© Oxford University Press 2006.
NEWS |
Micronutrients: To Supplement, Or Not To Supplement?
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Tell a smoker to eat a carrot a day and he'll keep the doctor away, but give him regular beta-carotene supplements—the major antioxidant nutrient found in carrots—and you may increase his risk of developing lung cancer. Why? Doctors aren't entirely sure what the difference is between dietary intake and micronutrient supplementation, but they do know that any diet–cancer association is far more complex than simply supplementing the diet with a few micronutrients.
When a person ingests micronutrients as part of a natural everyday diet, he or she receives more than just a single nutrient. A slice of whole-grain bread, for example, might provide fiber, iron, vitamin E, and folate. The body breaks down and uses all the micronutrients in the slice, which may interact in different biologic pathways and systems.
Micronutrients ingested in supplement form are often pharmacologically or synthetically produced. People who ingest a tablet of vitamin E typically
Beta-Carotene
Folic Acid
Vitamin E
Vitamin D
Calcium
Other Nutrients