A dietician has revealed common supplements that could increase the risk of cancer formation.
Nichole Andrews, an oncology dietitian in Washington state, warned that while common supplements like vitamin C have been touted as boosting the immune system, excessive doses of these products are often taken.
He said the irony was that “many people take high-dose supplements to try to reduce their cancer risk or improve their health.”
However, the “more is better” mentality is “wrong.” Ms Andrews explained that the body cannot get rid of excess vitamins and instead has to absorb them through the digestive system and into the bloodstream.
When the body cannot process them quickly enough, supplements can attack healthy cells and stimulate the growth of cancerous tumors.
Mrs Andrews said: “It will damage your cells at high levels.”
This is concerning, given that more than half of Americans report taking at least one dietary supplement.
And experts believe that up to nine out of 10 of these pills are incorrectly labeledand its real doses are unknown.
Nichole Andrews, an oncology dietitian in Washington state, said taking certain supplements such as vitamin C in high doses could increase the risk of cancer.
Dietary supplements are not strictly regulated by authorities such as the FDA, so it is difficult to know how much of the daily value is actually in a pill (file image)
In a recent TikTok video, which has more than 22,000 views, he advises people to focus on getting these nutrients from foods and not to overload on supplements if they don’t have any deficiencies.
Andrews said that when excess vitamins flood the bloodstream, free radicals are formed.
According to the National Cancer Institute, these are unstable molecules that attack DNA and disrupt the normal functioning of cells, causing the cells to mutate and become cancerous.
A study last year found that when cancer patients and those at higher risk for the disease took vitamin C and E supplements, new blood vessels formed within lung cancer tumors.
This caused the tumors to grow more quickly and spread to other areas of the body.
Furthermore, a study of The Ohio State University found that male smokers who took high doses of vitamins B6 and B12, which help form red blood cells, had a four-fold increased risk of lung cancer compared to men who did not take the supplements.
The researchers said at the time: “These are doses that can only be obtained by taking high-dose B vitamin supplements, and these supplements far exceed the recommended daily allowance in the United States.”
However, studies on these effects have largely been observational, meaning they do not show a direct cause. Other studies have also failed to show a link between high-dose supplements, but experts recommend caution anyway.
However, when consumed through food and in normal amounts, nutrients such as vitamin C act as antioxidants, and have been shown to neutralize free radicals.
Citrus foods like lemons and limes are high in vitamin C; One orange contains almost the recommended daily intake of 65 to 90 milligrams.
Dietary supplements are not strictly regulated by authorities such as the FDA, so it is difficult to know how much of the daily value is actually in a pill.
However, Ms Andrews said getting nutrients such as vitamin C and B12 through food will not put you at risk of consuming toxic doses.
She said, “You’ll never reach that high with food.”
Citrus foods are rich in vitamin C, and one orange contains nearly the recommended daily intake of 65 to 90 milligrams.
Meanwhile, animal proteins such as red meat, eggs and fish are rich in nutrients such as vitamin B12.
Ms. Andrews also cautioned that unless you are especially deficient in certain nutrients, you probably don’t need a supplement to begin with.
She said, “Unless you have a prescription from your doctor, food is enough.”
Experts also suggest that while nutrients such as calcium and fiber have been shown to reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer, it is better to get them from foods rather than supplements.
Like food and drinks, supplements are absorbed by the body through the small intestine, where they travel directly into the bloodstream.