H E A T H Hedgin' Your Bets On Ant i IF or years, the common Rx for the common cold was chicken soup. Today, prevail- ing wisdom is a bit more complex: Double up on vitamin C, make sure you're taking vitamin E and by to supplement your diet with betacarotene. In the past decade, "antioxi- dant" vitamins — C, E and beta- carotene — have been headlined by good news. First came reports that they protect against certain cancers. Then antioxidants were associated with a reduced risk of developing coronary heart dis- ease and cataracts. But then came the news of a study published last April in the New England Journal of Medi- cine. A team of Finnish scientists reported that heavy smokers were unable to lower their risk of developing lung cancer by taking vitamin E or betacarotene. The study also documented a slight increase in the risk of cancer among those who took betac- arotene. Neither vitamin ap- peared to affect the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although these results con- tradict countless other studies, this trial was one of few controlled experiments testing effects of an- tioxidant supplementation. Most other studies were from informal observation. While somewhat confusing, the study has raised several issues. First, there still is no consen- sus in the scientific community that taking antioxidant supple- ments prevents disease, improves quality of life or promotes longevi- ty• That's the bad news. The good news is that many nutritional specialists, biochem- ical researchers, physicians and other scientists remain convinced that antioxidant supplements aren't detrimental. Research just hasn't been able to determine how many or how few antioxi- dant vitamins people should take. Family doctor David Rosen- berg, a staff physician at Sinai Hospital and a geriatric special- ist, agrees that there is potential merit in taking vitamin supple- ments. li d ants RUTHAN BRODSKY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS `The Jewish population is get- ting older, and I find that I'm fre- quently telling patients to take vitamin supplements, particu- larly when I know that they just aren't going to eat the foods that will provide them with the prop- er nutrition," he said. "Re- searchers say we still don't have enough evidence to make a rec- ommendation for how much of the supplements everyone should "thieves." When free radicals by- pass the body's defense system and go unchecked, they rob elec- trons from molecules of healthy body cells. Free radicals, there- fore, transform the molecules of healthy cells into other free rad- icals, thus permanently damag- ing cell membranes. This damage destroys the previously healthy cell's ability to reproduce and me- tabolize. wreak, the body produces com- pounds known as "antioxidants," which serve to stop the creation and spread of free-radical chain reactions. There is no ideal formula for exactly how many antioxidant vi- tamins the body needs to stay healthy. Gynecologist Stanley Dorfman in Bloomfield Hills tells his pa- tients to take vitamin supple- or minerals are missing from your diet, try eating foods that are the rich sources of these nu- trients," she suggests. "By know- ing which foods to choose, you can make sure you'll fuel your body with premium nutrition for good health and top performance." The Alliance for Aging Re- search was the first public health organization to officially recom- mend vitamin supplements to ward off heart disease and can- cer. It advised Americans to take large doses of vitamin C, vitamin BETA CAROTENE_... VITAMIN zettIttO VITAMIN ***. , ,stAk• ILLUSTRATION BY JANE SANDERS By damaging cells inside var- ious tissues, free radicals can cause "oxidative stress," which paves the way for the develop- xygen, the same element we ment of clogged arteries, various need to keep breathing, can cancers and other debilitating become a bad guy. People conditions, researchers believe. don't use all the oxygen they Free radicals also can accelerate breathe. Anywhere from 2 to 4 the effects of aging. Environ- percent of oxygen intake leaks mental pollutants, such as ciga- out and gets mixed up in bio- rette smoke and exhaust fumes, chemical reactions that produce in addition to radiation, excessive very reactive and potentially dan- sunlight, certain drugs and stress gerous compounds called free rad- also increase the production of free radicals. icals. To protect itself from free rad- Free radicals are the culprits. They can be described as electron icals and the havoc they can be taking, but most of us can probably benefit from some sup- plementation." O ments. (Some doctors do not, saying vitamins are superfluous if a person eats a healthy diet.) "I advise most of my patients to take vitamins C and E. (I ad- vise) many others to add betac- arotene to their list because there's enough evidence to demonstrate that they must be doing some good and there's no evidence yet to show that they do harm. "I'm following my own advice," he says. "I take all three." Lisa Goodgall at Sinai Hospi- tal offers a dietitian's perspective. "If you think certain vitamins E and betacarotene in addition to the amounts of those substances received through food. Getting enough vitamin C in your food is relatively easy: cit- rus fruits and juices, strawber- ries, green and red peppers, broccoli and potatoes. One way that vitamin C might help pre- vent cardiovascular disease is by improving cholesterol levels. Several studies have indicat- ed that people with high levels of vitamin C in their blood have more of the "good cholesterol" (high-density lipoprotein) than people with low blood levels of vi- tamin C. Scientists aren't sure exactly