title: Dietary supplements and cancer prevention: balancing potential benefits against proven harms.
abstract: Nutritional supplementation is now a multibillion-dollar industry, and about half of all US adults take supplements. Supplement use is fueled in part by the belief that nutritional supplements can ward off chronic disease, including cancer, although several expert committees and organizations have concluded that there is little to no scientific evidence that supplements reduce cancer risk. To the contrary, there is now evidence that high doses of some supplements increase cancer risk. Despite this evidence, marketing claims by the supplement industry continue to imply anticancer benefits. Insufficient government regulation of the marketing of dietary supplement products may continue to result in unsound advice to consumers. Both the scientific community and government regulators need to provide clear guidance to the public about the use of dietary supplements to lower cancer risk.
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Elizabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Byers
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011634:Public Health; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D040241:Social Marketing; D014131:Trace Elements; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D014807:Vitamin D; D014815:Vitamins
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D014131:Trace Elements; D014815:Vitamins; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D014807:Vitamin D; D005492:Folic Acid