DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

During Cancer Treatment

What are dietary supplements?

Benefits vs. Risks

VitaminsMineralsHerbsBotanicalsAmino acids

Dietary supplements are not meant to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure disease.

While some dietary supplements may be beneficial to take during cancer treatment, many are harmful. Dietary supplements can interfere with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and cancer medications.

If you are taking dietary supplements and undergoing cancer treatment, tell your doctor, pharmacist, or dietitian so they can make sure the supplements are safe to use alongside your cancer treatment.

If you are interested in learning if a particular supplement is effective and safe to take during cancer treatment, visit these websites:

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – “Herbs” https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom- management/integrative-medicine/herbs/search

National Cancer Institute – “Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Patients” https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/

RegulatioN

Smart shopping

Not all supplements contain the ingredients that they claim to have. To be sure you are purchasing a quality product, look for the following symbols on the label.

Dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA like food and medications are. Manufacturers of supplements are responsible for the safety of their products. Claims made on labels may be misleading and not necessarily backed up by science. Beware of claims such as:

"Works better than chemotherapy" "No side effects" "Cures cancer" "Selectively kills cancer cells"

eat healthy

Leading health organizations recommend a balanced diet instead of relying on dietary supplements to prevent and treat cancer. Be sure to eat lots of whole grains, lean protein (fish, poultry, legumes), fruits, vegetables, healthy fats (oils), and limit red meat, processed grains, saturated fat, and added sugar.

REFERENCES

Sarah Bell, MPH

Patient Food and Nutrition Services

300 N. Ingalls Street, NIB NI8E20

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5407

(734) 936-5197

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/dietary-

supplements

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4093414/

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-

management/integrative-medicine/herbs/search

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0104-cancer-treatment-scams

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/managing-care/using-trusted-

resources

https://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information

/How_To_Evaluate_Health_Information_on_the_Internet_Questions_and_Ans

wers.aspx

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4093414/ -- bottom of page

https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048383.htm

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects

/complementary-and-alternative-medicine/dietary-supplements.html

https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow.aspx