Too many vitamin supplements could cause cancer

How many of you regularly take vitamin supplements in the hope of fortifying your immune system? According to a study carried out by the University of Colorado, this is not just a mistake but there is also the risk of getting cancer. Professor Tim Byers, on the occasion of the annual forum at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, stated that excessive use of vitamin supplements can increase the risk of cancer. "It is unclear what happens at the molecular level, but there is evidence showing that people who take too many supplements then tend to risk more to develop cancer," explains Professor Byers.

The study started about 20 years ago, when it was noticed that people who took more fruit and vegetables were less likely to get cancer. Starting from this assumption, the scientist wondered if the intake of additional vitamins and mineral salts could reduce this eventuality even more and, after analyzing, in 10 years, hundreds of patients who daily took supplements or placebos, "we discovered that supplements had no beneficial effects on their health at all. In fact, many of them got cancer, ”explains Byers.

The abuse of beta carotene, for example, would lead to an increase of 20% in the risk of getting lung cancer or the onset of heart disease. As well as folic acid, known in theory to reduce the number of polyps in the colon, it could actually increase it. There is no need to be alarmed, according to Byers, if vitamins are taken in the correct dosage, in any case, he concludes, "There are no food substitutes". In short, a correct, healthy and balanced diet is preferable to any type of supplement.