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Vitamins and Supplement Hype
Michael Brickey, Ph.D
Magazines are full of articles such as, folic acid
(Vitamin E, Beta Carotene, etc.) prevents... This is
presented as if it were news. The articles imply we
should run out and buy the supplements. Such articles
are especially common in magazines that advertise
vitamins and supplements. Every month they seem to find
or recycle a couple more vitamins and supplements.
What’s wrong?
If you were to take all of the vitamins and supplements
they recommend in a piecemeal fashion you would be
heavily taxing your liver and your wallet. Many of these
vitamins and supplements are included in a multiple
vitamin and taking both may be taking too much. Many
vitamins and supplements can cause serious health
problems if taken in extreme amounts.
The articles
give little consideration to how the vitamin or
supplement interacts with other vitamins and
supplements, e.g., high doses of Vitamin C can inhibit
the absorption of B-12, calcium needs vitamin D.
Supplements such as Gingko Biloba and aspirin thin the
blood, which may or may not be desirable and certainly
needs to be considered if you are going to have surgery.
The research
often isn’t realistic. No one questions that we need
folic acid. But the research should have large numbers
of people in an experimental and placebo groups and a
treatment program that lasts several years. The control
group should take a good daily multiple vitamin with the
amount of folic acid that multiple vitamins usually
contain. The treatment group would take the same
multiple vitamin plus additional folic acid. Results
should show a statistically and clinically significant
effect. Research should also control for socioeconomic
factors (people who normally take vitamins tend to be
better educated, more affluent, eat more healthily, and
exercise more). Rarely do popular press articles meet
these criteria.
As consumers
we need to eat healthy foods and take a good multiple
vitamin as an insurance policy against whatever our diet
misses. Then ask what special needs you have that call
for additional supplements, e.g., men taking saw
palmetto to help prevent prostate cancer, people with a
risk of heart disease taking daily low dose aspirin,
women who have problems with urinary tract infections
drinking cranberry juice or using cranberry extract.
Overdoing supplements and piecemeal use of supplements
may cause more problems than they help.
Most people
get enough iron from their food and don’t need iron in
their vitamins. Iron in particular can contribute to
free radical damage. People who may need iron in
vitamins or supplements include: children, women who
menstruate, people who donate blood, and people who are
anemic.
On the
lighter side, there is the story about two cows that saw
a milk tank truck drive by. In large bold letters it
said, Pasteurized, Homogenized, Vitamin A added. One cow
turned to the other and said, “makes you feel sort of
inadequate, doesn’t it?”
The bottom
line is to take a good daily multiple vitamin geared to
your age and gender. Then consider if there are any
other supplements you need beyond what your multiple
vitamin is providing. Only take those that fit with
your plan. Largely ignore the endless piecemeal articles
on miraculous vitamins and supplements.
Dr. Michael Brickey
is President of the Ageless Lifestyles Institute and
author of Defy Aging. His new book,
52 baby steps to Grow Young, gives
two-page-a-week practical steps for developing a
youthful mindset at every age. Further information
is at
www.DrBrickey.com
and
www.52babysteps.com |
Retirees
travel the Rhone river to Arles in Provence
where Vincent van Gogh painted. During the
river boat journey, they discuss their
common concerns and approaches to the
retirement transition.
