Known as beneficial for your overall health, beta-carotene and vitamin E supplements have been recently blacklisted by the USPSTF (The US Preventive Services Task Force).
The recommendation statement published by the USPSTF states that vitamin E supplements are not useful for preventing heart diseases or cancer, and that overdosing can actually lead to hemorrhagic stroke.
At the same time, the updated guideline stated that beta-carotene supplements can be more damaging, than helpful, increasing the risk of mortality caused by heart disease and lung cancer. The supplements were found to be especially harmful to people who smoke and come in contact with asbestos. Furthermore, in combination with vitamin A, beta-carotene supplements can also cause lung cancer.
However, the guideline is only aimed at vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements.
The actual substances, if sourced from healthy food, really do have a beneficial effect on our bodies. The Epoch Times underlines that “many studies have found that beta-carotene has strong antioxidant effects and that consumption of fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality. Among others, foods containing carotenoids may have protective effects against lung, oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx cancers.”
The recommendations of the USPSTF come in the context in which recent research suggests that multivitamins and supplements might actually be useless for most people and that the best way to get all the nutrients your body needs is through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Considering this, people are beginning to wonder if it’s really worth spending money on dietary supplements and if these supplements are actually good for their health.
In contrast, there are more and more studies that show what a big impact a healthy lifestyle can have on our health and wellbeing. From maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, to regularly working out and eliminating smoking, these are essentially the most important measures we should take in order to reduce the risk of disease and help our bodies stay healthy and strong.
Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash