Vitamin Information Center

Antioxidants
Definition
There are natural antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin
E, carotinoids and artificial citrates. They are used
in food, pharmaceuticals and in synthetic materials to
avoid the oxidation (reaction with aerial oxygen or other
oxidize chemicals) of sensitive molecules. Mostly
they act as scavengers. Because natural antioxidants
delay or advert the growth and development of many
cells they possibly block the development of cancer.
A lot of antioxidantswhich decrease the hazards of cancer
are found in fruit and vegetables. And they also
make aggressive oxygen particles harmless. It is supposed
that a high intake of fresh fruit and vegetables
has a protective effect against the development e. g. of
cancer.

Men who have their diet based on green vegetables, fruits and lentils have a higher chance of fathering a healthy child, a new research shows.

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that men with relatively low levels of folate (a B Vitamin) had increased risks for sperm containing either too few or too many chromosome, a condition known as aneuploidy. This condition is connected to failure to conceive, miscarriages, and children born with conditions such as Down’s syndrome, Turner’s syndrome and Klinefelter’s syndrome.

“We looked at sperm to find different kinds of genetic abnormalities. The abnormalities we looked at here were having too few or too many chromosomes,” lead researcher Brenda Eskenazi, a professor of maternal and child health and epidemiology and director of the Center for Children’s Environmental Health at Berkeley’s School of Public Health said, according to the Washington Post.

The researchers analyzed sperm samples from 89 healthy, non-smoking men and questioned them about their daily intake of zinc, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. They found men with the highest intake of folate or folic acid (between 722 and 1150 micrograms a day) had 20 percent to 30 percent lower frequencies of aneuploidy compared to men with a lower intake. No correlation was made between the other vitamins and sperm aneuploidy.

The current recommended daily intake of folate for men over the age of 19 is 400 micrograms. Health experts recommend women of childbearing age maintain a healthy intake of folate because it is essential for healthy fetal developmental and to prevent neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly (severe type of brain damage). That’s the reason why folic acid is now added to bread, cereal, flour and other grain products in the U.S.

This study is the first to “say that male diet may be important for healthy offspring as well.”

“The emphasis related to the birth of a healthy baby has been weighted towards the health and diet of women, not just during pregnancy, but before. What we’re finding now is that a nutritious diet, specifically folate intake, may be beneficial for men as well when it comes to producing healthy offspring,” Dr. Eskenazi said.

She also adds that if other studies confirm her team’s findings of the link between folate intake and aneuploidy, scientists may recommend men tale folic acid for at least three months before trying to conceive.

The idea that diet can improve sperm quality is less well established. “There is increasing evidence from a number of studies to suggest that dietary factors can correlate with sperm health. The story so far suggests that dietary factors won’t help you make more sperm, but good diet might just improve that quality of the ones that are made,” said Dr. Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield and honorary secretary of the British Fertility Society, BBC News reported.

The study findings are published in the March 20 issue of the journal Human Reproduction.

Researchers have found an association between a vitamin found in leafy green vegetables, fruit and pulses and levels of chromosomal abnormalities in men’s sperm. Men who consumed high levels of folate (a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food) and folic acid (the synthetic form of the vitamin) tended to have lower levels of abnormal sperm where a chromosome had been lost or gained (known as aneuploidy).

Writing in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction, today (Thursday 20 March), the authors say estimates suggest that between 1-4% of sperm in a healthy man have some type of aneuploidy, but there are large variations among individuals, the mechanisms are poorly understood and little is known about the effects of men’s diet on their sperm.

In the first study of its kind to investigate the relationship between sperm aneuploidy and paternal diet, they analysed sperm samples from 89 healthy, non-smoking men and questioned them about their daily total intake (from diet and from vitamin supplements) of zinc, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

One of the principal investigators of the study, Brenda Eskenazi, Professor of Maternal and Child Health and Epidemiology and Director of the Centre for Children’s Environmental Health at the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA, said: ‘We found a statistically significant association between high folate intake and lower sperm aneuploidy: there was increasing benefit with increasing intake, and men in the upper 25th percentile who had the highest intake of folate between 722-1150 micrograms, had 20-30% lower frequencies of several types of aneuploidy compared with men with a lower intake.

‘However, this study cannot prove that high folate intake caused the lower sperm aneuploidy levels, only that there is an association. This is the first study of its kind and the results indicate the need for further research, especially a randomised controlled trial, on this topic.’

The researchers found no consistent associations between intakes of zinc and the other vitamins and sperm aneuploidy.

Prof. Eskenazi said: ‘While the importance of maternal diet on reproduction, especially folate intake, is well known, the results of our study suggest the importance of studying paternal nutrition when considering male-mediated developmental consequences. In previous studies, we and others have shown that paternal micronutrient intake may contribute to successful conceptions by improving the quality of the sperm. This study is the first to suggest that paternal diet may play a role after conception in the development of healthy offspring.’

The current recommended daily intake (RDA) for men aged over 19 is 400 micrograms, and the authors say that if other studies confirm their findings of the link between folate intake and aneuploidy, then a possible intervention would be to increase the RDA for men considering becoming fathers for at least three months before trying to conceive in order to reduce the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in their children.

Ms Suzanne Young, a researcher in Prof Eskenazi’s group and the study co-ordinator, said: ‘Increasing folate intake can be as simple as taking a vitamin supplement with at least 400 micrograms of folate or eating breakfast cereal fortified with 100% of the RDA for folic acid. In addition, green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, can have up to 100 micrograms of folate per serving.’

Disentangling the effects of folate from other micronutrients (e.g. the other vitamins) can be difficult, but the authors think they have succeeded in doing this by looking at several different nutrients in statistical analyses. Ms Young said: ‘The results of the different analyses were different, which gave us some confidence that we could look at the effect of these micronutrients separately. The definitive way to answer this question would be with a randomised control trial with folate supplementation.’

Source: European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology

Tea not only helps fight several cancers and cardiovascular diseases but also relieves headaches and provides a calm mental state.

Botanical: Camellia thea
Family: N.O. Camelliaceae
Synonym: Thea sinensis (Sims). Thea Veridis. Thea bohea. Thea stricta Jassamica. Camellia theifera (Griff.).

Habitat:

For thousands of years Tea has been cultivated in Asia especially in Assam, Ceylon, Japan and Java.

Description:

Tea is a small evergreen shrub which grows 2 to 3 meters tall and has dark green, lanceolate or elliptical leaves.

It is noteworthy that the processing degree determines whether tea will be green, black or red.

Green tea is the least processed and is simply steamed quickly before packaging. Black and red teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented.

Part Used Medicinally:

Dried leaf.

Constituents:

Tea consists of caffeine (theine), tannin (10 to 20 percent gallotannic acid), boheic acid, volatile oil, aqueous extract, protein wax, resin, ash fluoride, and theophylline.

Tea contains antioxidants known as catechins, which are highly concentrated in white and green teas, while black tea’s oxidative preparation results in a lower concentration.

Tea is a dietary source of important vitamins and minerals. It contains carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), Thiamin (vitamin B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Nicotinic acid, Pantothenic acid, Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin B6, Folic acid, Manganese, Potassium, and Fluoride.

Tea virtually has no calories, and half the amount of caffeine found in an equally sized cup of coffee.

Medicinal Uses:

Tea is believed to have stimulant and astringent properties. Its’ simulative property is useful for treating tumors, abscesses, bladder ailments and lethargy.

Because of its high L-theanine content, tea affects the brain’s neurotransmitters and increases alpha brain-wave activity, resulting in a calmer, yet more alert, state of mind. It is also effective in alleviating neuralgic headaches.

Tea, in any type, contains polyphenols, which give tea its antioxidant properties. These compounds help protect the body from free radical damage.

Tea has anti-cancer properties and can help reduce the risk of gastric, esophageal, ovarian and skin cancers. White tea has the highest anti-cancer properties.

Tea polyphenols also prevent blood clotting and lower the blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels. As a result, drinking tea lowers the risk of heart attacks.

Tea inhibits the growth of bacteria that cause halitosis.

Tea boosts the body’s immune system response to infection.

Drinking tea helps delay Alzheimer’s disease and reduces mortality risks by 44 percent.

In the case of heart disease, the antioxidants in tea prevent death from a second heart attack by relaxing blood vessels and allowing blood to flow more easily, lowering blood pressure and reducing the stress on the heart.

Tea also contains fluoride, which benefits the teeth and its bacteria killing properties help control halitosis and plaque formation.

Drinking tea regularly can produce stronger bones. Those who drank tea on a regular basis for 10 or more years have higher-bone mineral density in their spines.

Tea helps prevent flu and fights allergies especially sneeze-starting allergens, including pollen, pet dander, and dust.

It also results in longevity and slows aging. Oolong tea is believed to possess the highest anti-aging properties.

Drinking hot tea lowers the risk of certain skin cancers.

White Tea

White tea has more powerful anti-cancer qualities compared to other types of tea and helps fight viruses and bacteria

Green Tea

Green tea is helpful in preventing atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, diabetes, liver disease, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and halitosis.

Green tea can help prevent tooth decay and food poisoning. It can also kill the bacteria resulting in dental plaque.

Drinking tea can be a prophylactic for arthritis and helps arthritis patients by reducing the inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown.

Drinking five cups or more of green tea daily lowers the risk of breast cancer recurrences; it also slows the spread of the disease.

Green tea is an effective compound in skin care.

Drinking green tea lowers the risk of developing neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders. A cup of green tea containing 15 and 50 mg of caffeine has several cognitive benefits. It reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease by improving short-term memory.

Green tea lowers LDL cholesterol levels. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Green tea increases metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation. It also raises thermogenesis (the rate at which calories are burned), and hence increases energy expenditure.

Its high caffeine content can help healthy weight loss, alleviating the duration and severity of headaches and treating asthma symptoms.

Green tea, rich in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), inhibits HIV virus binding and is used as a complementary therapy for HIV patients.

Its high content of oxalate also inhibits HIV and other infections by using the free iron and chelating zinc, a crucial nutrient for HIV.

The polyphenols in green tea are effective in preventing intestinal inflammation or IBD.

Black Tea

Drinking black tea lowers stress hormone levels.

Drinking a cup of black tea daily limits iron absorption and can help stop damages due to iron excess in individuals suffering from hemochromatosis.

Black tea can lowers bad cholesterol levels. It is also effective in suppressing bacterial growth in the mouth responsible for oral cavities and gum diseases.

Tea made from loose leaves has more antioxidants than tea bags, which tend to have low quality, powdered leaves.

Caution

Drinking moderate amounts of tea is harmless in healthy individuals but in excessive quantities, it will produce unpleasant nervous and dyspeptic symptoms, the green variety being decidedly more harmful.

Tea can impair the body’s ability to absorb iron; as a result, individuals at risk of anemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtime.

Diluting tea with milk also dilutes the benefits, therefore, it is better to consume tea black.

PKH/FH/HGH

Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements could increase the risk of developing lung cancer, according to media reports.

US researchers found that people taking 400mg of vitamin E daily had a 28 per cent higher risk of lung cancer than people who did not take vitamin E supplements. The increased lung cancer risk was found to be most prominent in smokers.

The findings renew concerns over the safety of vitamin supplements and follow previous warnings about similar risks associated with excessive beta-carotene use.

In 2002, a Finnish study found that taking beta-carotene supplements was linked to an 18 per cent increased risk of developing lung cancer.

What is the research?
The reports are based on a US study into whether multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E or folate supplements could reduce the risk of lung cancer.

Researchers mailed health questionnaires to over 350,000 Washington State residents aged 50 to 76 years. It looked at supplement and vitamin use in the past 10 years. It also covered known risk factors for lung cancer such as smoking status, BMI and family history.

A total of 77,719 participants returned the questionnaires and were eligible for the study.

Quantity of vitamin intake was calculated.

Over four years of follow-up, diagnosed cases of lung cancer among participants were monitored using the national cancer register. During the course of the study, 521 participants developed lung cancer, including 42 non-smokers.

Vitamin E intake of 400mg daily for 10 years was associated with a 28 per cent increased risk in non-small cell lung cancer, compared with those who never took vitamin E supplements.

But no increased risk of lung cancer was seen in participants who had taken low or moderate doses of vitamin E or in those who had taken multivitamins, vitamin C or folate.

A possible mechanism for the link between vitamin E and an increased risk of lung cancer is that although vitamin E is considered an antioxidant, it might also act as a pro-oxidant, suggest the researchers.

Pro-oxidants produce oxidative stress that can cause damage to cells and tissue.

What do the researchers say?
Lead researcher Dr Christopher Slatore, from the University of Washington in Seattle, said: ‘In contrast to the often assumed benefits or, at least, lack of harm, supplemental vitamin E was associated with a small increased risk of lung cancer.

‘This is an interesting but not a conclusive link,’ he added. ‘The findings of this study need to be replicated in more human studies before we can come to a firm conclusion.’

Nevertheless, he urged patients to discuss the benefits and harms of vitamin E supplements with their doctor, especially if they smoked.

Further studies are planned that will investigate whether or not vitamin supplements and medications can increase the risk of other cancers such as those of the prostate, breast and colon, added Dr Slatore.

What do other experts say?
Henry Scowcroft, senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: ‘The jury is still very much out on whether vitamin and mineral supplements can affect cancer risk.

‘Some studies suggest a benefit, but others show no effect and some, like this one, suggest they may even increase risk.

‘Research repeatedly shows that a healthy, balanced diet can reduce your risk of some cancers while giving you all the vitamins you need.’

Quitting smoking remains the most effective way to avoid many cancers, he said, adding that no diet or vitamin supplement could counteract the toxic effects of cigarettes.

Do you take a multivitamin? Or a single vitamin, mineral, or combination supplement? If so, you are in the company of tens of millions of U.S. adults.

Why do you take them? Most people say it makes them feel healthier or they believe it will prevent chronic diseases, or colds and flu. But you may be surprised to know that what is in your bottle and on the label is not strictly regulated. And there is no system in place to collect reports of adverse affects.

Over the past few years there has been increasing evidence that multivitamins and single or combination type vitamin/mineral supplements may not provide the health benefit sought by you, the consumer. In some cases the opposite or no beneficial effects have been reported.

Alarming to think that vitamin or mineral supplements could actually cause more harm than good. An example of this is the use of beta carotene by smokers actually increased the incidence of lung cancer. This is echoed by a recent study out of the University of Washington that reports the use of multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and folate did not reduce the risk of lung cancer.

It is not all bad news though; there are studies to support the use of folate (folic acid) prior to and during pregnancy in the prevention of neural tube defects in the developing fetus. And history has proven that vitamins and minerals play a critical role in our health — the reason we know about the benefits of vitamins and minerals in food is because of the major discoveries in disease prevention such as vitamin C and scurvy and thiamine, a B vitamin, and beri beri (a wasting type disease).

This may leave you wondering if those vitamin mineral supplements in your medicine cabinet are doing what they should or even worth your money.

Let’s look at this way — do you eat a well balanced diet? If so, you may not need a multivitamin and if you take one as a “safety net” know that you may exceed what your body needs or can use.

Are you concerned about a chronic disease? If so, making changes in your diet and exercise habits, not smoking and following through with recommended screenings by your physician are more likely to benefit your overall health picture.

Consider your current state of health, talk to your doctor and/or dietitian, and weigh the possible benefits and risks of a multivitamin and mineral supplement for you.

To your health,

Katherine

The increased risk of lung cancer with vitamin E was small.

“Vitamin E supplements ‘could cause up to 27 per cent increase in lung cancer’”, according to a news story in the Daily Mail. Several other news sources report a study of more than 77,000 people that found a “slight but significant increase” in lung cancer risk with a moderate to high intake of vitamin E supplements. The reports also say the study sounded a similar warning for beta-carotene supplements.

The study behind the news report looked at the use of supplemental vitamins (multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and folate) and new cases of lung cancer. Overall, the study found no protective effect of supplements on lung cancer. It also found a barely significant increase in risk of lung cancer associated with vitamin E supplementation. The increased risk was small – a five per cent increase in risk for every 100mg of vitamin E taken per day over 10 years – and this translated to a small increase in the participants with lung cancer.

By far the largest predictor of lung cancer from this large study was smoking, with most cases occurring in current or past smokers.

Where did the story come from?Dr Christopher Slatore and colleagues from the University of Washington, the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Fred Hutchinson Research Centre, Seattle carried out the research. The research was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed: The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

What kind of scientific study was this?In this cohort study, the researchers aimed to investigate the links between supplemental multivitamin use, vitamin, C, E and folate, and incidence of lung cancer.

This study - the VITAL study (VITamins And Lifestyle) - was set up to examine the effects of long term supplement use on lung cancer in people aged between 50 and 76 in Washington state.

The researchers mailed 364,418 questionnaires between October 2000–December 2002 asking about medical history, cancer risk, supplement use and diet. Responses were obtained from 21.3% of those sent the questionnaire and this provided 77,719 people for analysis.

The questionnaire asked the participants about their supplement and vitamin use in the 10 years leading up to the start of the study. Supplement intake was classified as current, past, or never used, with specific details about the extent of use (e.g. dose per day, per week etc.). From this data, the researchers calculated the amount of multivitamins taken over 10 years, and the quantities of individual vitamins by looking at those contained in multivitamins (estimated from a reference manual) and from individual supplement tablets.

The researchers also examined other factors that could have an effect on lung cancer risk, such as smoking (years and number of cigarettes per day), age, sex, past cancer history, family history, airways disease, ethnicity, education, marital status, BMI and diet. They carried out statistical analysis of relationships between lung cancer and supplement use allowing for age, sex and smoking. They tested whether any of the other factors were affecting any observed link between these relationships and took into account those that were in their final analysis.

The participants were monitored to see if they developed lung cancer. For this, the researchers used a cancer registry called SEER, which, they said, contains accurate and complete information on cancer and lung cancer histology. The researchers excluded people who had already been diagnosed with lung cancer at the beginning of the study, those whose cancer was only diagnosed after they had died, and those who had relevant data missing. The participants were followed up until they withdrew from the study, moved out of the catchment area, died, or when the study terminated in December 2005.

What were the results of the study?The analysis included 77,126 subjects who were followed for an average of four years. Of these, 521 developed lung cancer with most cases occurring in current or previous smokers. Few cases developed in people who had never smoked.

There was no link between risk of lung cancer and use of multivitamins, vitamin C, or folate, at any dosage for 10 years. The participants’ age, sex and smoking status were taken into account.

When the researchers looked at vitamin E alone, they found a minimal link to lung cancer (all lung cancers) – with a five per cent increase in risk with every 100mg increase in dose of vitamin E taken per day over 10 years. This result was only just statistically significant.

When the researchers looked at risk for different types of lung cancer, they found that vitamin E was associated with an increased risk in non-small cell lung cancer (the most common type). They say that this amounted to a “28% increased risk of lung cancer at a dose of 400mg/day for 10 years”.

Looking at risk of cancer by vitamin use and dividing people into categories of current and ex-smokers, they only found statistical significance between lung cancer and highest dose vitamin E in current smokers.

What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results?The researchers concluded that no supplement protected against lung cancer; however, vitamin E was associated with a small increase in risk, especially in smokers.

What does the NHS Knowledge Service make of this study?This study looked for associations between lung cancer risk and supplement use in a large number of people. However, the links between vitamin E and lung cancer should be considered in context:

• The researchers found no protective effect of any type of vitamin for lung cancer.
• The increased risk from vitamin E overall was quite small - a five per cent increase per 100mg per day – and was of borderline statistical significance.
• The researchers report that the risk was  “largely confined to current smokers” with minimal cases occurring in non-smokers.
• There may have been errors in the participants’ 10-year history of vitamin use. The usage was estimated by the participants themselves and it is possible that their vitamin use may have been inconsistent over that time period. Likewise, the researchers may have introduced inaccuracies when they estimated the amount of each individual vitamin contained in multivitamin tablets.
• Although there was an increased risk associated with vitamin E, it cannot be assumed that it was caused by the supplement itself. There could be other reasons causing the increase in risk that have not been taken into account.
• The results cannot be reliably generalised outside of the predominantly white, US population from which the data was obtained. The researchers also point out that the study had a smaller proportion of current smokers than is present within the actual US population as a whole.

Sir Muir Gray adds…I see no evidence of vitamin E deficiency in England and so therefore no need for taking extra vitamin E.

The use of some vitamin supplements can be controversial, with scientists and manufacturers arguing over their usefulness. But they don’t spend much time arguing about the lowly and somewhat boring multivitamin.No one has ever argued that multivitamins might not be good for you. Until now.

The Harvard Men’s Health Watch, which once endorsed these popular supplements, now says that a reappraisal of that advice is in order.

The publication, in its March 2008 issue, notes that some recent studies have linked multivitamin use to prostate cancer. More convincingly, it says studies have linked high intakes of folic acid to colon polyps, the precursors of colorectal cancer.

Researchers speculate that high intakes of folic acid, which was first added to grain products in the 1990s, may have contributed to an increase in colorectal cancers in the mid-1990s.

What does all of this have to do with multivitamins?

Now that folic acid is added to so many grain products, it’s easy to see how a healthy diet, combined with a multivitamin, could boost a person’s daily intake to 1,000 mcg or more, potentially increasing the risk of colorectal and possibly prostate and breast cancers.

In light of this research, Harvard Men’s Health Watch editors suggest that the average man give up the multivitamin, at least until scientists solve the puzzle of folic acid and cancer.

However, if you stop taking a multivitamin, the authors suggest you consider taking a vitamin D supplement. The typical diet for most men and women doesn’t supply enough of this crucial vitamin, and while sun exposure boosts vitamin D production, it has health risks of its own.

Last month, a study suggested some multivitamins might increase cancer risk.

“Our study of supplemental multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and folate did not show any evidence for a decreased risk of lung cancer,” wrote the study’s author, Christopher G. Slatore, M.D., of the University of Washington, in Seattle. “Indeed, increasing intake of supplemental vitamin E was associated with a slightly increased risk of lung cancer.”

Findings of the study of 77,000 vitamin users were published in the first issue for March of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.