After spending some time looking and researching some clinical evidence showing benefits of nutritional supplementation. I'd like to make one thing clear that when I talk about using nutritional supplementation, I am talking mainly about prevention as opposed to curing (even though come studies have showed a cure through supplementation alone).
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The incidence of type-2 diabetes is lower among women who get adequate calcium and supplement with vitamin D. Researchers used data from the Nurses Health Study, which includes over 83,000 women, to study the relationship of calcium and vitamin D intake to type-2 diabetes.
After 20 years of follow-up, it was concluded that a combined daily intake of over 1,200 mg of calcium and more than 800 IU of vitamin D was associated with a 33 percent lower risk of type-2 diabetes. Interestingly, dietary vitamin D intake did not appear to provide any statistically significant benefit. But the women who supplemented with at least 400 IU of vitamin D had a 13% lower risk of diabetes when compared to those who took less than 100 IU per day. Both dietary and supplemental calcium resulted in decreased risk of type-2 diabetes, and those with overall intakes above 1,200 mg had a 21% lower risk than those who got less than 600 mg per day.
Elevated intakes of calcium and vitamin D, especially from supplements, are significantly associated with lower incidence of type-2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care 29:650-656, 2006
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A study published in the American Journal of Public Health, has found that vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature deaths annually.
The researchers reviewed 63 studies on the relationship between vitamin D and certain types of cancer worldwide between 1966 and 2004. The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer, especially in cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and ovary.
Vitamin D is acquired either through the diet or through exposure to sunlight. Food sources include milk, yogurt, cheese, and fortified orange juice. A typical serving provides approximately 100 international units (IU). Researchers suggested that people might want to consider a vitamin supplement to raise their overall intake to 1,000 IU's per day. Supplementing with additional vitamin D could be especially important for people living in northern areas, which receive less vitamin D from sunlight.
The evidence suggests that improving vitamin D status through diet and supplements could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects.
American Journal of Public Health February 2006, Vol 96, No. 2:252-261.
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Although diets high in fat have been associated with an increase in cancer risk, a recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded that a greater intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be protective against colorectal cancer.
Researchers paired 1,455 men and women diagnosed with colorectal cancer with an equal number of healthy control subjects matched for age, gender and region of residence. Total fatty acid, as well as saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, trans-fatty acid, and trans-monounsaturated fatty acid intake were determined. Intake levels of individual fatty acids, such as eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), were also calculated.
Greater intake of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, and DHA were dose-dependently associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk. Compared to those with the lowest intake, participants whose omega-3 intake was in the highest group experienced a 37 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer. Subjects with intakes of EPA and DHA in the top fourth had a reduced risk of 41 and 37 percent, respectively.
The authors concluded that the observed effects of different types of fatty acids illustrates the importance of the type of fat in the origins and prevention of colorectal cancer.
American Journal of Epidemiology 2007 166(2):181-195
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Calcium, Vitamin D and Cancer Risk
A new study published in the June 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown a reduction in cancer rates among postmenopausal women taking vitamin D combined with calcium.
This four-year, double blind, randomized placebo-controlled study involved over 1,100 postmenopausal women who were divided into three treatment groups. The first group received a supplement containing calcium and vitamin D, the second group received just calcium, and the third group received a placebo. The researchers found that the women taking the calcium and vitamin D supplement had a 60 percent lower incidence of all cancers than women not taking the supplement.
This new study takes an important step in extending several decades of research involving the role of vitamin D in health and disease. The results further strengthen the case made by many specialists that vitamin D may be a powerful cancer preventive and that it is commonly found lacking in the general population, particularly the elderly.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 June;85(6):1586-91
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Quercetin, an antioxidant found many foods including onions, berries and apples, is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Supplementation with quercetin has been shown to reduce hypertension in animal models, but until now has never been tested in hypertensive humans.
Researchers at the University of Utah, in collaboration with USANA Health Sciences, conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study to test the effectiveness of quercetin supplementation in lowering unhealthy blood pressure levels. The subjects were divided into two groups: prehypertensives (120-139 mm Hg systolic/80-89 mm Hg diastolic) or stage 1 hypertensives (140-159 mm Hg systolic/90-99 mm Hg diastolic). The participants were given either 730 mg quercetin/day or placebo for 28 days.
Blood pressure remained unchanged in prehypertensives after supplementation with quercetin. In contrast, stage 1 hypertensive subjects showed significant reductions in both systolic (-7 mm Hg) and diastolic (-2 mm Hg) blood pressure after quercetin supplementation. This is the first published study to show that quercetin supplementation can reduce blood pressure in hypertensive adult humans. Additionally, it is important to note that quercetin supplementation did not influence the blood pressure of non-hypertensive individuals.
J. Nutr. 137:2405-2411, November 2007
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Macular Degeneration risk is reduced in adults with high intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative eye disease that causes damage to the macula (central retina) of the eye, impairing central vision. In a recent large study, participants with the highest intakes of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin had significantly lower risk of AMD compared to those with low intakes.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative eye disease that causes damage to the macula (central retina) of the eye, impairing central vision. People affected by Age-Related Macular Degeneration have difficulty reading, driving and performing activities that require clear central vision. AMD is the most common cause of vision loss in developed countries.
A recent report published in the September, 2007 issue of the journal Archives of Ophthalmology added more evidence to support previous research showing that carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein are protective against AMD. Dark green leafy vegetables are the primary dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, but they are also found in some other colorful fruits and vegetables. Average dietary intake in the U.S. is only 2 mg/day, far below the 6 mg/day level most studies indicate as a minimum needed to reduce the risk of AMD.
In the current report, members of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) Research Group evaluated the diets of 4,519 AREDS participants aged 60 to 80 years. Retinal photographs were used to divide the subjects into five categories of macular disease severity, from individuals with little or no evidence of macular degeneration (the control group) to severe, neovascular disease. Dietary questionnaires were analyzed for lutein, zeaxanthin, beta- carotene, lycopene, and other nutrient levels.
Participants whose intake of lutein and zeaxanthin were greatest had a significantly lower risk of AMD than those whose intake was least, and were less likely to have large or extensive intermediate drusen, the deposits on the retina or optic nerve that characterize the disease. No risk reductions were associated with the other nutrients examined in this study.
The Relationship of Dietary Carotenoid and Vitamin A, E, and C Intake With Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Case-Control Study: AREDS Report No. 22. Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. Arch Ophthalmol. 2007;125:1225-1232.
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These are just a few of many that I came across form several well respected medical publications. Again, the one's I decided to list are more based on prevention than curing; however, the fact that it cannot cure cannot be ruled out for sure either. Legally,(by the FDA) a natural product cannot be claimed as a cure. J1515, you are completely correct in your detailed info about free radicals and anti-oxidants. My point is that the current lifestyle, diet, and habits for the average American does not have enough nutrient and antioxidant intake to protect their body from free radicals obtained not only from the daily processes by the human body, but also from increased environmental toxicities that occur today. Evidence clearly shows benefits with supplementation. I do appreciate your realistic point of view J1515, it allows me to have more of an understanding of how actual patient care is like. Having the patient understand these benefits themselves is another task of course, which from your previous posts seem like it can be quite difficult. If there was a shift in mentality into opening up our minds to consider these options and make it more aware to both the doctor and a patient, then why not try an alternative option?
I know that this is a long post, but I would also like to mention one more thing to everyone. I hope we can please keep this disussion purely on the subject at hand and not cause any personal attacks and fallicies, as this does not help the discussion, but only takes away from it. Thank you. 
<---- smiley face, let's keep it nice. your posts tend to be a little bit aggressive.
