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.