Whole Foods Vs Isolated Nutrients

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This is a common topic, isolated supplements vs whole foods.

" However, randomised intervention trials of micronutrient supplements have, to

date, largely failed to show an improvement in clinical end points. "

Proc Nutr Soc. <javascript:AL_get(this, 'jour', 'Proc Nutr Soc.');> 2005

Nov;64(4):543-53.

Related Articles,

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Micronutrients: dietary intake v. supplement use.

Woodside JV

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_Abstract & term=%22Woodside+JV%22%5BAuthor%5D> , McCall D

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_Abstract & term=%22McCall+D%22%5BAuthor%5D> , McGartland C

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_Abstract & term=%22McGartland+C%22%5BAuthor%5D> , Young IS

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Search & itool=pubmed\

_Abstract & term=%22Young+IS%22%5BAuthor%5D> .

Nutrition and Metabolism Group, Centre for Clinical and Population Science,

Mulhouse Building, Belfast, UK. j.woodside@...

Whilst clinical deficiency of micronutrients is uncommon in the developed world,

a suboptimal intake of certain micronutrients has been linked with an increased

risk of chronic diseases such as CVD and cancer. Attention has therefore focused

on increasing micronutrient status in order to theoretically reduce chronic

disease risk. Increasing micronutrient status can involve a number of

approaches: increasing dietary intake of micronutrient-rich foods; food

fortification; use of supplements. Observational cohort studies have

demonstrated an association between high intakes of micronutrients such as

vitamin E, vitamin C, folic acid and beta-carotene, and lower risk of CHD,

stroke and cancer at various sites. However, randomised intervention trials of

micronutrient supplements have, to date, largely failed to show an improvement

in clinical end points. The discordance between data from cohort studies and the

results so far available from clinical trials remains to be explained. One

reason may be that the complex mixture of micronutrients found, for example, in

a diet high in fruit and vegetables may be more effective than large doses of a

small number of micronutrients, and therefore that intervention studies that use

single micronutrient supplements are unlikely to produce a lowering of disease

risk. Studies concentrating on whole foods (e.g. fruit and vegetables) or diet

pattern (e.g. Mediterranean diet pattern) may be more effective in demonstrating

an effect on clinical end points. The present review will consider the clinical

trial evidence for a beneficial effect of micronutrient supplements on health,

and review the alternative approaches to the study of dietary intake of

micronutrients.

PMID: 16313697 [PubMed - in process]