For many a day, fitness advocates, TV specials, and moms have been hammering home the importance of taking vitamins. While many of us eat right, there are still vitamins and minerals we could be missing. Some vitamins, they believe, can even help prevent specific diseases from developing. The question is, are they right to say that supplements are so crucial, as if they are staples of a healthy lifestyle routine, and without them, you will be less healthy?
It seems there are those on both sides of the aisle shouting their “facts” about vitamins. The healthy life, to some, is only attainable through vitamins, but not all agree. For example, the pro-vitamin crowd looks to obtaining complete nutrition, while the anti-vitamin crowd points to the lack of regulation, failed research, and general ineffectiveness.
Both sides are compelling, but which is correct? Before we can answer, let’s hear what both sides have to say.
Pro-Vitamins: Yes, you should take vitamins
The champions of vitamins are right when they say that even with a good diet you may be lacking some nutrients. Vitamin and mineral supplements will help protect against disease and aid in the better function of your body. In fact, one of the best reasons to adopt a regular vitamin regiment is because without it, you run the risk of suffering from vitamin deficiency. Getting enough water-soluble vitamins like Thiamin and Riboflavin, for example, is difficult to do without a water-soluble vitamin supplement.
Also, despite the negative media reports, there is substantial evidence that points to the fact that vitamins do help prevent disease. According to John Pittman, MD, “In the early 1990s, several large population studies showed significant decreases in cardiovascular disease in people who consumed more vitamin C or vitamin E. For example, in a 10-year study conducted at UCLA, men who supplemented daily with 800 mg of vitamin C lived six years longer on average than men who consumed the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 60 mg a day.”
He went on to note that “the study, which enrolled over 11,000 people, showed that the higher vitamin C intake lowered the death rate from cardiovascular disease by 42%.” Clinical trials also have suggested that, once combined, dietary supplements of vitamins and minerals or a probiotic agent “may lower recurrence rates for people with bladder cancer”.
Furthermore, many people have a misconception about vitamins. They imagine a person with a handful of different colored pills, having to take them all one by one. In reality, what many health advocates support is a single multivitamin daily along with omega-3 fish oil. A single multivitamin provides you with the needed nutrition, and if you don’t eat much fish, the omega-3 is an easy, tasteless way to get your heart, brain, and joint healthy nutrient.
Anti-Vitamins: No, you should not take vitamins
The first thing to realize is that there are no federal regulation concerning vitamins. That is, the FDA plays no part in evaluating these products. Because of this, most supplements found at the market are useless. The reason we hear so much positive news about vitamins is that nutritional companies spend millions of dollars promoting and selling their product. The fact of the matter is that vitamins sell because of a fundamentally erroneous conception of them. Bravo advertisers!
The irony is that they contain healthy ingredients, but they are in a form where our body cannot absorb them. The vitamins found in pills are often packaged differently than in food, and our body can subsequently be unsure of how to use the new source. Instead, we should pursue eating healthy foods and employ better lifestyle choices.
When it comes down to it, vitamin supplements may be healthy for those who have a physician recommendation, but otherwise, you may be doing more harm than good. In a number of studies, researchers found that take a single-nutrient supplement like vitamin E or beta-carotene can actually increase the risk of some diseases. Additionally, some supplements – namely folic acid – may help reduce their intended target disease – in this case neural tube defects – but it may lead to something worse – in this case, dementia in the elderly.
What to Do?
When it comes down to it, both sides have some important points to make. Vitamins, of course, are good for our bodies. Supplements, however, have mixed reviews, especially because companies aggressively promote vitamins with the motivation of dollars, not health.
The single best suggestion is to get your nutrients from food. Simply eat more fruits, vegetables, and nuts. All doctors will tell you this is the best source. However, if you’re missing out on some vitamins, before you go buy seven bottles of assorted pills, talk to your doctor. Generally, though, one multivitamin with an omega-3 supplement would be only things you need, if you even need them.
Just remember what Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be thy food.”
November 9, 2010 at 2:49 pm
This is a great summary of the issues on both sides. I would add this though:
1) Our food, even organic, can be less nutritious than it was in previous years because of soil depletion. This makes it very difficult to get the amount of vitamins you need even from the best sources. Vitamins like D3, which we get from the sun and play a major role in SO many body functions is low in over 50% of Americans. B12 is often low in vegans and vegetarians. Surely food is best… but that’s not enough for me to eat meat, and all the food in the world will not increase your D3 (unless you are drinking supplemented whole milk).
2) Whole food vitamins exist, even raw whole food vitamins. To me, that is the absolute best source other than food. I recommend MegaFood, which even tells you on the label how many oranges the vitamin C you are consuming has come from.
3) I would regard warily studies that do not say which vitamin was taken. A recent study sited no difference in mortality but did not list the name or source of the vitamin or the frequency with which it was taken. I have a hard time believing someone who has taken CVS brand vitamins on and off for a month should be compared with a regular organic supplement taker.
4) If food cannot be thy medicine, I’d go with vitamins next. Chromium for blood sugar, D3 for mood, C for illnesses, Cal-Mag-D for osteoperosis. I think encouraging the validity of vitamins is an important step in avoiding medical interventions.
Sorry for the longest comment ever, but I am extremely passionate about this
February 13, 2011 at 10:33 am
I agree with you Nicole. I believe you can try to eat as much organic fruits and vegetables but you may still remain deficient. I believe a multi vitamin by a reputable company is the best way to make sure you are getting all you need. I also believe we are all uniquely different and one person may require more of a vitamin than another. The evidence regarding vitamin use when in consistent doses (usually high) is very favorable to prevention and even cure of disease. What I find interesting in this article is about the FDA approval of vitamins. The FDA approves all these drugs which kill people every year. Which don’t promote health in any way . The people who make these drugs are out for profit. Millions of dollars go into advertising on T.V. and they use their power to sway the American people into thinking they need these drugs. I don’t know of any case where a vitamin has killed anybody. If drug companies will find a way to down play vitamin use they will. Health is power and in the long run is cheaper than taking pharmaceuticals which don’t cure and cause multiple side effects. Unfortunately there is money to be made with side effects and unhealthy individuals.
May 23, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Both of you have some great points. There’s not doubt that people are deficient, even with an all organic diet. I’ve recently done some digging regarding vitamin therapy – check out the new article if you get a chance!
June 12, 2011 at 8:54 am
Sad to say in America there is no vested interest in wellness, only money to be made on disease. There will never be health care reform until each individual takes responsibility for their health and stop doing all the things that make you sick ie., smoking, drinking, eating fast foods, no exercise, etc. Going to the Dr. with your hand out for a “pill” and then continuing to do the things that made you sick to begin with, it is ridiculous and we must change our mindset.
Gem
August 26, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Great comments. The problem with supplementation is revealed through these statistics:
According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) almost 3 out of 4 people in the U.S. use supplements at some level. 42% use supplements on a regular basis.
In an article published by The Journal of Nutrition, August 11, 2010 as doi: 10.3945/jn.110.124826, well over 3 out of 4 Americans fall short of minimal nutritional requirements.
So 3 out of 4 supplement but at least 3 out of 4 still fall short in their nutritional requirements. Conclusion? There is a need to supplement, but most supplements don’t make a difference.
So it comes down to using supplementation that works. In other words, if you cannot point to specific health results experienced in your body, then move on. Supplements that work produce real changes. The proof is in the pudding so to speak.
August 2, 2012 at 4:42 pm
All of you apparently have spent time researching this and understand the limitations. I invite you all to go to http://www.landmarkstudy.com, which is a 3rd party peer-reviewed study done on the long term use of supplements. The control group were Shaklee customers who had been on supplements for 20 years or more (Shaklee is 55+ years old) a 2nd group that just used anybody’s multi-vitamin, and a 3rd group which did nothing. The biomarkers were incredible in this study done by UCLA Berkely. From this Shaklee developed their Vitalizer with it’s S.M.A.R.T delivery system, getting the nutrients to the proper place in the body for ultimate absorption. All of Shaklee’s products have scientifically based clinical studies behind them. (I do speak from experience, as I’ve been with this company for over 30 years, just turned 72 years old and am not on any medications!) BTW this study was published in the Journal of Nutrition.
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