Science Alert: Almost half of all Canadians regularly take at least one nutritional supplement such as vitamins, minerals, fibre supplements, antacids and fish oils. Many of these individuals are healthy and hoping to improve general well-being or prevent chronic disease.
Scientific evidence, however, suggests that some high-dose nutritional supplements – such as beta carotene, vitamin E and vitamin A – have little role to play in the prevention of chronic disease among healthy individuals, unless there is a diagnosed deficiency of specific micronutrients.
Research suggests these supplements might actually do more harm than good.
As a medical doctor and public health specialist, I have been involved in several studies and clinical trials examining the benefits and risks of micronutrients and nutritional supplements, such as selenium, across several populations in North America and Europe.
In a recent study, my colleagues and I found no evidence that selenium supplements help prevent chronic disease – in this instance diabetes – even in regions where there are relatively low amounts of selenium in the natural diet.
Our study used data from a randomized clinical trial conducted in Denmark and was recently published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
There is, on the other hand, ample scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of other lifestyle modifications for healthy aging and the prevention of major chronic disease.
These include: improving the overall quality of diet, increasing physical activity, refraining from smoking, maintaining healthy sleep patterns and minimizing stress.