A dietitian has revealed the common supplements that could increase the risk of cancers forming.
Nichole Andrews, an oncology dietitian in Washington State, warned that while common supplements like vitamins C have been touted for boosting the immune system, the products are often over-dosed.
She said the irony was that ‘a lot of people will take high-dose supplements to try to reduce their risk of cancer or improve their health.’
However, the ‘more is better’ mindset is ‘incorrect.’ Ms Andrews explained that the body can’t get rid of excess vitamins and instead has to absorb them through the digestive system and into the bloodstream.
When the body can’t process them fast enough, the supplements can attack healthy cells and stimulate the growth of cancerous tumors.
Ms Andrews said: ‘It will harm your cells at high levels.’
That’s a concern, given that over half of Americans report taking at least one dietary supplement.
And experts believe that as many as nine in 10 of these pills are incorrectly labelled, with their true dosages unknown.
Nichole Andrews, an oncology dietitian in Washington State, said that taking certain supplements like vitamin C at high doses could increase the risk of cancer
Dietary supplements are not strictly regulated by authorities like the FDA, so it’s difficult to know how much of the daily value is actually in one pill (stock image)
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In a recent TikTok video, which has more than 22,000 views, she advises people to focus on getting these nutrients from food and don’t overload on supplements if they don’t have any deficiencies.
Ms Andrews said that when excess vitamins flood the bloodstream, they form free radicals.
According to the National Cancer Institute, these are unstable molecules that attack DNA and disrupt normal cell function, causing cells to mutate and become cancerous.
One study conducted last year found that when cancer patients and those at an increased risk of the disease took vitamin C and E supplements, new blood vessels formed within lung cancer tumors.
This caused tumors to grow more quickly and spread to other areas of the body.
Additionally, a study from The Ohio State University found that male smokers who took high doses of vitamins B6 and B12, which are meant to help red blood cells form, had a four-fold increased risk of lung cancer compared to men who didn’t take the supplements.
The researchers said at the time: ‘These are doses that can only be obtained from taking high-dose B vitamin supplements, and these supplements are many times the US Recommended Dietary Allowance.’
However, studies on these effects have largely been observational, meaning they don’t show a direct cause. Other studies have also failed to show a link between high-dose supplements, but experts urge caution anyway.
However, when consumed through food and at normal quantities, nutrients like vitamin C act as antioxidants, which have been shown to neutralize free radicals.
Citrus foods like lemons amd limes are high in vitamin C, with one orange containing nearly the recommended daily intake of 65 to 90 milligrams.
Dietary supplements are not strictly regulated by authorities like the FDA, so it’s difficult to know how much of the daily value is actually in one pill.
However, Ms Andrews said that getting nutrients like vitamin C and B12 through food won’t put you at risk of consuming toxic doses.
She said: ‘You’re never going to reach that high amount with food.’
Citrus foods are high in vitamin C, with one orange containing nearly the recommended daily intake of 65 to 90 milligrams.
Meanwhile, animal proteins like red meat, eggs, and fish are rich in nutrients like vitamin B12.
Ms Andrews also cautioned that unless you are especially deficient in certain nutrients, you likely don’t need a supplement to begin with.
She said: ‘Unless you have a prescription from your doctor, food is enough.’
Experts also suggest that while nutrients like calcium and fiber have been shown to reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer, it’s best to get them from food rather than supplements.
Similar to food and drinks, the body absorbs supplements through the small intestine, where they travel directly to the bloodstream.
