Tweet
Have you taken your vitamins today? Most people do. In fact more than half of American and Canadian adults and almost a half of Britons use supplements on a regular basis. As a result the vitamin supplement industry is huge. It is estimated to have been $23 billion in 2007 in the U.S. and 220 million pounds in 2006 in the UK. But is this really necessary?
Vitamins and minerals are substances that our bodies need in small amounts. Our bodies cannot synthesize them all, so that they have to come from our diet. But, even in our modern society, most people don’t even consume the recommended daily amount (RDA) of fruit or vegetable servings. This is either due to our busy lifestyles or any of the following reasons:
The quality of food readily available has generally declined. The fruit and vegetables we get from supermarket contain less minerals and vitamins as these are picked too early before they even ripe. “Unfortunately, peak nutrition is achieved by letting the fruit ripen on the vine. Vine ripened tomatoes are proven to contain higher levels of beta-carotene, lycopene and soluble fiber than green picked fruit. Lettuce loses up to 46% of certain nutrients.”
Conventional farming methods use chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides which have a negative impact on microbial life thus lowering the micronutrient levels available to the plants. Moreover, we also tend to overwash our food due to fear of ingesting sprayed chemicals on them. But “overwashing can cause water soluble vitamins such as B and C to be removed from your food”.
Although the negative influence of genetically manipulated foods (GM) is unknown, GM vegetables and fruits contain less vitamins and minerals than organically produced ones.
So, taking vitamin and mineral supplements is assumed to be one of the main and easy ways to meet our requirements and at the same time remain ‘healthy’. As it is not easy to decide which vitamin and minerals to take, most people turn to multivitamins, aside from these being cost-effective, as well as anti-oxidants, Vitamin D, folic acid, calcium and the more than ever popular omega 3’s.
However extensive research overwhelmingly suggests that the following supplements probably make no major difference in maintaining a healthy state and in fact, are not without risk. What?
Multivitamins:
Dr. Huang and colleagues from the Johns Hopkins University carefully reviewed 63 papers (after strict exclusion/inclusion criteria of originally more than 11,000 cited literature) in 2007 and concluded that there is not enough evidence supporting that multivamins prevent chronic diseases.
And what is even more dismaying is that there are also risks associated with multivitamins
The panelists of the 2007 National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference expressed „potential for adverse effects in individuals consuming dietary supplements that are above the upper level” since “... by law, the listing of ingredient amounts on nutrient supplement labels is the minimum content; thus, higher intakes are probable.“ Ironically, people who take multivitamin supplements are usually health-conscious people, that is, those who get a balanced, fortified diet.
They also cited studies such as calcium supplementation resulting in kidney stones, ß-carotene supplementation increasing lung cancer incidence among smokers or persons exposed to asbestos in order to emphasize the current knowledge gap in how some nutrients work.
As multivitamins are synthetics, contamination during their production may occur. A report showed that “of 21 brands of multivitamins on the market in the United States and Canada selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, just 10 met the stated claims on their labels or satisfied other quality standards.“ One product was even contaminated with lead.
Of interest, Huang and co-authors also mentioned that there have been no adverse effects reports on multivitamins probably because there is no requirement to report, unlike prescription drugs.
Anti-Oxidants:
The Cochrane Reviews, which investigate topics using very strict guidelines to establish whether evidence for a therapeutic strategy are conclusive, addressed the use of antioxidants Vitamins A, C, E, ß-carotene and selenium on the prevention of heart disease or cancer. The findings are earth shattering! The meta-analysis shows that these antioxidant supplements can actually be hazardous to health: Vitamins A and E and ß-carotene, used singly or in combination, may result in increased mortality but not Vitamin C and selenium.
The review authors suggest that since supplements are synthetics they might be interfering with the body's own defense mechanisms. Or toxicities in supplements or perhaps too high a dose may be contributors. Unlike pharmaceutical products, manufacturers are not required to check for or list potential toxicities.
Folic Acid:
Since the FDA allowed fortification of foods with folic acid, “the rate of neural-tube defects has dropped from 0.86 per 1,000 live births to 0.4, a drop of more than 50 per cent, according to a Canadian study published in 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine.“ Indeed, a public health success. Many American food products, especially flour, are fortified with folic acid.
However, the risks of ingesting too much may increase cancer risk. A Canadian study published this year in the journal Cancer Research gave evidence of cancer incidence in rats given high amounts of folic acid. A separate study in 2009 showed that folic acids taken during late pregnancy seem to increase the risk of asthma in children.
Calcium:
Calcium is a mineral essential for the bones and teeth as well as for blood clotting. Osteoporosis results due to a deficiency of this mineral and calcium supplementation is a management strategy in preventing this disease.
A recent meta-analysis study published in 2010 in the British Medical Journal involving more than 11,900 participants showed that the benefits derived from calcium supplements are unclear, reducing fracture risks only marginally.
Moreover, a calcium supplement intake leads to a 30% increase in the incidence of myocardial infarction and some insignificant increases in the risk of stroke and mortality, emphasizing the need for more research on calcium supplementation.
However, the editors of this journal's issue suggest a probable misdiagnosis in this meta-analysis, “Calcium supplements could simply be causing gastrointestinal symptoms that could be misdiagnosed as cardiac chest pain".
OK, what about Vitamin D and Omega-3’s?
Current research indicates that Vitamin D and Omega-3’s probably are beneficial, but aren’t by any means perfect.
Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium and is also therefore essential as well for the maintenance of good bones. The body produces it with the help of sunshine and its deficiency is most common in high latitudes. Vitamin D supplementation is quite common in North America, with milk fortified with Vitamin D and breastfed babies prescribed with vitamin D. But in Europe, fortification of dairy products with vitamin D is not widespread and there is a strong resistance against supplementation of breastfed infants as this practice seems to contradict the message that breast milk is still the best. In view of more foods being fortified with Vitamin D experts are also divided as to whether there is even a need for Vitamin D supplementation.
The pro Vitamin D group links Vitamin D to the prevention of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases and some types of cancer and says that for "an adult who spends 20 min in summer sunshine can produce an oral intake equivalent of about 10000 IU/day, the suggested dose of 1000—4000 IU/day is unlikely to be toxic".
The anti Vitamin D supplementation group believes that there is no sufficient evidence to support whether there is a vitamin D deficiency in many populations or in the many other “wonders” of Vitamin D and calcium. For instance, a study showed that Vitamin D and calcium supplements do not decrease breast cancer risk in premenopausal women as previously thought.
“Evidence also suggests that high levels of vitamin D can increase the risks for fractures and can raise the risk for other diseases” like hypercalcemia.
Omega-3 fatty acids, known as “healthy fats” have attracted a lot of attention as a huge amount of evidence shows that they prevent a wide range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, depression, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Being macronutrients, the body needs them in large amounts, contrary to vitamins. Good sources of omega-3 fats include salmon, flax seeds and walnuts.
Although some studies report no significant effects of omega-3 fat supplementation on cardiovascular diseases, most scientists are convinced of the benefits they bring.
The good news is that a recent meta-analysis involving over 30,000 patients shows that fish oil supplements can reduce deaths due to cardiac diseases although had no effect on arrhythmias or all causes of mortality.
However, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences cited research showing increased risk of bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke in a few studies following supplementation with omega-3s. Individuals who have disorders involving bleeding, who bruise very easily, or who are taking blood thinners should consult with a medical practitioner before taking supplemental omega-3 fatty acids.“
And contamination with persistent organic pollutants (POP) including mercury, PCB’s and dioxin especially the fish oil supplements, as opposed to the plant based omegas, continues to plague the industry. In fact, a study in 2007 surveyed 30 fish oil supplements in Canada and found POP in all of the products although most of the pollutants did not exceed the minimum toxic level. To counter this, the omega-3 industry is responding with new products such as the use of microalgae instead of fish and more rigid certification, exemplified by Nordic Naturals.
So, what’s the perfect vitamin supplement? It appears to be…duh… a healthy, balanced diet.
Even for lactating women, nothings beat a healthy, balanced diet. Supplements are pills and cannot be a substitute for healthy food. Science cannot simply copy what nature produces and cannot work the way genuine vitamins do. As an aside, some groups of people may need some supplements:
pregnant women
people who spend a lot of time inside or are covered with clothing and therefore do not get enough sunlight
elderly
alcohol consumers and heavy smokers
vegans who never eat meat or dairy products
slimmers (e.g. those on “weight loss” diets)
athletes or people who do extreme training
malnourished people
So, if you do not show symptoms of vitamin deficiency or do not fall to any of the above, better stick to a good diet – still the best vitamin and mineral supplement!
Vitamins and minerals are substances that our bodies need in small amounts. Our bodies cannot synthesize them all, so that they have to come from our diet. But, even in our modern society, most people don’t even consume the recommended daily amount (RDA) of fruit or vegetable servings. This is either due to our busy lifestyles or any of the following reasons:
The quality of food readily available has generally declined. The fruit and vegetables we get from supermarket contain less minerals and vitamins as these are picked too early before they even ripe. “Unfortunately, peak nutrition is achieved by letting the fruit ripen on the vine. Vine ripened tomatoes are proven to contain higher levels of beta-carotene, lycopene and soluble fiber than green picked fruit. Lettuce loses up to 46% of certain nutrients.”
Conventional farming methods use chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides which have a negative impact on microbial life thus lowering the micronutrient levels available to the plants. Moreover, we also tend to overwash our food due to fear of ingesting sprayed chemicals on them. But “overwashing can cause water soluble vitamins such as B and C to be removed from your food”.
Although the negative influence of genetically manipulated foods (GM) is unknown, GM vegetables and fruits contain less vitamins and minerals than organically produced ones.
So, taking vitamin and mineral supplements is assumed to be one of the main and easy ways to meet our requirements and at the same time remain ‘healthy’. As it is not easy to decide which vitamin and minerals to take, most people turn to multivitamins, aside from these being cost-effective, as well as anti-oxidants, Vitamin D, folic acid, calcium and the more than ever popular omega 3’s.
However extensive research overwhelmingly suggests that the following supplements probably make no major difference in maintaining a healthy state and in fact, are not without risk. What?
Multivitamins:
Dr. Huang and colleagues from the Johns Hopkins University carefully reviewed 63 papers (after strict exclusion/inclusion criteria of originally more than 11,000 cited literature) in 2007 and concluded that there is not enough evidence supporting that multivamins prevent chronic diseases.
And what is even more dismaying is that there are also risks associated with multivitamins
The panelists of the 2007 National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference expressed „potential for adverse effects in individuals consuming dietary supplements that are above the upper level” since “... by law, the listing of ingredient amounts on nutrient supplement labels is the minimum content; thus, higher intakes are probable.“ Ironically, people who take multivitamin supplements are usually health-conscious people, that is, those who get a balanced, fortified diet.
They also cited studies such as calcium supplementation resulting in kidney stones, ß-carotene supplementation increasing lung cancer incidence among smokers or persons exposed to asbestos in order to emphasize the current knowledge gap in how some nutrients work.
As multivitamins are synthetics, contamination during their production may occur. A report showed that “of 21 brands of multivitamins on the market in the United States and Canada selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, just 10 met the stated claims on their labels or satisfied other quality standards.“ One product was even contaminated with lead.
Of interest, Huang and co-authors also mentioned that there have been no adverse effects reports on multivitamins probably because there is no requirement to report, unlike prescription drugs.
Anti-Oxidants:
The Cochrane Reviews, which investigate topics using very strict guidelines to establish whether evidence for a therapeutic strategy are conclusive, addressed the use of antioxidants Vitamins A, C, E, ß-carotene and selenium on the prevention of heart disease or cancer. The findings are earth shattering! The meta-analysis shows that these antioxidant supplements can actually be hazardous to health: Vitamins A and E and ß-carotene, used singly or in combination, may result in increased mortality but not Vitamin C and selenium.
The review authors suggest that since supplements are synthetics they might be interfering with the body's own defense mechanisms. Or toxicities in supplements or perhaps too high a dose may be contributors. Unlike pharmaceutical products, manufacturers are not required to check for or list potential toxicities.
Folic Acid:
Since the FDA allowed fortification of foods with folic acid, “the rate of neural-tube defects has dropped from 0.86 per 1,000 live births to 0.4, a drop of more than 50 per cent, according to a Canadian study published in 2007 in the New England Journal of Medicine.“ Indeed, a public health success. Many American food products, especially flour, are fortified with folic acid.
However, the risks of ingesting too much may increase cancer risk. A Canadian study published this year in the journal Cancer Research gave evidence of cancer incidence in rats given high amounts of folic acid. A separate study in 2009 showed that folic acids taken during late pregnancy seem to increase the risk of asthma in children.
Calcium:
Calcium is a mineral essential for the bones and teeth as well as for blood clotting. Osteoporosis results due to a deficiency of this mineral and calcium supplementation is a management strategy in preventing this disease.
A recent meta-analysis study published in 2010 in the British Medical Journal involving more than 11,900 participants showed that the benefits derived from calcium supplements are unclear, reducing fracture risks only marginally.
Moreover, a calcium supplement intake leads to a 30% increase in the incidence of myocardial infarction and some insignificant increases in the risk of stroke and mortality, emphasizing the need for more research on calcium supplementation.
However, the editors of this journal's issue suggest a probable misdiagnosis in this meta-analysis, “Calcium supplements could simply be causing gastrointestinal symptoms that could be misdiagnosed as cardiac chest pain".
OK, what about Vitamin D and Omega-3’s?
Current research indicates that Vitamin D and Omega-3’s probably are beneficial, but aren’t by any means perfect.
Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium and is also therefore essential as well for the maintenance of good bones. The body produces it with the help of sunshine and its deficiency is most common in high latitudes. Vitamin D supplementation is quite common in North America, with milk fortified with Vitamin D and breastfed babies prescribed with vitamin D. But in Europe, fortification of dairy products with vitamin D is not widespread and there is a strong resistance against supplementation of breastfed infants as this practice seems to contradict the message that breast milk is still the best. In view of more foods being fortified with Vitamin D experts are also divided as to whether there is even a need for Vitamin D supplementation.
The pro Vitamin D group links Vitamin D to the prevention of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases and some types of cancer and says that for "an adult who spends 20 min in summer sunshine can produce an oral intake equivalent of about 10000 IU/day, the suggested dose of 1000—4000 IU/day is unlikely to be toxic".
The anti Vitamin D supplementation group believes that there is no sufficient evidence to support whether there is a vitamin D deficiency in many populations or in the many other “wonders” of Vitamin D and calcium. For instance, a study showed that Vitamin D and calcium supplements do not decrease breast cancer risk in premenopausal women as previously thought.
“Evidence also suggests that high levels of vitamin D can increase the risks for fractures and can raise the risk for other diseases” like hypercalcemia.
Omega-3 fatty acids, known as “healthy fats” have attracted a lot of attention as a huge amount of evidence shows that they prevent a wide range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, depression, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Being macronutrients, the body needs them in large amounts, contrary to vitamins. Good sources of omega-3 fats include salmon, flax seeds and walnuts.
Although some studies report no significant effects of omega-3 fat supplementation on cardiovascular diseases, most scientists are convinced of the benefits they bring.
The good news is that a recent meta-analysis involving over 30,000 patients shows that fish oil supplements can reduce deaths due to cardiac diseases although had no effect on arrhythmias or all causes of mortality.
However, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences cited research showing increased risk of bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke in a few studies following supplementation with omega-3s. Individuals who have disorders involving bleeding, who bruise very easily, or who are taking blood thinners should consult with a medical practitioner before taking supplemental omega-3 fatty acids.“
And contamination with persistent organic pollutants (POP) including mercury, PCB’s and dioxin especially the fish oil supplements, as opposed to the plant based omegas, continues to plague the industry. In fact, a study in 2007 surveyed 30 fish oil supplements in Canada and found POP in all of the products although most of the pollutants did not exceed the minimum toxic level. To counter this, the omega-3 industry is responding with new products such as the use of microalgae instead of fish and more rigid certification, exemplified by Nordic Naturals.
So, what’s the perfect vitamin supplement? It appears to be…duh… a healthy, balanced diet.
Even for lactating women, nothings beat a healthy, balanced diet. Supplements are pills and cannot be a substitute for healthy food. Science cannot simply copy what nature produces and cannot work the way genuine vitamins do. As an aside, some groups of people may need some supplements:
pregnant women
people who spend a lot of time inside or are covered with clothing and therefore do not get enough sunlight
elderly
alcohol consumers and heavy smokers
vegans who never eat meat or dairy products
slimmers (e.g. those on “weight loss” diets)
athletes or people who do extreme training
malnourished people
So, if you do not show symptoms of vitamin deficiency or do not fall to any of the above, better stick to a good diet – still the best vitamin and mineral supplement!