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----------------------------------------------------------------------- Daily Selenium, Vitamin E, Folic Acid Supplements Recommended ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WESTPORT, Sep 22 (Reuters) - At this year's meeting of the Council for Responsible Nutrition that was held last week in Dana Point, California, scientists said that there is sufficient evidence to support the recommendation for daily supplements of selenium, vitamin E and folic acid. According to a news release from the Council for Responsible Nutrition in Washington, DC, Dr. Gerald Combs of Cornell University presented the results of a study that demonstrated a 17% reduction in overall mortality and a 50% reduction in cancer-related deaths among subjects who took 200 mcg selenium per day. The study showed a 35% lower rate of lung cancer deaths and a 67% lower rate of prostate and colon cancer deaths among those on selenium supplements. "Clearly, selenium can reduce cancer deaths," Dr. Combs said. Dr. Ishwarlal Jialal of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas presented study findings that show that vitamin E, in dosages ranging from 400 to 1,200 IU, significantly lowers LDL-cholesterol levels. He also described a British study that demonstrated that patients with cardiovascular disease who took vitamin E supplements had a 77% drop in risk of fatal myocardial infarction. "I recommend vitamin E supplements for my patients with atherosclerosis," Dr. Jialal Is quoted as saying in the release. He said that a clinical trial of vitamin E supplements in healthy subjects without heart disease is now needed. Also, Dr. M. Rene Malinow of Oregon Health Sciences University said that, "I'm convinced that [high levels of] homocysteine should be treated," adding that the studies are convincing that show that folic acid, accompanied by vitamins B6 and B12, effectively reduce homocysteine levels. The Portland professor believes that, considering the risks of a high homocysteine level, the high cost of measuring homocysteine is justifiable and should be done routinely. The Council for Responsible Nutrition's director of nutritional and regulatory science, Dr. John Hathcock, said that it is time for the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies to consider making a formal recommendation for these nutritional supplements. Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited. <http://www.reutershealth.com/news/docs/199709/19970922clj.html> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [log in to unmask]