Survey: Americans Turning to Supplements for Cancer Prevention

WASHINGTON--The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) published a survey on Sept. 5 that reflected dietary supplement use for cancer prevention. Results were published in news outlets from the Associated Press to the Washington Post. Based on its evaluation of survey results, the AICR reported that Americans are more likely to use supplements to prevent cancer than to make dietary changes.

The AICR questioned 1,010 people and found that 61 percent of Americans chose to use dietary supplements to prevent cancer rather than make changes to their diets, such as eating more fruits and vegetables. According to AICR survey results, 43 percent of Americans take a daily multi-vitamin, and 21 percent take a single-ingredient vitamin, mineral or herbal supplement. The study's authors found the results disturbing. Melanie Polk, AICR's director of nutrition education, cited the "lack of reliable information about supplements" as a major concern.

"We've known for some time that usage of dietary supplements is on the rise," Polk said, "but we still don't know a great deal about how, or if, these substances affect cancer risk. The fact that so many Americans--especially older Americans--are seeking cancer protection in pills and powders is alarming."

According to survey results, 13 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 35 take supplements to decrease cancer risk. The numbers increase as age increases. Results also indicated that the only group that is likely to make dietary changes is those between the ages of 45 and 54.

The survey also noted that most respondents took vitamin C [17 percent], followed by vitamin E [16 percent], garlic [9 percent], folic acid [8 percent] and beta-carotene [7 percent]. Fifty-one percent of survey respondents said they do not use any supplements at all for cancer prevention.

Polk noted that though supplements are useful for meeting basic nutritional needs, there is no evidence of supplements' ability to prevent cancer.

"The fact that more Americans are taking multi-vitamins for cancer protection than are making simple dietary changes suggests that we've still got a long way to go," she said.

However, noted Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA),the study itself does not suggest that people are using supplements in lieu of eating healthily. "There is nothing in the study that indicates whether the same 39 percent who have altered their diet may also be among the 17 percent taking vitamin C or the 7 percent taking garlic," he added. "Ms. Polk gives absolutely no substantiation to her statement that [taking more vitamins and not making dietary changes] are related."

"Then there's the other issue of the implication that vitamin C, vitamin E, and garlic are useless in providing any actual health protection," McGuffin said. "While I cannot speak for the antioxidant vitamins, it appears as if AICR is unaware of the excellent work that has gone into the study of garlic. To dismiss the use of garlic by 9 percent of their audience as 'surprising' is clearly inattentive to the decades of excellent scientific inquiry and epidemiological suggestion that has supported this broadly used food/supplement as meaningfully protective against a host of aging ills."

Others noted that consumers may find it easier to take supplements than make lifestyle-altering dietary changes. "It does not appear surprising that consumers may want to pop a few pills in their mouths each day in the belief that they may be able to prevent cancer, rather than attempting the much more formidable and challenging task of changing long-held habits about food, eating, etc.," said Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council (ABC). He also noted that "food habits can have not only a lifestyle aspect, but frequently deep emotional issues may be tied to food; obviously, this makes taking supplements instead of changing eating habits an easier choice."

For the entire text of the survey, visit www.aicr.org. For information about ABC or AHPA, visit www.herbalgram.org or www.ahpa.com.