Can dietary supplements prevent cancer?

Original: Can dietary nutritional supplements prevent cancer?

When it comes to dietary supplements, everyone has a different opinion! How should dietary supplements be viewed, and can they prevent cancer? In this issue, we will tell you whether there is a relationship

What is a dietary supplement?

Dietary nutritional supplements refer to foods that use vitamins, minerals and animal and plant extracts as the main raw materials as an auxiliary means of daily diet to supplement essential nutrients and biologically active substances, usually in tablets, capsules, liquids or powders

Taking dietary nutritional supplements in a targeted and appropriate amount can help make up for the possible lack of nutrient intake in our daily diet, but dietary nutritional supplements cannot replace a balanced and varied daily diet, in addition, improper use may also endanger health and even endanger life

How should dietary supplements be taken?

1.

1.

It is a fat-soluble vitamin

Recommended intake

Adult males: 800 mcg of retinol active equivalent per day; Adult women: 700 mcg of retinol active equivalent

2.

(1) Vitamin B1: Also known as thiamine, foods rich in vitamin B1 are: whole grains, meat (such as pork) and fish

Recommended intake

Adult males: 1.

(2) Vitamin B₂: also known as riboflavin, foods rich in vitamin B₂ are: eggs, animal offal (such as liver, kidneys), lean meat, milk and green vegetables

Recommended intake

Adult males: 1.

(3) Niacin: Once known as vitamin B3

Recommended intake

Adult males: 13 to 15 mg niacin equivalent per day; Adult women: 10 to 12 mg niacin equivalent per

(4) Pantothenic acid: once known as vitamin B5, foods rich in pantothenic acid are: beef, chicken, animal offal, whole grains, etc

The appropriate intake of pantothenic acid for adults is 5 mg

(5) Vitamin B6: Foods rich in vitamin B6 include fish, beef liver and other animal offal, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, fruits (except citrus) and so on
.
At present, the scientific evidence is still insufficient to prove that vitamin B6 can prevent cancer
.

The recommended intake of vitamin B6 for adults is 1.
4 to 1.
6 mg
per day.

(6) Biotin: also known as vitamin H or vitamin B7, biotin-rich foods are: animal offal, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts and some vegetables (such as sweet potatoes).

The relationship between
biotin and cancer has not been found.

The appropriate intake of biotin for adults is 40 millimeters
per day.

(7) Folic acid: also known as vitamin B9, rich in folic acid foods are: vegetables (such as spinach, asparagus, brussels sprouts, etc.
), fruits, nuts, beans, seafood, eggs, dairy products, animal liver, meat, poultry and grains
.
Epidemiological studies have shown that the right amount of folic acid can play a role in inhibiting the occurrence of cancer before precancerous lesions occur; However, after the development of precancerous lesions, high doses of folic acid may accelerate the development of
cancer.

The recommended intake of folic acid for adults is 400 mcg of dietary folic acid equivalent
per day.

(8) Vitamin B12: Foods rich in vitamin B12 are fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products
.
The relationship between vitamin B12 and cancer is unclear
.

The recommended intake of vitamin B12 for adults is 2.
4 micrograms
per day.

3.
Vitamin C

Also known as ascorbic acid
.
Vitamin C cannot be synthesized in the human body, so it must be supplemented
with food.
For adults, 100 mg of vitamin C
per day is recommended.

Some studies have found that consuming vitamin C-rich vegetables and fruits may reduce the risk of developing cancers such as lung, breast, colorectal, stomach, oral, throat and esophageal cancers, but whether additional vitamin C supplementation can prevent cancer has not been proven
.

4.
Vitamin D

Foods containing vitamin D: Fatty fish such as trout, salmon, mackerel and tuna
.
In addition, cod liver oil, beef liver, egg yolks and cheese also contain vitamin D
.
The recommended intake of vitamin D for adults is 10 to 15 micrograms
per day.
So far, there has been no confirmation that vitamin D can prevent cancer
.

5.
Vitamin E

Nuts, seeds and vegetable oils are the best sources of
vitamin E.
In addition, green leafy vegetables also contain a lot of vitamin E
.
Adults are expected to consume 14 mg of vitamin E
α-tocopherol equivalent per day.
However, it is important to note that supplementation with vitamin E in large daily doses may increase the risk
of prostate cancer.

6.
Vitamin K

Foods rich in vitamin K include leafy greens, some fruits, vegetable oils, meats, eggs, dairy products, natto, cheese and so on
.
Vitamin K has not been found to be associated
with cancer.

The appropriate intake of vitamin K for adults is 80 micrograms
per day.

Second, constant elements

1.
Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, calcium-rich foods such as milk, yogurt and cheese, canned sardines, canned salmon and some vegetables (such as kale, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage), scientific research shows that calcium may help reduce the risk
of colorectal cancer.

The recommended intake of calcium for adults is 800 to 1000 mg
per day.

2.
Phosphorus

Phosphorus-rich foods include dairy, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, vegetables and grains
.
No relationship
between phosphorus and cancer has been found.

The recommended intake of phosphorus for adults is 670 to 720 mg
per day.

3.
Potassium

Potassium-rich foods include some legumes, as well as potatoes, meat, poultry, fish, milk, yogurt and nuts
.
The relationship between potassium and cancer is unclear
.

The appropriate intake of potassium for adults is 2,000 mg
per day.

Third, trace elements

1.
Iron

There are two main forms of iron in the diet: heme iron and non-heme iron, of which heme iron is more easily absorbed and utilized
by the body.
Foods rich in heme iron include lean meat and seafood; Foods rich in non-heme iron are nuts, legumes, and vegetables
.
Iron has not been found to have a cancer prevention effect
.

The recommended intake of iron for adults is 12 mg per day; The recommended intake of iron for adult women before menopause is 20 mg
per day.

2.
Iodine

Iodine-rich foods include kelp and seaweed, fish and eggs, and iodized salt
.
Current scientific studies have confirmed that people with iodine deficiency have a much higher
risk of thyroid cancer when exposed to nuclear radiation than those who do not have iodine deficiency.
However, the relationship between iodine and other cancers is unclear
.

The recommended intake of iodine for adults is 120 micrograms
per day.

3.
Zinc

The body cannot store zinc, so it needs to be ingested daily to maintain normal physiological activity
.
Zinc-rich foods include oysters, crabs, lobsters, red meat, poultry, legumes, nuts and dairy products
.
Zinc has not been found to prevent cancer
.

Recommended intake

Adult males: 12.
5 mg per day; adult females: 7.
5 mg
per day.

4.
Selenium

Selenium-rich foods include seafood, animal offal, Brazilian chestnut, lean meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, grains and so on
.
The current scientific evidence on whether selenium can prevent cancer is still insufficient
.

The recommended intake of selenium for adults is 60 micrograms
per day.

5.
Copper

Copper-rich foods include shellfish, animal offal, nuts, seed foods (such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, etc.
), whole grains, etc.
At present, no association
between copper and cancer has been found.

The recommended intake of copper for adults is 0.
8 mg
per day.

6.
Molybdenum

Molybdenum is most abundant in legumes, and molybdenum is also found in whole grains, nuts and beef liver
.
Current scientific studies have not found that molybdenum is associated
with cancer.

The recommended intake of molybdenum for adults is 100 micrograms
per day.

7.
Chromium

There are usually trivalent and hexavalent forms: (1) trivalent chromium: is an essential trace element of the human body, rich in trivalent chromium foods are: meat, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beer and wine
.
(2) Hexavalent chromium: Class 1 carcinogen identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization, recent scientific studies have found that some trivalent chromium will be oxidized in the body to generate hexavalent chromium
.
Therefore, long-term use of dietary nutritional supplements containing chromium may increase the risk
of cancer.

The appropriate intake of chromium for adults is 30 micrograms
per day.

To sum up, if the daily diet can meet our daily nutritional needs, then the additional dietary nutritional supplements will not help us prevent cancer
.
Conversely, long-term overdose of certain nutrients can even increase our risk
of certain cancers.

Therefore, as long as we maintain a healthy and varied diet, we generally do not need additional nutrient supplements
.
If you really need to supplement, please follow the doctor's instructions, according to the doctor's tailor-made individual program for you, scientific and reasonable supplementation of the body's lack of nutrients
.

References "Primary Prevention of Cancer"

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