Best Source of Vitamins?
Our walk through life is not alone. Parents, siblings, cousins, friends, mentors and teachers, spouse and children, plus all manner of helpful associates, combine to enable our journey.
It’s much the same with the vitamins naturally found in our food—they also travel with a supporting cast. Vitamers, (not vitamins) for example, are newly discovered families of molecules that exhibit vitamin-like activity. Vitamin A vitamers include four known carotenes, alpha, beta, gamma, etc., plus retinol and retinal. Vitamin E in similar fashion has alpha, beta, gamma, and delta forms of tocopherol plus the tocotrienol family. Vitamin D is a collection of five vitamers called secosteroids. The B complex vitamins also come in multiple forms. In addition, there are an undetermined number of compounds including cofactors, enzymes and coenzymes found in foods that interact in vitamin function.
Until the last half of the past century, the plants in our diet mainly provided this congregation of nutrients. Vitamin intake moved with the variety of plants at hand, and the seasons of the year. Beginning with vitamin C in the ‘30s, factories began to manufacture synthetic forms of nature’s vitamins. After World War II, vitamins became a big business. A Lancet article raised the issue of misplaced confidence—people taking vitamins are less inclined to work at eating a healthy diet.
Scurvy was a problem for early sailors deprived of fresh fruits and vegetables. The pirate Sir Francis Drake would have benefited from a ration of vitamin C pills in his circumnavigation of the world. In fact, with the fame won by his raids on Spanish treasure ships, Drake could have launched his own brand of vitamin supplements. I think the cagy old rascal would compete quite well with today’s supplement bucaneers.
The point is there may be beneficial uses for synthetic vitamins—especially for those unable or unwilling to eat a healthy diet—but the marketing of vitamins by the manufacturers, though allowed, is fraught with problems of self-interest. Doctors who are trained in nutrition are best qualified to prescribe vitamin pills, in my view. Prior posts reviewed the use of vitamin D, and folic acid pills.
Here’s the real question: Can a vitamin pill fully replace the congregation of vitamins, vitamers, enzymes, and cofactors found in real food? As vitamins are not patented, it’s unlikely manufacturers will spend the vast sums needed to conduct proper clinical trials. The government has funded studies seeking a protective role for vitamin pills against the chronic diseases. The N.Y. Times reviewed the lack of progress in an article by Tara Parker-Pope titled, “News Keeps Getting Worse for Vitamins”. The studies have found more harm than good:
• Failed study of 15,000 doctors taking vitamins E and C for heart disease.
• Failed study on vitamin E and selenium to reduce prostate cancer risk (the pills actually were doing more harm than good).
• Failed study on vitamin C for cancer (seemed to also help the cancer cells).
• A Johns Hopkins medical school review of 19 vitamin E trials covering 135,000 people showed the pills actual increased the risk of death.
• A head and neck cancer study of vitamin E combined with radiation therapy showed slightly higher risk of recurrence for those getting vitamin E.
• A Copenhagen review of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, plus selenium on various G.I. cancers showed higher death rate for vitamin users.
The topic most needful of attention is nutrition for mothers, before and during pregnancy, as well as through lactation. Mothers who try to eat a healthy diet are urged to also take supplements by maternity doctors. What should they do? Each is left to make the best decision they can with limited information. It’s unconscionable there is not well-studied guidance for pregnancy nutrition, especially regarding diet in the months preceding conception. The best mothers work to find the healthiest diet, and then council with their doctors to determine if supplementation is right for their needs.
Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 11:37AM | by Skip Hellewell | 8 Comments | 3 References | Share Article | in vitamins | Email Article 
Reader Comments (8)
I just wanted to say that I love your blog and highly recommend it. I could not agree more about what a shame it is that there isn't more clinical research conducted about supplements of all kinds. I found it very interesting that the cancer patients taking vitamins were more likely to die. I never would have expected that! It only strengthens my resolve to chow down on my fruits and veggies and skip the pills. Do you know of any research about the effects of giving children vitamins?
Oh, and I also loved your post about the cereal aisle. I love cereal so that was eye opening and very helpful to me!
There is a WONDERFUL book out there for childbearing women entitled, "The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook" by Cathe Olsen. I'm not a vegetarian, actually, but I love her book because it is such a great nutritional reference and her recipes are fabulous! I recommend it to every mother--or family-- out there. Olsen has charts of the nutritional requirements for women in general, and also for pregnant or lactating women. She has lists of foods and recipes that will help supply those nutrients. She also addresses issues like anemia, morning sickness, and postpartum depression and how to prevent and "treat" them dietarily. Her recipes are extremely healthy--including ideas for every meal of the day plus desserts, herbal teas and smoothies. It's also a great allergy-free cookbook for those who are intolerant to gluten and such. I can't say enough about this book. If you're looking to optimize vitamin and mineral intake through diet and need some new recipes, buy this book!!! (I got mine for around $8 on Amazon.)
Thanks for the post skip! This issue really is so controversial. My mind just keeps going back to...eat what God gave us and let our bodies do the rest! I only stress about the prenatal because when I was pregnant with my first a midwife told me that cleft lip and palette (which my husband was born with) can be caused by a lack of folic acids and the B's. I don't know how accurate that is but it planted a bug in my ear nonetheless. Since my diet is worlds healthier now than it was back then I feel like I have less to stress about so if I miss a day or two I don't panic!
Stephanie- THANK YOU SO MUCH for the recommendation! I AM a vegetarian and will be getting this book! It's so exciting when we come across these kinds of gems isn't it!!
This is interesting because I just started chugging down a hefty vitamin regiment a couple of months ago. I was doing my best to eat healthier in the months before that but I think the combination of the two (eating right and vitamins) really turned the tides for me. My skin has cleared up (when nothing before worked), I have less infections, and my PMS has been significantly reduced. I'm going to keep taking them! The ones I use are from Women to Women Personal Program.
I take vitamin A, C, E and B-complex, a calcium/magnesium supplement, and an essential fatty acid formula of omega 3/EPA/DHA.
So far so good. But yeah, maybe not everyone needs them and definitely you've got to be eating right to get the full benefits.
LC, if you're thinking to make a long-term habit of chugging vitamin pills, please discuss it with a doctor trained in nutrition. The point of the N.Y. Times article is that pill-popping is not without risk. Best to you.
Hi, My name is christine,and I am one of the owners of Futures Best Nursery Academy in Fort Lee.I would like to Let you know about our summer program. Each week has a " theme", for example our first week, July 5th-9th is western week. One day will be having square dance lessons another will be making a wagon and so forth. We also have picnic days and sprinkler days daily. Please feel free to call or stop by to see all the other creative and exciting things we have in store for our kids this summer. hevjuk hevjuk - Manolo Blahnik bottines.
In last weeks Economist, there's a semi-decent article on reading sentiment from large masses of anecdotal data (tweets, mainly). wrrsdh wrrsdh - Belstaff Chaquetas Venta.