The raison d'etre of this website is to provide you with hard scientific information which may help you make informed decisions in your quest for health (so far I have blogged concise summaries of over 1,500 scientific studies and have had three books published).

My research is mainly focused on the effects of cholesterol, saturated fat and statin drugs on health. If you know anyone who is worried about their cholesterol levels and heart disease, or has been told to take statin drugs you could send them a link to this website, and to my statin or cholesterol or heart disease books.

David Evans

Independent Health Researcher
Showing posts with label Dietary Supplements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dietary Supplements. Show all posts

Friday, 17 September 2010

Calcium supplements are associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and early death

Published in the BMJ 2010; 341:c3691 doi: 10.1136/bmj.c3691 (Published 29 July 2010)

Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis
Mark J Bolland, senior research fellow1, Alison Avenell, clinical senior lecturer2, John A Baron, professor3, Andrew Grey, associate professor1, Graeme S MacLennan, senior research fellow2, Greg D Gamble, research fellow1, Ian R Reid, professor1
1Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92 019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
2Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen
3Department of Medicine, and Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, NH, USA

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c3691.full
 
Bolland studied 15 trials to investigate whether calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular events.
 
He found that calcium supplements are associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and early death.

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Thursday, 16 September 2010

Public health policy should be one that emphasizes food and diet, NOT one that emphasizes nutrient supplements

Published in JAMA. 2005;294:351-358.

Essential Nutrients: Food or Supplements? Where Should the Emphasis Be?
Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc; Robert M. Russell, MD
Jean mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Mass.

This paper can be accessed at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/294/3/351
 
The author reports, "The consumption of adequate levels and proper balance of essential nutrients is critical for maintaining health. The identification, isolation, and purification of nutrients in the early 20th century raised the possibility that optimal health outcomes could be realized through nutrient supplementation. Recent attempts using this approach for cardiovascular disease and lung cancer have been disappointing, as demonstrated with vitamin E and beta carotene. Moreover, previously unrecognized risks caused by nutrient toxicity and nutrient interactions have surfaced during intervention studies. The most promising data in the area of nutrition and positive health outcomes relate to dietary patterns, not nutrient supplements. These data suggest that other factors in food or the relative presence of some foods and the absence of other foods are more important than the level of individual nutrients consumed. Finally, unknown are the implications on public health behavior of shifting the emphasis away from food toward nutrient supplements. Notwithstanding the justification for targeting recommendations for nutrient supplements to certain segments of the population (eg, the elderly), there are insufficient data to justify an alteration in public health policy from one that emphasizes food and diet to one that emphasizes nutrient supplements".
 
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Friday, 30 July 2010

Calcium supplements associated with heart attacks, however dietary calcium prevents heart attacks

Published 29 July 2010, British Medical journal doi:10.1136/bmj.c3691

Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis
Mark J Bolland, senior research fellow1, Alison Avenell, clinical senior lecturer2, John A Baron, professor3, Andrew Grey, associate professor1, Graeme S MacLennan, senior research fellow2, Greg D Gamble, research fellow1, Ian R Reid, professor1
1 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92 019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand, 2 Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, 3 Department of Medicine, and Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, NH, USA

This study can be accessed at: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/341/jul29_1/c3691#REF6

The authors concluded that calcium supplements are associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, but noted that people who consumed the most dietary calcium had a 30-40% LOWER risk of having a fatal heart attack or stroke as compared to those who consumed the least, espeically if the calcium intake was from dairy sources.

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Sunday, 16 May 2010

Significant health risks are associated with use of the dietary supplement ephedra

Published in Clinical Toxicology, Volume 43, Issue 1 January 2005 , pages 23 - 30

Seizures Reported in Association with Use of Dietary Supplements
Christine A. Haller ab; Kathryn H. Meier a;Kent R. Olson a
a University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
b University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713719869&db=all

The author concludes: "Ephedra was implicated in 27 of 33 dietary supplement-associated seizures reported to the FDA over a 7-year period, further underscoring that significant health risks are associated with use of this herbal product".

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Saturday, 15 May 2010

Dietary supplements cause acute toxic effects which may be fatal

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine Volume 344:87-94 January 11, 2001 Number 2

Adverse Events, Including Death, Associated with the Use of 1,4-Butanediol
Deborah L. Zvosec, Ph.D., Stephen W. Smith, M.D., J. Rod McCutcheon, B.S., Joe Spillane, Pharm.D., Bradley J. Hall, Ph.D., and Elizabeth A. Peacock, M.D.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis (D.L.Z., S.W.S.); the Office of the Travis County Medical Examiner, Austin, Tex. (J.R.M., B.J.H., E.A.P.); and Broward General Medical Center, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (J.S.).

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.endo.gr/cgi/content/abstract/344/2/87

Despite repeated FDA warnings to the public about the dangers of 1,4-butanediol, gamma-hydroxybutyrate and gamma-butyrolactoneas, they remain accessible as "club drugs" on Internet websites, as natual dietary supplements in health food stores, and as illicit products manufactured at home or in clandestine laboratories

The health risks of 1,4-butanediol are similar to those of its counterparts, gamma-hydroxybutyrate and gamma-butyrolactone. These include acute toxic effects, which may be fatal, and addiction and withdrawal.

AMAZON UK Supplements Exposed: The Truth They Dont Want You to Know about Vitamins, Minerals, and Their Effects on Your Health
AMAZON USA Supplements Exposed: The Truth They Don't Want You to Know About Vitamins, Minerals, and Their Effects on Your Health

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Dietary supplements associated with heart disease risk

Published in Mayo Clin Proc. 2002;77:7-9

Are Serious Adverse Cardiovascular Events an Unintended Consequence of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994?
Bruce D. Lindsay MD
Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, Campus Box 8086, St Louis, MO 63110
 
This paper can be accessed at: http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/content/77/1/7.full.pdf
 
The commercial promotion of supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids has caused concern because these supplements have been associated with adverse cardiovascular events, such as hypertension, stroke, and heart attacks.
 
Lindsay concludes: "As physicians, we should educate and caution the public about possible risks associated with the use of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids. Additionally, we should urge Congress to consider new regulations that would protect the public from dietary supplements that lack adequate testing for safety and efficacy".

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Excessive use of dietary supplements is unnecessary, irrational and dangerous

Published in Food & Drug L.J. 237 (1994)

From a History of Near Misses: The Future of Dietary Supplement Regulation
Kassel, Mark A.
 
This paper can be accessed at: http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/foodlj49&div=24&id=&page=
 
Kassel observes that people injest vast quantities of dietary supplements despite there being little or no evidence that increased dosage gives health benefits.
 
Kassel concludes that: "Excessive use of dietary supplements is unnecessary, irrational and dangerous".

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Thursday, 13 May 2010

Football heatstroke fatalities may be attributable to dietary supplements

Published in Neurosurgery: August 2002 - Volume 51 - Issue 2 - pp 283-288

The Neurosurgeon in Sport: Awareness of the Risks of Heatstroke and Dietary Supplements
Bailes, Julian E. M.D.; Cantu, Robert C. M.D.; Day, Arthur L. M.D.

This paper can be accessed at: http://journals.lww.com/neurosurgery/Abstract/2002/08000/The_Neurosurgeon_in_Sport__Awareness_of_the_Risks.2.aspx
 
The author comments: "Recent trends in football heatstroke fatalities toward significant increases may, in part, be attributable to or aggravated by the use of dietary supplements".

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The Dangers of the Unregulated Dietary Supplement Industry

Published in N. Y. L. Sch. L. Rev. 261 (1988)

Where There's Smoke There's Fire: The Dangers of the Unregulated Dietary Supplement Industry;
Schindler, Bruce H.

This paper can be accessed at: http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/nyls42&div=13&id=&page=
 
Schinder observes how dietary supplements, which are often diluted drugs, have managed to avoid the regulatory scrutiny of the Food and Drug Administration.

AMAZON UK Supplements Exposed: The Truth They Dont Want You to Know about Vitamins, Minerals, and Their Effects on Your Health
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Herbal teas can cause liver disease

Published in Gastroenterology. 1985 Apr;88(4):1050-4.

Hepatic venocclusive disease associated with the consumption of pyrrolizidine-containing dietary supplements.
Ridker PM, Ohkuma S, McDermott WV, Trey C, Huxtable RJ.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3972224
 
Hepatic venocclusive disease is a often fatal condition of the liver which manifests itself as jaundice, swelling of the liver, and fluid retention.
 
Pyrrolizidine poisoning (causing hepatic venocclusive disease), due to the use of herbal teas and supplements is being increasigly reported.

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Concern that some dietary supplements may be toxic

Published in the Lancet. Vol. 336, no. 8707, 117 p. 1990.

Dangers of dietary germanium supplements.
van der Spoel, JI
Stricker, BHC
Esseveld, MR
Schipper, MEI

This paper can be accessed at: http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs&collection=ENV&recid=2332261&q=dangers+of+dietary+supplements&uid=789447494&setcookie=yes
 
The author voices concern at the increasing use of "natural" remedies because of the lack of scientific evidence of how effective they are and the toxicity of some of the products.

AMAZON UK The Danger of Relying on Vitamin Supplements: How to Improve Your Health Without Them
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