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Author:
Bentley Thompson

What did people take for vitamin supplementation before they discovered how to manufacture pills? Or even before that... How did people live before they discovered vitamins? This begs the next question: do we actually (really) need to take multivitamin supplements?

Scientists tell us we will be alright if we eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. Coupled with that habit, we need to exercise, get adequate rest, and manage stress correctly. Well, forget the stress part; it could be somewhat stressful just thinking about our stressed existence right now. But there is something sinister here...

We are also advised that it is better to use all natural vitamins if we do take them. But they also say the environment is no longer capable of producing foods of the same nutritional quality it used to. How natural are chemical extracts anyway?

So we have depleted ozone and depleted soils. Where did the nutrients in the soil go so suddenly after these many thousands of years? Or, is it because we live in a polluted environment why we need multivitamins?

Is the vitamin supplements craze being over-sold?

Health publications continue to reveal a growing concern among some health professionals over the use of multivitamins supplements. Advertising, ease of manufacture, availability, and increasing concerns by the public regarding health and longevity are just some of the factors that may help to drive the overuse of multivitamin supplements.

An article by Penniston and Tanumihardjo (2003), suggests it might be time to re-examine the practice of prescribing multi-vitamins "to the elderly and other patients whose needs for certain micronutrients are high."

Another by (Kato, et. al.) cites the "risk of iron overload in middle-aged women." Almost all multivitamins nowadays have iron. In fact, the more components (the more "multi"), the better the product may be perceived. Also, the greater the percentage of each nutrient compared to the USDA requirement the "better" the product tend to be rated.

However, our bodies can only take so much of those nutrients (taken out of their natural forms.)

Why do we need a 500-mg Vitamin C supplement when 50 mg of the ingredient in an orange would be sufficient? It's because the phytochemicals in the orange make the 50 mg of the substance assimilated more effectively. But there is no process now that can isolate and extract all the phytochemicals and put them in a pill.

Can your food be your medicine?

I looked up the vitamin content of various plant-based foods. This little search made me realize that if we "eat right," as in having a balanced diet, we do not need vitamin supplements. Our food can be our medicine if our diet is balanced.

The warnings about iron and other nutrient overload should be taken seriously. A doctor once said that no one ever died from anything called a disease - people die because of some deficiency. Well, it appears that the vitamin supplements craze could bring the other side of the coin to view - death by nutrient overload.

References

Meltzer H. M., Haugen M., Alexander J., Pedersen J. I. (2004). Vitamin and minerals supplements--required for good health? Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2004 Jun 17;124(12):1646-9.

Kato I., Dnistrian A. M., Schwartz M., Toniolo P., Koenig K., Shore R. E., Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A., Akhmedkhanov A., Riboli E. (2000). Risk of iron overload among middle-aged women. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2000 May;70(3):119-25.

Penniston K. L., Tanumihardjo S. A. (2003). Vitamin A in dietary supplements and fortified foods: too much of a good thing? J. Am Diet Assoc. 2003 Sep;103(9):1185-7.

Copyright © 2006 by Bentley Thompson

Bentley writes about lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular diseases. He advocates the anti-diabetes diet which he describes on his website. You may visit his website and blog using the following URLs: http://www.anti-diabetes-diet-supplements.com/ and http://choosehealthtoday.blogspot.com

| Article Keywords: Nutrient Basics

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Nutrient Basics... All Vitamin Supplements Are Not Created Equal While getting all your essential nutrients from natural foods is ideal, it may not be practical in today's society and many people turn to vitamin pills to supplement their diets. Make no mistake about it however, vitamin supplements are big business and not all manufacturers have your best interests at heart. There are thousands of supplements to choose from and consumers spend billions of dollars each year - many never get even a small fraction of their money's worth. How do you choose a vitamin supplement that won't just go down the toilet? There are 3 types of vitamin supplement delivery systems. Capsules, Liquid, and tablets. The trick is to pick one that dissolves properly and does not just "pass through" thus wasting your hard earned money. The liquid would be the best, but unfortunately there are not many choices out on the market. Plus, the can be inconvenient and they taste like cough syrup. But, they are great if you can't swallow pills and are good for kids as well. Tablets are the most common form of vitamin supplement. They are made by mixing in an organic or inorganic cement and compressing them into shape. For the pills to dissolve properly, an organic cement should be used but this costs more and as you can imagine, many manufacturers skimp on this stel. There are also coated tablets that resemble little candy-coated M&M's. These are very commonly found in the one a day cheap drug store vitamins. Capsules are gelatin containers that dissolve quickly and in most cases the best choice. Because they're not compressed like the tablets, you will typically have to take two of them to equal one tablet. One important thing with vitamin supplements is that you want to make sure you...