Category Archives: Alternative Medicine

The use of vitamin supplements have become almost a religious belief in our culture. We bought the notion that If some is good, more must be better.

But, there is little evidence of efficacy of vitamins in healthy people who eat a balanced diet. There is however increasing evidence of harm.

After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, use of multivitamins and vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper supplements was associated with greater all-cause mortality through 19 years of follow-up (HRs 1.06 to 1.45), according to Jaakko Mursu, PhD, of the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, and colleagues.

Use of a daily calcium supplement, on the other hand, was associated with a lower risk of death (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.94), the team reported in the Oct. 10 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

And:

“We cannot recommend the use of vitamin and mineral supplements as a preventive measure, at least not in a well-nourished population,” they wrote. “Those supplements do not replace or add to the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and may cause unwanted health consequences.”

The prestigious Institute of Medicine released a report November 30th indicating that the hype over Vitamin D supplementation is just that, hype:

The committee provided an exhaustive review of studies on potential health outcomes and found that the evidence supported a role for these nutrients in bone health but not in other health conditions. Overall, the committee concludes that the majority of Americans and Canadians are receiving adequate amounts of both calcium and vitamin D. Further, there is emerging evidence that too much of these nutrients may be harmful.

Regarding the efficacy of Vitamin D on health problems the study concluded:

It reviewed a range of health outcomes, including but not limited to cancer, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, falls, immune response, neuropsychological functioning, physical performance, preeclampsia, and reproductive outcomes. This thorough review found that information about the health benefits beyond bone health—benefits often reported in the media—were from studies that provided often mixed and inconclusive results and could not be considered reliable.

Medicynical Note: I recently went to our local health food Coop and was amazed, (as I always am) at the two to three aisles of vitamins , food supplements and such ironically being marketed to people who are deeply interested in maintaining their precious bodily fluids (see General. Jack D. Ripper).

The notion that there be some proof of efficacy of these supplements before taking megadoses seems foreign to our culture and perhaps has to do with our belief in miracles, religiousity, aggressive marketing and doing what we are told to do.

Nice review of five of inexplicably popular alternative modalities with references here.

As you’d expect reiki, reflexology, zone therapy, homeopathy, magnetic therapy, and kava don’t work. Also inexplicably some insurers cover such nonsense.

It’s been claimed that Ginkgo improves cognition and may delay or prevent dementia. It doesn’t. It’s in the JAMA here.

An editor’s note in an article on bio-identical medication/supplements says it best:

• “Ten years and $2.5 billion in research have found no cures from alternative medicine. Yet these mostly unproven treatments are now mainstream and used by more than a third of all Americans.”

Medicynical Note: There is evidence in a few instances that supplements may make things worse.

The article goes on to note;

• “Alternative remedies are especially popular with upscale, educated women who like to research and find their own solutions to medical problems. They like the idea of personalized treatments versus off-the-shelf prescription drugs. However, instead of a safer option, they are getting products of unknown risk that still contain the estrogen many of them fear, women’s health experts say. “

Medicynical note: Billions of dollars are wasted each year on nonsense like bio-identicals. The bottom line is that these in-vogue substitutes often contain the same type medication as the regular product with the same risk, under the guise of a “safe” alternative. We are a quite amazing people.

There seem to be innumerable products on the market that tout the benefit of “detoxification” and the idea that wastes build up in the colon and need cleansing. This is the basis of the widely used naturopathic remedy of colonic irrigation and various detox forumulas.

Consumer’s reports notes:

“We found insufficient reliable evidence that colon-cleansing products are safe or effective for improving general health. But we did find some cause for concern. When they are administered too often, laxatives and enemas might prevent normal bowel movements or lead to a potentially deadly depletion of vital electrolytes.”

And regarding waste accumulation:

“Waste does not accumulate in firm masses on intestinal walls, spreading toxins into the bloodstream, says Mark DeLegge, M.D., a spokesman for the American Gastroenterological Association in Bethesda, Md. He suggests staying regular by eating foods that are rich in fiber, including vegetables (broccoli, carrots, spinach, and squash), fruits (apples, bananas, and pears), whole grains (barley, whole or rolled oats, and whole wheat), and legumes (beans, lentils, peanuts, and peas).”

Medicynical note: Quackery has endless variations.

Powered by Zoundry Raven

It’s been apparent for some time that vitamins taken in pill form have little positive benefit and may hurt you, particularly when taken in large doses. This article in the LA Times summarizes where we are, it ain’t pretty.

“two long-term trials with more than 50,000 participants offered fresh evidence that vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium supplements don’t reduce the risk of prostate, colorectal, lung, bladder or pancreatic cancer. Other recent studies have found that over-the-counter vitamins and minerals offer no help in fighting other cancers, stroke or cardiovascular disease.”

Vitamins may harm you:

“These things are ineffective, and in high doses they can cause harm,”

“One trial that followed 29,000 male smokers in Finland for an average of six years found that men who took beta carotene were 18% more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer and 8% more likely to die during the study than men who didn’t.”

“A second trial involved 18,000 American men and women who were smokers or former smokers or who were exposed to asbestos at work. That study found that after an average of four years, lung cancer rates were 28% higher among those who took beta carotene and vitamin A, and their overall risk of death during the trial jumped by 17%.”

“Those who took vitamin E were just as likely to develop heart disease, stroke and a variety of cancers as the women who took a placebo, according to results published in 2005 in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.”

Get the idea? Vitamins taken as dietary supplements are ineffective and a waste of money—that’s 10 billion dollars a year in health care expenditures wasted.

There is much more in this article, so read it and if you are a vitamin manufacturer, weep!!!

Medicynical disclaimer: The case of Vitamin D’s beneficial effects may be different since a deficiency of vitamin D (compared with normal levels found in people) is thought to be associated with an increase the risk of some medical problems. The question remains whether correcting the deficient level by taking supplements helps. We simply don’t know but are recommending it.

Powered by Zoundry Raven