The 100-Calorie Secret - Never Diet Again!

February 17, 2009:

Part 4: Save Your Money and Time: Weight Loss Supplements Are Worthless:
Read the Recent Evidence Yourself:

This year appears to be the crossroads of the vitamin, food supplement, and antioxidant wars. The results of multiple long term studies that began in the 1990's have failed to show any benefit in reduction of chronic diseases, weight loss or even prolonged life span in individuals taking dietary supplements.

The controversies over the benefits of taking vitamins actually began in the  late 1940's when the questions of whether Vitamin C prevented the common cold was raised. Two years ago an extensive NIH study reported  that Vitamin C does not prevent the common cold.

Long term studies of Vitamin  E and C that began in 1997 were just completed in December 2008. No benefit was found in prevention of cardiovascular disease in healthy middle age men taking  Vitamins E or C. Even more important was the report of 15,000 male physicians taking vitamin C and E that showed no differences in cancer or heart disease over a 10 year period in  Physicians Health Study.

Since January 2009 several more long term studies were released The National Cancer Institute released the status of vitamin supplements for cancer prevention in an editorial in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. After reviewing hundreds of studies covering  thousand of patients no convincing evidence was found that showed any benefit in "reducing the incidence or recurrence  of neoplasia from nutrient supplementation or dietary modification."

These observations, especially those involving the antioxidants, show  again that anecdotal stories should never replace long term controlled studies. So many obesity prone individuals struggling to lose weight lose focus when concerning themselves with  the dietary supplements they see advertised each day.

Losing weight is hard enough and spending  money and effort on useless remedies is fruitless.