Multivitamin Use Before Pregnancy Reduces Risk of Preterm Births

A study published in the November 2004 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology found that the use of multivitamin supplements by women prior to becoming pregnant was associated with fewer preterm deliveries. Preterm birth is defined as birth at less than 37 weeks of gestation and is associated with a lower rate of infant survival during the first year of life.

Researchers utilized data from the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition Study which recruited 2,010 women during their 24th to 29th week of pregnancy. They compared the incidence of preterm delivery among women who took multivitamins prior to conception, before conception and during pregnancy, during pregnancy only, or not at all.

Women who took a multivitamin supplement before conception had half the risk of early and late preterm delivery than those who took no vitamins. Women used multivitamins during pregnancy only had approximately the same amount of preterm births than women who took none at all.

This study, as well as many previous studies, reinforces the concern that waiting until pregnancy is diagnosed may be too late for nutritional intervention to benefit many pregnancy outcomes.

Antioxidants block prostate cancer

According to a new study published in the August volume of Cancer Research, dietary antioxidants (vitamin E, selenium, and lycopene) inhibited prostate cancer development in a group of mice that naturally develop prostate cancer.

Treatment of animals with the antioxidants resulted in a 4-fold reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer compared with the untreated animals. Prostate cancer developed in 73.68% (14 of 19) and 100% (19 of 19) of the animals from the standard and high fat diet, respectively.

In contrast, tumors developed in only 10.53% (2 of 19) and 15.79% (3 of 19) of the animals in the standard and high fat diets supplemented with antioxidants.

The researchers concluded: "These observations provide support for the chemopreventive effect of these micronutrients and some clues as to their mechanism of action."

Regular Use Of Dietary Supplements Could Save $15 Billion

Industry expert agree that the consistent use of dietary supplements offers consumers long-term health benefits by reducing the incidence of certain debilitating health conditions. The results of a recent study provide evidence to support both the cost savings and quality-of-life benefits of specific nutritional supplements. The results, released September 22 by the Lewin Group, show that daily use of calcium could prevent 734,000 hip fractures and save $13.9 billion in health care costs over the next five years. Daily use of folic acid by women could prevent 600 cases of neural tube birth defects yearly, saving $1.3 billion in lifetime medical costs over five years. Omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine and saw palmetto supplements also showed substantial promise for improving health and quality of life and potentially reducing health care costs.

Jeffrey Blumberg, professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University stated "As our country faces an ever-growing crisis in health care, it is important to recognize the role that dietary supplements can play in reducing our burden of disease and the costs to manage it."