Guest guest Posted May 27, 2003 Report Share Posted May 27, 2003 Fight Infections with Supplements http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2003-03-04-5 Betterhumans Staff [Tuesday, March 04, 2003] If you're one of the millions of people who take vitamin and mineral supplements, you might be shocked to know that few studies document their effectiveness. But you'll be pleased to hear about a new study that shows they can significantly reduce infections. " The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 40% of US adults use supplements regularly and spend $1.3 to $1.7 billion on them annually, " say the authors of a new study in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. " About half of these persons take a combination vitamin and mineral product. Despite this extensive use, however, little evidence supports the purported health benefits. " The authors decided to test multivitamin and mineral supplements for reducing incidences of infection and work absenteeism among healthy people aged 45 or older. They gave 130 people 45 and over either a multivitamin or a placebo for one year. They found that 43% of people who took the supplements reported getting a cold or other minor infection compared to 73% of the placebo group. " Multivitamin and mineral supplements are convenient and relatively inexpensive, " say the authors. " If our results are confirmed in a larger trial, the widespread implementation of this preventive measure could have a substantial economic impact and could ease the burden of suffering in our society. " 2002-2003 Betterhumans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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