Overdoing Supplement Dosages Increases Cancer Risk

An American researcher who has spent 20 years studying the impact of diet and dietary supplements on cancer has concluded that taking larger than recommended dosages of supplements to prevent cancer actually  increases the risk of cancer. In one study, data showed that taking high levels of beta-carotene increased the risk of lung cancer and heart disease by 20 percent. Another study found that taking too much folic acid increases the number of colorectal polyps rather than reduces them. The bottom line, researchers say, is that people should get their vitamins and other nutrients from fresh foods, though proper dosages of supplements are generally safe.