Vitamins - Highlights

Highlights

Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Disease

• Some people believe that using multivitamin and mineral supplements will help ward off cancer and other diseases. Most health care professionals and nutrition experts believe that supplements are ineffective and not useful for people who lead healthy lifestyles and eat healthful balanced meals.
• A 2006 study reviewed previously conducted randomized clinical trials of vitamin and mineral supplements for cancer and disease prevention. One study of poorly nourished Chinese people found that supplementation with beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, and selenium reduced the incidence and death rate from stomach cancer and overall death rate by 13%. However, the researchers concluded that there is insufficient scientific evidence to show that multivitamin and mineral substances are beneficial in preventing cancer and chronic disease.

Herbal Medicines and Benign Prostate Disease

• Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH, enlarged prostate gland) is common among older men. It can cause several urinary problems, such as difficult and frequent urination. Herbal medications containing beta-sitosterols are becoming increasingly popular for treating BPH symptoms.
• A recent review of several studies (totalling more than 500 patients) found that beta-sitosterol treatments improved urinary symptoms and urine flow in men with mild-to-moderate BPH. Other studies are less optimistic.

Review Date: 08/23/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital