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Hopes and Facts about Supplements and Cancer

By Jill Place, MA, RD

You have cancer. You HOPE that you'll find a way to get well. And everyone you know, from aunts to zealots, is giving you advice about what to eat and what supplements to take. Not everyone with cancer needs or wants to take nutritional supplements. But if you're considering taking them you might want to sort out what you HOPE they'll do from what they'll actually do. Here are some common HOPES about nutritional supplements and cancer along with FACTS about what they actually do.

HOPE: Supplements are like drugs.

FACT: Supplements are NOT drugs.

Even though they come in pills and powders, supplements are FOODS and other plant and animal products that can nourish your body. Supplements also work differently than drugs. They support your body's systems with extra nutrition. Drugs are for stopping symptoms. When you're eating a good diet and taking supplements, you're nourishing systems, not healing symptoms.

HOPE: Supplements give you energy.

FACT: Supplements alone won't give you energy.

Supplements may make your body work better. And if your body works better you may have more energy. But eating good food and doing some physical activity might be a better and less expensive way to get more energy.

HOPE: Any supplement I take will work.

FACT: A supplement works because it has solid scientific research behind it.

Instead of choosing supplements based upon hearsay or the latest e-mail ad, consult an expert. Your Registered Dietitian or Supplement Savvy Specialist can steer you towards supplements that have been well researched as being effective by the scientific community.

HOPE: Any combination of supplements will help me.

FACT: Only some supplements work well together.

Research has shown us that when you add certain supplements together it makes the effect stronger so you don't have to take as much of each one. That's called synergy. But it's important to know what combinations work well together. Some combinations can lessen the effect of medications or other supplements and even be harmful. That's why it's important to talk to your Registered Dietitian or Supplement Savvy Specialist before you decide what to take.

HOPE: More is better.

FACT: More is NOT better.

We seem to think that if a little is good then more must be better. An overdose of one nutrient may slow or stop the absorption of others and may possibly be harmful. So stick to dosages and combinations recommended by your Registered Dietitian or Supplement Savvy Specialist.

HOPE: One-a-day keeps the doctor away.

FACT: You can't take just one.

Many supplement takers wish that everything they need could be crammed into one pill. It doesn't work that way. You may have to take several tablets of a good multivitamin to get the right amount of nutrients. Also, you may have to take the same supplement several times a day for the best benefit. Your Registered Dietitian or Supplement Savvy Specialist can set you up on a program that will work for you. And if you feel overwhelmed, take less.

HOPE: My body will absorb 100% of what the label says.

FACT: My body can only absorb some of the nutrients in my supplement.

It's not what you take; it's what you absorb. For example, your body absorbs only about 20% of the most common type of calcium but can absorb up to 50% of another type. Also, some forms of inorganic minerals may cause toxicity or stomach upset. So use well-absorbed types of supplements that don't cause these side effects. They may cost you a little more but you'll definitely feel the difference.

HOPE: Supplements can cure cancer.

FACT: Supplements can't cure cancer or any other disease.

Supplements can complement a cancer treatment plan. As a matter of fact, they can enhance the actions of many drugs including chemotherapy and radiation. But using supplements instead of traditional care can be dangerous. Your best bet for recovery is traditional treatment and, when appropriate, supplements and herbs recommended by your Registered Dietitian or Supplement Savvy Specialist.

© Copyright 2002 Jill Place, MA, RD