Abstract
Can certain vitamins and supplements be used to prevent lung cancer? Type of review: A systematic review of 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Relevance for nursing: The use of vitamins, which undergo safety testing before entering the consumer market, and supplements, which are considered “food” and thus have only limited regulation, has become part of contemporary self-care. There is evidence, however, that vitamins and supplements have limited value in preventing pathophysiological processes. Vitamins A,E, C, and supplemental selenium, for example, have not been found to protect against lung cancer. And there are conflicting findings regarding the protective effect of vitamin D on developing cancer. Neither the efficacy nor the potential harm of these interventions has been substantiated in research.
Relevance for nursing: The use of vitamins, which undergo safety testing before entering the consumer market, and supplements, which are considered “food” and thus have only limited regulation, has become part of contemporary self-care. There is evidence, however, that vitamins and supplements have limited value in preventing pathophysiological processes. Vitamins A,E, C, and supplemental selenium, for example, have not been found to protect against lung cancer. And there are conflicting findings regarding the protective effect of vitamin D on developing cancer. Neither the efficacy nor the potential harm of these interventions has been substantiated in research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 21-21 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | American Journal of Nursing |
| Volume | 121 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2021 |
