BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – This segment on The Three was paid for and sponsored by St. Joseph Health.
Cancer patients taking high-dose antioxidant supplements showed higher rates of disease recurrence and progression compared to those who did not take the supplements, Dr. Michael Steines with St. Joseph Health said.
The supplements studied included vitamins C, E, A, beta-carotene, CoQ10, iron and B12.
Dr. Steines said the findings are notable because the same antioxidants found naturally in fruits and cruciferous vegetables help decrease cancer risk when consumed as food.
“When you try and extract it out and take it as a pill, actually, they showed that cancer patients who were receiving those medications had a substantially worse outcome,” Dr. Steines said.
The research indicates patients cannot compensate for poor nutrition by taking supplements, Dr. Steines said. Diets should include adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, chicken and lean protein.
Standard multivitamins that provide 100% of the USRDA remain safe for general use, Dr. Steines said.
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