in addition to synthetic beta-carotene may increase the risk of death by up to 16 percent. Natural vitamin C and natural selenium both reduced mortality.
What you should know about the studies...
- Astoundingly, the report's conclusions were obtained from only less than nine percent of all available evidence. Out of the 748 studies that were available and could have been used, only 67 were actually chosen by the researchers!
- Why were 405 trials excluded from the review? The researchers excluded 91 percent of the trials because "none of the subjects taking nutritional supplements died" during these studies!! The results including all trials available would no doubt have shown that antioxidants prolong your life and can both cure and prevent many diseases.
- The researchers only chose to consider a small fraction of trials where subjects died of all causes (including traffic accidents) while they were taking nutritional supplements!! Furthermore, the antioxidant supplements were administered to mostly diseased or high risk subjects.
- During many of the trials, synthetic forms of Vitamins A and E and beta-carotene were given to the subjects. It is a well known fact that synthetic varieties of antioxidant supplements can be harmful to health and are not as effective as natural forms.
- There was a large difference in supplement doses between the different studies. For example, the vitamin E doses ranged from 10 to 5000 IU daily and evidence-based studies prove that natural supplements are only effective at precise doses.
A question lingers: who could benefit from such manipulation of data other than the pharmaceutical industry? Let us not forget that several pharmaceutical companies including BASF and Hoffman-La Roche were slapped with heavy fines from the US Department of Justice and the European Commission in 2001. Why? Because their massive cardiovascular drug market was threatened when vitamin E's heart benefits were proven. The pharmaceutical companies then conspired and formed an illegal cartel to control the markets and prices of various vitamins including vitamin E.
What the researchers that conducted this study and the pharmaceutical industry are forgetting is that consumers are becoming more knowledgeable, and knowledge, is power.
Thousands of people have experienced first-hand the positive effects of supplements and no amount of negative press is going to silence the overwhelming amount of scientific findings that prove the connection between natural nutritional supplements and reduced risk of chronic diseases.
