|
Medford/Somerville, Mass. – Tufts Medical School Professor Norman Krinsky announced last week that the Institute of Medicine will set the first-ever limits on the daily consumption of vitamins C and E -- two antioxidants credited with protecting cells from aging and disease. Despite their beneficial characteristics, megadoses of these vitamins are ineffective, even harmful, said Krinsky -- who heads a panel of scientists that serve as a government watchdog on nutritional standards. According to the Tufts scientist, he and his colleagues found no definitive evidence to support "various claims that taking large doses of antioxidants might help prevent a variety of chronic ailments." Krinsky also said there wasn't enough evidence to set minimum intake levels for other popular antioxidant supplements, including beta carotene, lutein or lycopene. Krinsky told the Washington Post, "A direct connection between the intake of antioxidants and the prevention of chronic disease has yet to be adequately established. Much more is needed to determine whether dietary antioxidants stave off chronic diseases." The findings are expected to be far-reaching.
Tufts' antioxidant expert Jeffrey Blumberg agrees. However, he stressed to USA Today that vitamins, in any amount, are not a substitute for healthy eating habits. "You can't take vitamin E or any other vitamin and think that gives you the license to lead a nutritionally reckless lifestyle. It does not," Blumberg said. "It's like seat belts. You wear a seat belt when you drive, but it doesn't mean you can drive 100 miles an hour through red lights."
|
Tufts
Led Panel Finds Vitamin Megadoses Ineffective
The
International Herald Tribune writes that the panel's findings
on antioxidant supplements "could have an enormous impact on the
booming multivitamin industry." Despite limiting megadoses of vitamins
C and E, Krinsky and the panel raised the recommended minimum daily
allowance of the vitamins, citing the importance of getting the
minimum intake every day.
