Dietary supplements show promise in cancer fight

By Dr. Patrick Massey, Columnist
Daily Herald

One bone of contention between traditional and nontraditional medicine is whether vitamins and dietary supplements can prevent cancer.

Many proponents of the nontraditional arena suggest that they can, while traditional medicine takes the position that diet is an adequate source of vitamins and micronutrients in preventing cancer.

Although epidemiologic studies strongly suggest that people with higher levels of vitamins and antioxidants tend to have a lower risk of developing cancer, prospective studies with dietary supplements have been lacking, usually due to lack of funding.

Several years ago, I predicted that as these prospective studies were done, we would learn that supplementation prevents cancer. The main reason for this is because the American diet is so deficient in vitamins and micronutrients.

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the incidence of reflux esophagitis. Reflux is a medical condition in which the acid in the stomach is released into the throat. Ultimately, chronic reflux can result in the development of a scar-tissue-like condition called Barrett's esophagus.

Barrett's esophagus is a precursor for esophageal cancer. The usual treatment is medication that limits the production of stomach acid. Although this medical approach seems to be effective, the question is whether the use of dietary supplements in vitamins further reduces the risk of developing esophageal cancer. The answer is yes.

In a recent study, conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle, 339 men and women with Barrett's esophagus were prospectively followed over a five-year period. During the study, 37 participants developed esophageal cancer, while an additional 76 participants developed significant precancerous lesions.

The participants were divided into two groups - those who took vitamins and dietary supplements on a daily basis and those who did not take vitamins and dietary supplements. Participants who consumed at least one multivitamin, 250 mg of vitamin C and 180 mg of vitamin E per day had a 25 to 30 percent lower risk of developing esophageal cancer, the researchers found.

The root of most cancer is chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation results in oxidation (or rusting) of DNA and important biochemicals in the cell. Oxidation is very damaging and directly related to the development of cancer.

The human body has a number of exquisite mechanisms for dealing with inflammation and oxidation. One of the mainstays for fighting oxidation is antioxidants, made either by the body or consumed in food.

Over the past 50 years, our stress-based lifestyles have significantly increased the risk of chronic inflammation. At the same time, dietary antioxidant levels have dropped almost 50 percent.

Taking vitamins and dietary supplements, in reasonable amounts, is increasingly supported by good medical research.

Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Ph.D., is medical director for alternative and complementary medicine for Alexian Brothers Hospital Network.