Vitamins

Analysis and Comment (10)

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How can you tell what products might be of use and which ones will only lighten your wallet? Image from shutterstock.com

CAM or sham? Let’s get the facts straight on vitamins and supplements

By Rachael Dunlop, University of Technology, Sydney

Australia’s complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) industry is worth about A$4 billion annually. Around two thirds of Australians use CAM – which includes therapies such as chiropractic and naturopathy…
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There’s no evidence that diet supplements are a panacea for people who have cancer. Steven Depolo

Vitamin pills' role in recovering from cancer

By Kathy Chapman

Dietary supplements are big business, and often people are easily drawn in by marketing claims and anecdotes that vitamin pills may be the answer to all their health concerns. People with cancer tend…
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Up to one in three Australians take vitamin supplements, but few healthy people need them. Brian Gaid

Monday’s medical myth: take a vitamin a day for better health

By Clare Collins, University of Newcastle

Forget an apple a day, vitamin manufacturers would have you believe it’s important to take daily vitamins to boost your health. And a surprising proportion of Australians do. Data from the last National…
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The CHC Complaints Resolution Committee did not consider a $675 gift to be “undue influence, pressure or unfair tactics”. Bradley Stemke

Swisse vitamins' sweetener to doctors: complaint resolution

By Ken Harvey, La Trobe University

In April 2012 Swisse made the following offer to GPs, “For those who on-sell full sized Swisse Practitioner products, Swisse will sponsor the full cost for you or one of your staff members to complete…
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A vitamin C a day won’t keep colds away. Owaief

Monday’s medical myth: vitamin C prevents colds

By Michael Tam

Vitamin C is so often suggested as a treatment for the common cold that it’s almost considered common sense. This well-known vitamin is primarily found in fruits and vegetables, with small quantities in…
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Encouraging GPs to “on-sell” products to patients is likely to produce unnecessary or inappropriate prescribing. fuzzirella/Flickr

Swisse Vitamins highlights the failure of industry self-regulation

By Ken Harvey, La Trobe University

Swisse Vitamins Pty Ltd has been in the news recently over their Federal Court action to suppress a determination of the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Complaint Resolution Panel (CRP) about a number of…
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The best way to guard against skin cancer remains covering up – and using sun screen. Flickr/neloqua

Can Vitamin A reduce the risk of skin cancer in women?

By Justin Norrie, The Conversation

A study that suggests vitamin A could reduce the risk of melanoma should be treated with caution, according to Australian cancer experts who say the results are inconclusive and involve potentially toxic…
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The belief that supranutritional doses of vitamins will improve quality of life doesn’t match what science tells us. Happy Sleepy/Flickr

Vitamins: myths, facts, use and misuse

By Louis Roller, Monash University

When it comes to using vitamins to supplement diets, there’s a wide gap between what science says and what many consumers believe. A recent study, for instance, established that some 52% of the Australian…
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Healthy people without a known deficiency shouldn’t take dietary supplements. Neeta Lind

Vitamin supplements: more harm than help?

By Ian Chapman

A study published yesterday in the Archives of Internal Medicine has investigated the link between taking dietary supplements and an increase risk of death in older women. Associate professor Ian Chapman…
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Cancer patients need to think twice before adding vitamins to their treatment. shannonkringen/flickr

A helping hand? Vitamins may be dangerous for cancer patients

By Ray Lowenthal, University of Tasmania

Previously unthinkable questions about vitamin use by cancer patients are being asked following a series of recent clinical studies. Is it time for cancer patients’ love affair with vitamins to end? Might…

Research Briefs (8)

Vitamins E, C useless against vision disorder

Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women's Hospital

Taking vitamins E and C have been found to posess no benefits in combating vision degeneration. The ongoing study tracked…

Children should get vitamin A supplements

British Medical Journal

Children in low and middle income countries should be given vitamin A supplements to prevent death and illness, say the authors…

Vision dependent on vitamin A

Medical Journal of Australia

The treatment of vitamin A deficiency can preserve vision and life. A review of a middle-aged man with impaired vision found…

Vitamin E reduces stroke damage

Ohio State University

Regular doses of vitamin E may reduce brain damage in stroke victims, according to researchers at a US university. Researchers…

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