Better than supplements for longevity

New Study Shows Foods Are Better Than Supplements To Increase Longevity

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A new study from Tufts University involving more than 27,000 Americans is the latest study showing that most supplements do not do much to improve health – or at least can not compete with the benefits of a diet healthy. The researchers found that supplementation did not reduce the risk of death during the study follow-up period, while those who received the recommended amount of certain nutrients in the diet had a higher risk of death. low during this period.

"These findings are consistent with current dietary recommendations," says study author, Zhang Fang Fang, MD, Ph.D. and associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Tufts University. "The general American population should aim for adequate nutrition from healthy foods and a healthy diet."

What the study found

The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) on supplements such as multivitamins, vitamin C and calcium (provided by study participants), as well as as information about the foods that they consumed. The study authors found that supplementation did not reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer or any other cause. However, getting adequate amounts of vitamin K and magnesium in foods reduced the risk of death by more than 20%. And those whose diet was rich enough in vitamins A and K, copper and zinc halved the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

When the researchers analyzed the data, they found that in the supplement takers, the nutrients in the food they ate were protective, but not the nutrients in the supplements. In fact, they do not need supplements to meet their daily needs for vitamins and minerals.

The study also highlighted the negative effects of overconsumption of supplements: for example, obtaining 1000 mg of calcium a day in pill form was linked to a 62% increase in the risk of Cancer. However, when people consume so much dietary calcium, it does not increase the risk of cancer, says Zhang.

Stephen Fortmann, MD, Senior Director of Scientific Programs at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, who worked on a systematic review of supplements for the US Prevention Services Working Group, says the results of this new study are in accordance with the conclusions. of this report. "There is not much evidence that these supplements are helpful."

When do you need supplements?

More than half of American adults take multivitamins or another supplement, according to NHANES data, perhaps in part because of what they eat – or do not eat already. It's no secret that many Americans do not follow a healthy diet. for example, about 90 percent of people do not eat the recommended daily amount of 1½ to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But can supplements compensate for these deficiencies? Supporters of the supplements say that it can be difficult for Americans to stick to dietary guidelines. "The majority of US adults are not getting the recommended amount of nutrients," said Andrew Shao, Acting Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at the Center for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a professional association for the supplement industry. a health benefit to get the nutrients you need. "

Yet experts say that eating healthy is a great way to stay healthy. "The use of dietary supplements should not replace a healthy and balanced diet," says Zhang. In addition, when you consume nutrients in foods, you get a variety of other compounds, such as phytochemicals, that interact in many ways, some of which are not even understood by scientists yet.

"It is possible that these particular benefits we have seen here reflect the complex interplay between many of the nutrients in food," says Zhang. "We do not eat isolated nutrients."

Another concern about supplements is that the Food and Drug Administration classifies them differently than drugs. Thus, the companies that manufacture and sell them are not required to prove that they are safe for their intended use, that they work as intended and that their packaging contains what the labels say they make, according to Chuck Bell, Consumer Reports Program Director, involved in CR's advocacy work on supplement safety.

It is sometimes advisable to take supplements, for example when a patient lacks a nutrient because of a health problem, explains Zhang. In some cases, a doctor may also suggest taking prescription supplements, which are subject to FDA drug regulations.

People who may need supplements include:

Women who are planning to become pregnant in a month. Folic acid supplements are recommended to reduce the risk of abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord (called neural tube defects) that can occur during the first few months of pregnancy.

Pregnant women. Folic acid is needed to protect against neural tube defects and vitamin D is needed to help prevent pre-eclampsia.

Strict vegans who do not consume meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. A daily vitamin B12 supplement can be recommended; B12 is found only in foods of animal origin.

People over 60 years old. At this age, you may need vitamin B12 because, with age, some people lose the ability to absorb vitamin B12 foods.

A person who rarely goes out in the sun. He she may need vitamin D3. Our body makes vitamin D from the sun.

Those who take certain drugs. Vitamin B12 and magnesium supplements may be needed for people taking diabetes medications such as metformin (Glucophage and generics) and long-term users of heartburn medicines, such as lansoprazole (Prevacid and generic) or famotidine (Pepcid and generic).

Eat a healthier diet

According to Zhang, one of the main lessons of this study is that if your diet is composed mainly of nutritious foods, the supplements will not necessarily bring you additional benefits.

You can get the nutrients highlighted in this study from many foods. For example, dark green vegetables such as broccoli and kale contain vitamins A and K. Butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and egg yolks are rich in vitamin A. Green vegetables to leaves, nuts and whole grains provide copper and magnesium. "But it's best not to focus on specific nutrients, but rather to believe that a balanced diet consisting of healthy foods will meet your nutritional needs," says Charlotte Vallaeys, MS, Senior Policy Analyst in food and nutrition at Consumer Reports. "When you consume a variety of whole healthy foods – whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes and lean meats – you get the vitamins and minerals you need."

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