Cancer Risk Increased by Too Many Dietary Supplements

The University of Colorado Cancer Center reported that research has surfaced showing that over-the-counter supplements may increase cancer risk if more than the daily recommended amount is taken.

As quoted in the market news:

‘We are not sure why this is happening at the molecular level but evidence shows that people who take more dietary supplements than needed tend to have a higher risk of developing cancer,’ explains [Tim] Byers, associate director for cancer prevention and control at the CU Cancer Center.

The line of research started 20 years ago with the observation that people who ate more fruits and vegetables tended to have less cancer. Researchers including Byers wanted to see if taking extra vitamins and minerals would reduce cancer risk even further.

‘When we first tested dietary supplements in animal models we found that the results were promising,’ says Byers. ‘Eventually we were able to move on to the human populations. We studied thousands of patients for ten years who were taking dietary supplements and placebos.’

The results were not what they expected.

‘We found that the supplements were actually not beneficial for their health. In fact, some people actually got more cancer while on the vitamins,’ explains Byers.

Click here to read the full University of Colorado Cancer Center report.