Shaklee Science Perspective on JAMA Study

March 1, 2007 Shaklee Health Sciences' Perspective on the Recent Antioxidant Study Published in JAMA

A controversial meta-analysis that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association recently concluded that treatment with beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E may increase the risk of mortality.

After consulting with several internal and external scientists, Shaklee would like to express why we disagree with the conclusions of this study and what the findings of this study mean for the average consumer.

The most noteworthy point is that study findings are not applicable to the general population because the majority of clinical trials chosen for the meta-analysis focused on the treatment of patients with a wide range of serious diseases. Therefore, trying to extrapolate the findings of this study to the general population can be misleading.

According to Meir Stampfer, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health… “This study does not advance our understanding, and could easily lead to misinterpretation of the data.”

Shaklee would like to point out that the conclusions of this study stand in stark contrast to hundreds of observational studies and randomized clinical trials that have attributed numerous health benefits to supplemental antioxidants. Here are a few other reasons why
we disagree with conclusions of this study:

According to Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, "One of the major premises of doing such a meta-analysis is that the studies should be comparable.

However, this study appears to violate this fundamental rule because there were rather dramatic differences between studies used in the meta-analyses. For example, a study lasting one day with a vitamin A dose of 200,000 IU in elderly nursing home residents was lumped together with other studies lasting years.

At one point the authors conclude that there was no effect of antioxidant supplements on all-cause mortality. However, only after the researchers divided the studies into “high risk bias” and “low risk bias” groups, using their own criteria, did they observe a statistically significant effect on mortality. This process is not a scientifically accepted approach.

Even though all-cause mortality was the main focus of the study, the authors are admittedly unclear as to its meaning. It could mean death from any and all causes, including accidents, but the study authors acknowledge not knowing what the actual causes of death may have been in the individuals in the trials.

A 2006 report generated by Johns Hopkins University reached a different conclusion with regards to the effects of vitamin E on mortality. It should be noted that the panel of experts and reviewers convened for this report rigorously analyzed the same studies used in this
meta-analyses.

We at Shaklee recognize that supplemental antioxidants are not a substitute for other healthy lifestyle choices like eating right, exercising regularly and visiting your doctor. But antioxidant supplements, when used daily and consistently over the long-term, and combined with other smart lifestyle choices, will provide important benefits for optimal health.

The best advice is to eat your fruits and vegetables, take your antioxidants, and try to adopt other healthy lifestyle habits that Shaklee has been promoting for nearly 50 years.

Best Wishes for Good Health, Shaklee Health Sciences Team Note:  This message is being sent to all Shaklee Business Leaders.

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