AgeMD - 24 October, 2011 The media has made much of a recent
study published in the Oct. 10 issue of the Archives of Internal
Medicine, which found an association between the use of
nutritional supplements and a heightened risk of mortality.
Based on its findings, questions have been raised about the
safety of a number of commonly used supplements. This has
generated a great deal of controversy, and in the ensuing media
storm, the most important issue has been overlooked: There is a
growing need to educate primary care physicians about natural
supplements and their effects on a person’s wellbeing. The
study’s limitations have already been widely reported. For
instance, the researchers themselves concede that a cause-and-
effect relationship between supplement use and death has not
been established. The Los Angeles Times quotes the study’s lead
author, Jaakko Mursu, as saying, "We don't have the detailed
information why the women were using [supplements].” In fact, a
number of women in the study were likely tak