"Show Me The Evidence"

Dietary Supplements and Evidence-based Medicine

If you found your way to this page, you are either a health consumer genuinely interested to know more about the scientific evidence supporting the use of dietary supplements, or a self-proclaimed skeptic who believes that there is no scientific evidence to support the use of dietary supplements in health and wellness.

In either case, welcome!

There is a movement in the health sciences toward what is called Evidence-based Medicine, or EBM. Evidence-based medicine aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. To this end, I am fully in support of evidence-based medicine.

On the other hand, the evidence-based medicine movement seems to have become a haven for pseudo-skeptics who style themselves as legitimate scientific philosophers, but seem to have no intention of updating their reductionist scientific worldview no matter how much evidence they are presented with.

It is fairly easy to spot a pseudo-skeptic in the health and wellness field because they are invariably railing against the use of dietary supplements wherever they are found, all the while shouting "Show Me The Evidence" as if none exists. Ironically, such individuals tend to blindly promote the use of pharmaceutical drugs despite the steady stream of scientific evidence demonstrating that pharmaceutical drugs are neither as safe or as effective as they are made out to be.

If you think you have fallen prey to a pseudo-skeptic during what you had thought was going to be an otherwise intelligent conversation, I have found one of the best strategies is to pause and ask: Give me an example of the kind of evidence I could provide that would be deemed acceptable to you? After hearing the response, you will likely know whether or not the conversation is worth continuing.

Some might say that even though there is scientific evidence to support the use of dietary supplements in clinical practice, the best available evidence supports pharmaceutical drugs in most cases. This is certainly a respectable argument to make, however it highlights a major philosophical conflict with the precepts of medical ethics, specifically the value of non-maleficence, more commonly known as the principle of "First Do No Harm." In light of this, perhaps the philosophical basis of the evidence-based medicine movement should be modified to be more respectful of the 2500-year old tradition of medical ethics from which modern medical practice has descended.

On this page I will be listing references for scientific evidence in support of using dietary supplements, and when available, links to download free full-text PDFs. As always, I would highly encourage you, the reader, to go to a site like PubMed and conduct your own investigation into the scientific research supporting dietary supplements. There is always something new and interesting to find.

Please bear in mind that research supporting the use of dietary supplements is coming out so quickly these days that it is impossible for any one person to keep up with it all. Therefore, this list is far from exhaustive, may not be current, and does not necessarily represent scientific research that I have personally evaluated to be sound. It is simply for reference.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - November 2010

Cope EC, Levenson CW. Role of zinc in the development and treatment of mood disorders. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Nov;13(6):685-9.

Ozkaya MO, Nazıroğlu M. Multivitamin and mineral supplementation modulates oxidative stress and antioxidant vitamin levels in serum and follicular fluid of women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 2010 Nov;94(6):2465-6. Epub 2010 Mar 12.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - October 2010

Wieringa FT, Dijkhuizen MA, Muhilal, Van der Meer JW. Maternal micronutrient supplementation with zinc and β-carotene affects morbidity and immune function of infants during the first 6 months of life. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Oct;64(10):1072-9. Epub 2010 Aug 4.

Lakhan SE, Vieira KF. Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: systematic review. Nutr J. 2010 Oct 7;9:42.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - September 2010

Huss M, Vlp A, Stauss-Grabo M. Supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, magnesium and zinc in children seeking medical advice for attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems - an observational cohort study. Lipids Health Dis. 2010 Sep 24;9:105.

Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ, Galioto A, Pineo A, Belvedere M. Oral magnesium supplementation improves vascular function in elderly diabetic patients. Magnes Res. 2010 Sep;23(3):131-7. Epub 2010 Aug 24.

Shahbaz AU, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Ahokas RA, Gerling IC, McGee JE, Weber KT. Fibrosis in hypertensive heart disease: molecular pathways and cardioprotective strategies. J Hypertens. 2010 Sep;28 Suppl 1:S25-32.

Nunes Matias C, Aguiar Santos D, Monteiro CP, Silva AM, Raposo Mde F, Martins F, Bettencourt Sardinha L, Bicho M, Laires MJ. Magnesium and strength in elite judo athletes according to intracellular water changes. Magnes Res. 2010 Sep;23(3):138-41.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - August 2010

Sazawal S, Dhingra U, Dhingra P, Hiremath G, Sarkar A, Dutta A, Menon VP, Black RE. Micronutrient fortified milk improves iron status, anemia and growth among children 1-4 years: a double masked, randomized, controlled trial. PLoS One. 2010 Aug 13;5(8):e12167.

Sall A, Demarsy D, Poirier AL, Lelivre B, Topart P, Guilloteau G, Bcouarn G, Rohmer V. Zinc Deficiency: A Frequent and Underestimated Complication After Bariatric Surgery. Obes Surg. 2010 Aug 13.

Uriu-Adams JY, Keen CL. Zinc and reproduction: effects of zinc deficiency on prenatal and early postnatal development. Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol. 2010 Aug;89(4):313-25.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - July 2010

Shargorodsky M, Debby O, Matas Z, Zimlichman R. Effect of long-term treatment with antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium) on arterial compliance, humoral factors and inflammatory markers in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010 Jul 6;7:55.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - June 2010

Gu Y, Nieves JW, Stern Y, Luchsinger JA, Scarmeas N. Food combination and Alzheimer disease risk: a protective diet. Arch Neurol. 2010 Jun;67(6):699-706. Epub 2010 Apr 12.

Krikorian R, Eliassen JC, Boespflug EL, Nash TA, Shidler MD. Improved cognitive-cerebral function in older adults with chromium supplementation. Nutr Neurosci. 2010 Jun;13(3):116-22.

Rodriguez-Hernandez H, Cervantes-Huerta M, Rodriguez-Moran M, Guerrero-Romero F. Oral magnesium supplementation decreases alanine aminotransferase levels in obese women. Magnes Res. 2010 Jun;23(2):90-6. Epub 2010 May 12.

Hadjistavri LS, Sarafidis PA, Georgianos PI, Tziolas IM, Aroditis CP, Hitoglou-Makedou A, Zebekakis PE, Pikilidou MI, Lasaridis AN. Beneficial effects of oral magnesium supplementation on insulin sensitivity and serum lipid profile. Med Sci Monit. 2010 Jun;16(6):CR307-312.

Day RO, Liauw W, Tozer LM, McElduff P, Beckett RJ, Williams KM. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the short term effects of a spring water supplemented with magnesium bicarbonate on acid/base balance, bone metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women. BMC Res Notes. 2010 Jun 28;3:180.

Caple F, Williams EA, Spiers A, Tyson J, Burtle B, Daly AK, Mathers JC, Hesketh JE. Inter-individual variation in DNA damage and base excision repair in young, healthy non-smokers: effects of dietary supplementation and genotype. Br J Nutr. 2010 Jun;103(11):1585-93. Epub 2010 Jan 19.

Naziroğlu M, Kilin F, Uğuz AC, Celik O, Bal R, Butterworth PJ, Baydar ML. Oral vitamin C and E combination modulates blood lipid peroxidation and antioxidant vitamin levels in maximal exercising basketball players. Cell Biochem Funct. 2010 Jun;28(4):300-5.

Ruiz-Ramos M, Vargas LA, Fortoul Van der Goes TI, Cervantes-Sandoval A, Mendoza-Nunez VM. Supplementation of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol is useful to preventing bone loss linked to oxidative stress in elderly. J Nutr Health Aging. 2010 Jun;14(6):467-72.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - May 2010

Yurko-Mauro K. Cognitive and cardiovascular benefits of docosahexaenoic acid in aging and cognitive decline. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2010 May 1;7(3):190-6.

Blum S, Vardi M, Brown JB, Russell A, Milman U, Shapira C, Levy NS, Miller-Lotan R, Asleh R, Levy AP. Vitamin E reduces cardiovascular disease in individuals with diabetes mellitus and the haptoglobin 2-2 genotype. Pharmacogenomics. 2010 May;11(5):675-84.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - April 2010

Krikorian R, Shidler MD, Nash TA, Kalt W, Vinqvist-Tymchuk MR, Shukitt-Hale B, Joseph JA. Blueberry supplementation improves memory in older adults. J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Apr 14;58(7):3996-4000.

Cole GM, Frautschy SA. DHA may prevent age-related dementia. J Nutr. 2010 Apr;140(4):869-74. Epub 2010 Feb 24.

Yurko-Mauro K, McCarthy D, Rom D, Nelson EB, Ryan AS, Blackwell A, Salem N Jr, Stedman M; on behalf of the MIDAS Investigators. Beneficial effects of docosahexaenoic acid on cognition in age-related cognitive decline. Alzheimers Dement. 2010 Apr 29. [Epub ahead of print]

Plum LM, Rink L, Haase H. The essential toxin: impact of zinc on human health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 Apr;7(4):1342-65. Epub 2010 Mar 26.

Weeden A, Remig V, Holcomb CA, Herald TJ, Baybutt RC. Vitamin and mineral supplements have a nutritionally significant impact on micronutrient intakes of older adults attending senior centers. J Nutr Elder. 2010 Apr;29(2):241-54.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - March 2010

Krikorian R, Nash TA, Shidler MD, Shukitt-Hale B, Joseph JA. Concord grape juice supplementation improves memory function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Br J Nutr. 2010 Mar;103(5):730-4. Epub 2009 Dec 23.

Kim J, Lee HJ, Lee KW. Naturally occurring phytochemicals for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. J Neurochem. 2010 Mar;112(6):1415-30. Epub 2009 Dec 26.

Cinar V, Polat Y, Baltaci AK, Mogulkoc R. Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Testosterone Levels of Athletes and Sedentary Subjects at Rest and after Exhaustion. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2010 Mar 30.

Shechter M. Magnesium and cardiovascular system. Magnes Res. 2010 Jun;23(2):60-72. Epub 2010 Mar 31.

Chan A, Remington R, Kotyla E, Lepore A, Zemianek J, Shea TB. A vitamin/nutriceutical formulation improves memory and cognitive performance in community-dwelling adults without dementia. J Nutr Health Aging. 2010 Mar;14(3):224-30.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - February 2010

Vucinic L, Singh I, Spargo FJ, Hawley JA, Linden MD. Gamma tocopherol supplementation prevents exercise induced coagulation and platelet aggregation. Thromb Res. 2010 Feb;125(2):196-9. Epub 2009 Dec 8.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - January 2010

McCaddon A, Hudson PR. L-methylfolate, methylcobalamin, and N-acetylcysteine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease-related cognitive decline. CNS Spectr. 2010 Jan;15(1 Suppl 1):2-5; discussion 6.

Silva LA, Pinho CA, Silveira PC, Tuon T, De Souza CT, Dal-Pizzol F, Pinho RA. Vitamin E supplementation decreases muscular and oxidative damage but not inflammatory response induced by eccentric contraction. J Physiol Sci. 2010 Jan;60(1):51-7. Epub 2009 Oct 27.

Salobir J, Zontar TP, Levart A, Rezar V. The comparison of black currant juice and vitamin E for the prevention of oxidative stress. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2010 Jan;80(1):5-11.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - December 2009

Pavlik VN, Doody RS, Rountree SD, Darby EJ. Vitamin E use is associated with improved survival in an Alzheimer's disease cohort. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2009;28(6):536-40. Epub 2009 Dec 10.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - November 2009

Spindler M, Beal MF, Henchcliffe C. Coenzyme Q10 effects in neurodegenerative disease. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2009;5:597-610. Epub 2009 Nov 16.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - September 2009

Joseph JA, Shukitt-Hale B, Willis LM. Grape juice, berries, and walnuts affect brain aging and behavior. J Nutr. 2009 Sep;139(9):1813S-7S. Epub 2009 Jul 29.--

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - August 2009

Flicker L. Life style interventions to reduce the risk of dementia. Maturitas. 2009 Aug 20;63(4):319-22. Epub 2009 Jul 23.

Shenk JC, Liu J, Fischbach K, Xu K, Puchowicz M, Obrenovich ME, Gasimov E, Alvarez LM, Ames BN, Lamanna JC, Aliev G. The effect of acetyl-L-carnitine and R-alpha-lipoic acid treatment in ApoE4 mouse as a model of human Alzheimer's disease. J Neurol Sci. 2009 Aug 15;283(1-2):199-206. Epub 2009 Apr 1.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - June 2009

Douraghi-Zadeh D, Matharu B, Razvi A, Austen B. The protective effects of the nutraceutical, colostrinin, against Alzheimer's disease, is mediated via prevention of apoptosis in human neurones induced by aggregated beta-amyloid. J Nutr Health Aging. 2009 Jun;13(6):522-7.

Knig D, Muser K, Dickhuth HH, Berg A, Deibert P. Effect of a supplement rich in alkaline minerals on acid-base balance in humans. Nutr J. 2009 Jun 10;8:23.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - March 2009

Burnett-Hartman AN, Fitzpatrick AL, Gao K, Jackson SA, Schreiner PJ. Supplement use contributes to meeting recommended dietary intakes for calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C in four ethnicities of middle-aged and older Americans: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Mar;109(3):422-9.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - August 2008

Duley L. Pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, and hypertension. Clin Evid (Online). 2008 Aug 14;2008. pii: 1402.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - September 2006

Pokan R, Hofmann P, von Duvillard SP, Smekal G, Wonisch M, Lettner K, Schmid P, Shechter M, Silver B, Bachl N. Oral magnesium therapy, exercise heart rate, exercise tolerance, and myocardial function in coronary artery disease patients. Br J Sports Med. 2006 Sep;40(9):773-8. Epub 2006 Jul 6.

Scientific Evidence for Dietary Supplements - June 2002

Bhandari N, Bahl R, Taneja S, Strand T, Mlbak K, Ulvik RJ, Sommerfelt H, Bhan MK. Substantial reduction in severe diarrheal morbidity by daily zinc supplementation in young north Indian children. Pediatrics. 2002 Jun;109(6):e86.

Dr. Matthew Marturano offers naturopathic medicine for holistic health and wellness. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Association of Naturopathic Physicians and is the Director of Strategic Development for Orchid Holistic Search.