April 18, 2008

Rebuttal to allegation that certain vitamins may shorten lifespan

It is almost inconceivable to think that for the greater part of the 20th century, a “scientific” debate raged as to whether cigarette smoking was dangerous. An even longer running controversy focused on whether food choices (i.e. diet) had any effect on how long people lived. It was not until the later part of the 20th century that the FDA admitted that high saturated fat diets increase heart attack risk.

Today’s unanimous recommendation to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is a relative recent phenomenon. Back 50 years ago when mid-life heart attack rates were nearly triple what they are now, it was not unusual for people (especially men) to eat virtually no fruits or vegetables. Even now, the processed food industry heavily lobbies government agencies to not recommend disease-preventing foods to the public.

Just as companies that profited by selling cigarettes and processed foods egregiously misled the public in the past, today’s consumers are confronted with so-called “scientific” reports that question the value of some dietary supplements.

A report released on April 16, 2008 went as far as to suggest that certain vitamins might shorten lifespan. All of this is reminiscent of the scientific charade perpetrated by tobacco companies who falsely claimed that cigarettes did not cause lethal disease. In this case, the economic beneficiaries will be pharmaceutical companies who can expect increased sales of prescription drugs to those who fall for the latest media hype.

As the Life Extension Foundation has done for the past 28 years, we will succinctly separate the facts from the fiction so our members can draw a rational conclusion about this latest hoax. Continue Reading

Prevention

It used to be thought that little could be done to postpone what nature has in store for us. Today, a growing scientific consensus indicates that individuals possess a great deal of control over how long they are going to live and what their state of health will be.

Mainstream medicine has relied on simple measures of preventing disease, such as controlling hypertension, yet many doctors are coming to the realization that additional steps can be taken to protect against premature aging and death.
In fact, the results of tens of thousands of scientific studies make it abundantly clear that following the proper lifestyle can add a significant number of healthy years to the average person's lifespan.

The premise of taking actions to maintain youthful health and vigor is based on findings from peer-reviewed scientific studies that identify specific factors that cause us to develop degenerative disease. These studies suggest that the consumption of certain foods, food extracts, hormones, or drugs will help to prevent common diseases that are associated with normal aging.

Therefore, the concept of disease prevention can be defined as the incorporation of findings from published scientific studies into a logical daily regimen that enables an individual to attain optimal health and longevity.

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Life Extension Update

• AMA journal meta-analysis finds vitamin D supplements linked with reduced risk of dying over a six year period
• Higher vitamin E levels associated with lower mortality in men over 19 year period

What's Hot

• High magnesium linked with reduced mortality over an eighteen year period
• Antioxidant vitamin supplementation improves surgical outcome in critically ill patients

Life Extension magazine

• Are dietary supplements causing people to live longer?
• The making of killer E: The truth behind the recent vitamin E controversy

If you have questions or comments concerning this issue or past issues of Life Extension Update, send them to ddye@lifeextension.com or call 1-800-678-8989.

For longer life,

Dayna Dye
Editor, Life Extension Update
ddye@lifeextension.com
954 766 8433 extension 7716
www.lifeextension.com