Vitamin Information Center

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. lawmakers are investigating advertising claims by Wyeth that promote its Centrum Cardio vitamin as a cholesterol-lowering product, according to a letter to the company released on Friday.

Michigan Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak are seeking related company documents following television commercials that tout the vitamin as “the only complete multivitamin that can lower cholesterol,” according to the lawmakers’ letter.

“We are concerned that these statements may be misleading to the general public and that patients with high cholesterol may erroneously substitute Centrum Cardio for a treatment plan prescribed by their physician,” the lawmakers wrote.

As Democrats, the two men chair the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, respectively.

Representatives for the company could not be immediately reached for comment.

Centrum Cardio, launched in October 2007, is part of Wyeth’s Centrum line of multivitamin products.

On Wyeth’s website, the company cites a 2000 U.S. Food and Drug Administration interim rule that allows dietary supplements or foods that provide of 800 milligrams of free phytosterols to claim a possible reduction in heart disease.

A daily serving of Centrum Cardio, or 2 tablets, contains 800 milligrams of phytosterols, it said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andre Grenon)

CHRONIC pain in women may be related to low levels of vitamin D, the nutrient made by the skin when exposed to sunlight.

Researchers who studied nearly 7000 British 45-year-olds found that almost 15 per cent of women with the lowest levels of the vitamin reported experiencing chronic pain - nearly twice the 8.2 per cent prevalence reported among women with higher readings.

However, vitamin D levels appeared to make no difference to the number of men who reported pain symptoms - leaving the study’s authors perplexed as to whether lack of vitamin D in women was the cause.

The authors noted that a disease caused by extreme vitamin D deficiency, osteomalacia, was known to cause bone pain.

The research concluded that further studies were required to establish whether pain would be lessened if patients increased their vitamin D intake.

For the study, published yesterday in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the authors included medical data from 6824 Britons who were examined between 2002 and 2004, when they were aged 45. Information was collected on their smoking and alcohol habits, time spent outdoors, time spent watching television or at a computer and dietary supplements, including vitamin D.

Samples of their blood werealso analysed for

levels of 25-hydroxy-vitaminD (25(OH)D), which is a metabolised form of the vitamin and a marker for vitamin D levels.

The lowest prevalence of chronic widespread pain (8.2per cent) was reported in women with 75 to 99 nanomoles of 25(OH)D per litre of blood.

The rate was 14.4 per cent for women with less than 25nmol/l, and 14.8per cent for women with 25-49nmol/l.

John Eisman, director of the bone and mineral research program at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, said the study was interesting but by its design could not “unravel” whether lower vitamin D was causing the pain, or vice-versa.

Professor Eisman, who is also an endocrinologist at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital, agreed that more studies were required.

In the meantime, if doctors were faced with patients battling chronic pain, “it might be worth giving them vitamin D, to see if it makes a difference”, he said.

WOULDN’T it be wonderful if there were a range of magic pills we could take once a day to protect us from all manner of diseases?

One to ward off cancer, another to keep our cholesterol in check, and yet more to keep us mentally astute, with slim, well-toned bodies and glowing complexions.

We could drink beer, smoke tabs and eat burger and chips to our heart’s content and never have to worry because all the nasty side-effects would be cancelled out by a cocktail of dietary supplements.

You’d be forgiven for thinking many people already believe this to be possible, though admittedly to a lesser extent. But there’s surely no denying that millions of us are under the illusion that popping a few pills can cure a variety of ills.

I’m not talking about genuine, tried-and-tested medicines here . . . I’m referring to vitamin supplements.

An estimated 10m people in the UK regularly take vitamins, shoring up a whopping £350m-a- year industry. Goodness knows what the industry is worth worldwide. But if a new report is to be believed, they’re wasting their money.

In what is claimed to be the most in-depth study ever undertaken into the effects of supplements, a team of Danish scientists concluded that there’s no evidence that they are of any benefit to health.

Worse still, they say some — including Beta- carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E — actually endanger life and could “significantly increase mortality”.

Whenever I read stories like this I feel like I’ve wandered onto the set of the old Woody Allen movie Sleeper.

Allen’s character, having been cryogenically frozen for hundreds of years, is brought back to life in the future where everyone smokes because scientists have discovered tobacco is the healthiest substance known to man.

Now we’re faced with a version of Allen’s movie in reverse . . . it seems everything we thought was good for us is bad for us. Either that or it makes no difference, in which case, it’s still bad for us financially. So how come so many of us have fallen for the hype? I suspect the answer is that people believe vitamins work because that’s what they want to believe . . .

And because the truth is as unpalatable to them as the fresh fruit and vegetables they have shunned in favour of supplements.

Unfortunately, however, there are no magic pills. And it’s high time we accepted that fact and stopped throwing money at an industry that has become adept at selling us an impossible dream.

A healthy diet and plenty of exercise is the only answer . . . that’s the hard-to-swallow truth scientists have been telling us for years.

Each day, millions of Americans take dietary supplements, including vitamins and minerals, in an effort to stay healthy and fill dietary gaps.However, they are not risk-free. Some supplements can be dangerous if taken with certain medications or may have harmful side effects. Talking to your doctor or pharmacist before taking a supplement can help you find out if it is safe for you to use. Here are some guidelines to follow before taking a supplement:

• Drug interactions: Remember to tell your doctor about any dietary supplements you are taking when starting a prescription medication. Certain supplements, especially when taken in excess, have serious side effects and can have dangerous interactions when taken with prescription medications.

• Follow guidelines: There are different types and amounts of vitamins and supplements that are needed, depending on your age, gender and lifestyle. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about which one is right for you.

• Keep your guard up: Just because the label says “all natural” doesn’t mean that the product is safe or effective. The supplement industry is generally unregulated, so potency and ingredients can vary widely. Also, be wary of any curative claims made about a product without sound scientific research to back it up.

• No substitutions: Never substitute prescribed medications with vitamins or supplements. Chances are it will not have the same effect and may even be dangerous. If cost is an issue, discuss lower-priced medication options with your doctor, such as switching to a generic drug or using a mail-order pharmacy for medications taken on an ongoing basis.

• Don’t overdo it: If you are taking a supplement, don’t exceed the recommended amount. Some products can be harmful when you take a large dose or take them for a long time.

• Do not self-diagnose: The best thing you can do before taking vitamins is to ask your doctor or pharmacist what your needs are and what’s safe and effective for you. Remember that supplements are not intended to treat, prevent or cure a disease.

For more information, visit www.medco.com.

Paul Reyes, RPh, is a pharmacist manager for Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and co-host of the national radio program “Ask the Pharmacist.”

Before taking any dietary supplements, you may want to discuss them with your doctor or your pharmacist.

Paul Reyes

A new study by the National Cancer Institute has found that people with one or more chronic illness are the primary factor behind the use of dietary supplements. Cancer survivors also contribute to the use of supplements, although not specifically as cancer treatments.

Dr. Melissa Farmer Miller, the study’s lead author, told Reuters that its important for cancer patients to inform their physicians about any non-prescription medications or natural products they may be taking, as a lack of information exists on the risks and benefits of many supplements. In addition, there may be potential for drug interactions with medications, such as tamoxifen, that many cancer survivors may be taking.

“We really are just beginning to build an evidence base on the benefits of dietary supplements,” said Miller, of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

“Even if there’s not a benefit, there is a potential for them to cause harm,” she said, noting that the use of supplements is growing among all Americans.

To determine whether cancer survivors are using supplements at greater rates than the general population, Miller and her team analyzed information from 1,844 cancer survivors and compared it with a random sampling of 7,343 people with no history of cancer.

The team found that vitamins were the only type of supplement use independently associated with having a cancer diagnosis. However, those participants with a  chronic illness were 82 percent more likely than those without a chronic disease to be using two or more supplements, regardless of whether or not they also had cancer.

Other factors associated with the use of dietary supplements were greater physical activity, consumption of fruits and vegetables, being female, being of older age and the use of other alternative and complementary medicines.

Miller said it was not possible at this time to conclude whether or not people living with cancer should either take supplements, or avoid them.

“The primary message should always be to promote a healthy diet,” she said.

She said that doctors and other cancer patient caregivers should be up to date on the literature about various supplements, and should be aware of any supplements their patients may be taking. Cancer patients should also be informed as much as possible about any supplement before they take it, Miller added, noting that it can often be tough due to the lack of regulatory oversight of dietary supplements in the U.S. and the  limited information available on their risks and benefits.

“Consumers are really kind of out there on their own, and should confer with their health care providers about supplement use.”

Dr. Miller‘s report was published in the March 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

A summary of the report can be viewed at http://www.adajournal.org/article/S0002-8223(07)02206-7/abstract.

Everyone is searching for wellness.

Wellness is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as “The condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise and habits”. So, understanding wellness can help us live life to the full.

And of course, in an ideal world, wellness would be easy to achieve. But the stress and strains of modern day living create many factors that impact our level of wellness, most notably diet.

Our food choices can adversely affect Wellness in several ways. These would include Fast food diets that are high in fat and low in nutrients, overly processed convenience foods and a lack of dietary fibre from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, not enough healthy sources of protein in our diet will affect wellness, as protein is needed to support muscle and bone tissues.

However, small changes in diet and lifestyle may help to reverse any adverse effects and produce optimum wellness.

Three keys to optimum wellness include: 1) Balancing your diet. Your body requires sufficient amounts of the right balance of foods and nutrients. These include protein, good carbohydrates and fats, also colourful fruits and vegetables. Also, your body needs vitamins, minerals and fibre so that food can be used correctly. Vitamins and minerals are not always present in food in adequate amounts, but they can be obtained from dietary supplements, providing your body with nutrition at the cellular level.

2) Exercising Regularly. Regular exercise will help you to look and feel your best, as exercise creates muscle tone and provides your body tissues with oxygen - so necessary for optimum wellness!

3) Drinking lots of Water. Your body is about two-thirds water, so for optimum wellness, you need to drink about 6 - 8 glasses of water every day

By following these three steps and making the necessary changes, you can achieve optimum wellness starting today!