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By Fishlink Sublegals
Published: July 1, 2009
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Cancer, heart disease, and stroke are in the crosshairs of a new government study that will test the effectiveness of vitamin D and fish oil in the prevention of these major health threats. This will be the first major nutrition study to target a specific racial group -- African Americans will be a large focus of the study and will comprise 50,000 of the 100,000 participants. Dr. Joann Mason and Dr. Julie Buring will co-lead the study at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
The National Cancer Institute, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and other federal agencies will provide $20 million dollars to fund the five year study. Pharmavite LLC of California will provide researchers with the daily 2,000 international unit supplement of cholecalciferol or vitamin D. Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia will provide the daily one gram doses of fish oil. Doctors will select 20,000 healthy older people to take part in the study. Men over 60 and women at least 65 years of age with no previous history of cancer or cardiovascular disease will be randomly assigned to one of four groups. One group will be given fish oil and vitamin D, one will be given fish oil and a placebo, another will be given vitamin D and a placebo, and the fourth will only be given placebos. Participant health will be monitored via medical records, questionnaires, and occasional in-person exams.
The study is placing special focus on African Americans due to their abnormally high rates of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Their higher level of pigmentation means that blacks are not able to produce as much vitamin D as lighter skinned races. This physiological difference can lead to vitamin D deficiencies in some African Americans. Some studies have suggested that reduced blood levels of vitamin D may foreshadow cancer. “If something as simple as taking a vitamin D pill could help lower these risks and eliminate these health disparities, that would be extraordinarily exciting,” said Dr. Manson.
Vitamin D and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil "have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that may be key factors in preventing many diseases. They may also work through other pathways that influence cancer and cardiovascular risk," said Dr. Manson.
Despite suggested health benefits, consumers should remain cautious when it comes to self-prescribing large quantities of dietary supplements. Many supplements, such as folic acid and selenium, which were thought to lower health risks, were later proven by scientific studies to be ineffective or even harmful. Researchers’ hope that beneficial results begin to appear long before the end of the 5 year study and that these benefits are not just limited to heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Any additional affects on conditions such as memory loss, depression, diabetes, and osteoporosis will also be documented by the study.
source: Fishlink Sublegals
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Published: July 1, 2009
Print
EmailCancer, heart disease, and stroke are in the crosshairs of a new government study that will test the effectiveness of vitamin D and fish oil in the prevention of these major health threats. This will be the first major nutrition study to target a specific racial group -- African Americans will be a large focus of the study and will comprise 50,000 of the 100,000 participants. Dr. Joann Mason and Dr. Julie Buring will co-lead the study at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
The National Cancer Institute, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and other federal agencies will provide $20 million dollars to fund the five year study. Pharmavite LLC of California will provide researchers with the daily 2,000 international unit supplement of cholecalciferol or vitamin D. Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia will provide the daily one gram doses of fish oil. Doctors will select 20,000 healthy older people to take part in the study. Men over 60 and women at least 65 years of age with no previous history of cancer or cardiovascular disease will be randomly assigned to one of four groups. One group will be given fish oil and vitamin D, one will be given fish oil and a placebo, another will be given vitamin D and a placebo, and the fourth will only be given placebos. Participant health will be monitored via medical records, questionnaires, and occasional in-person exams.
The study is placing special focus on African Americans due to their abnormally high rates of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Their higher level of pigmentation means that blacks are not able to produce as much vitamin D as lighter skinned races. This physiological difference can lead to vitamin D deficiencies in some African Americans. Some studies have suggested that reduced blood levels of vitamin D may foreshadow cancer. “If something as simple as taking a vitamin D pill could help lower these risks and eliminate these health disparities, that would be extraordinarily exciting,” said Dr. Manson.
Vitamin D and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil "have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that may be key factors in preventing many diseases. They may also work through other pathways that influence cancer and cardiovascular risk," said Dr. Manson.
Despite suggested health benefits, consumers should remain cautious when it comes to self-prescribing large quantities of dietary supplements. Many supplements, such as folic acid and selenium, which were thought to lower health risks, were later proven by scientific studies to be ineffective or even harmful. Researchers’ hope that beneficial results begin to appear long before the end of the 5 year study and that these benefits are not just limited to heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Any additional affects on conditions such as memory loss, depression, diabetes, and osteoporosis will also be documented by the study.
source: Fishlink Sublegals
Submit Article