COULD YOUR MULTIVITAMIN GIVE YOU BREAST CANCER? Well, at first glance this study might suggest this. The increased risk is small (19%) compared to other things, but is still real. Probably the biggest concern I have with this study and most MVM studies is that there is a huge difference between MVMs on the market. At one end you have the “one a day” types that are by far the most popular. These are generally very low quality (for a variety of reasons too lengthy to go into here).
Of concern is that many contain artificial colors (really–does anyone CARE what darn color your MVM is anyway????) such as FD&C dyes. These are coal tar based and are known to be carcinogens. This would obviously be of concern in a study looking at cancer. Then there’s always the folic acid concern that folic acid may promote cell growth in a cancer already present.
Bottom line? Most of the research supports the use of a MVM for long term health, but it is NOT a patch on a poor lifestyle. Rather, it is used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle.
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