The science is clear: vitamin supplements don't improve health

[GysdeJongh]

<http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/05/18/the-science-is-clear-vitamin-supplements-dont-improve-health/>

The science is clear: vitamin supplements don't improve health

Scientists have been undecided about the effectiveness of vitamin
supplements pretty much since the moment they were able to isolate them from
our food. They've had decades to prove that supplements work but for the
most part, they have failed.

Vitamin C is probably the most most widely used vitamin supplement, because
of its supposed ability to prevent and shorten the common cold. It doesn't.

A recent analysis of 29 trials involving more than 11,000 people concluded
that vitamin C does not reduce the incidence of colds and that it has no
effect on the duration of a cold when you take it after the onset of
symptoms. In fact the results are al over the map, due in part to the fact
that there is no one common cold. The cold is really dozens of different
viruses.

I know that if you are a vitamin C believer, nothing I say will change that.
I'm okay with that.

Vitamin E was a darling of the health and supplements world. It was supposed
to prevent heart disease, enhance virility and protect you from Alzheimer's.
It doesn't.

A massive four-and-a-half-year study involving 10,000 people found that the
participants taking Vitamin E were no less likely to have a coronary event
than people who weren't. Ditto for Alzheimer's. Large well-designed studies
find that mega-doses of Vitamin E has no effect of your risk of Alzheimer's.

As for natural male enhancement - you might as well order those crazy pills
on the internet. But I don't think you should. One effect that does pop up
regularly in Vitamin E studies is an increased risk of death.

Vitamin D - the sunshine vitamin - may be the only vitamin of them all that
you need in doses higher than you'd get from food. Health Canada has
recently increased its daily reccomended intake of Vitamin D and it is
higher than you might ordinarily get from food.

Vitamin D seems to reduce the risk of some cancers and may prevent
osteoporosis in post menopausal women. Vitamin D may also boost immune
function especially when days are short or exposure to the sun is limited. A
dark Canadian winter would surely qualify.

As for all the rest of the supplements, you probably don't need them as long
as you are eating well and if you aren't, they probably won't help.

[mainframetech]

On May 19, 3:55 pm, "GysdeJongh" <JonghSevenHundredElevenAtPlanet.nl>
wrote:
> <http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/05/18/the-science-is-clear-vitamin...>

I'm sure that post will generate conversation. I wonder if vitamin
C could only be gotten from a supplement, what would happen if we had
scurvy and we took it? And if we had rickets and took vitamin D?
Would the supplements help the conditions?

There are many instances of placebos working to help the health of
many people, so any supplement that you believe in must do something
for many of the participants in a study. And even knowing you're
taking a placebo can help! Like this study:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0015591

I'm sure that article will make someone happy...:)

Chris

[Julie Bove]

"GysdeJongh" <JonghSevenHundredElevenAtPlanet.nl> wrote in message
news:51992e2a$0$25665$862e...@ngroups.net...

I don't believe this.

A recent book that I read cautioned adults not to take vitamins with copper
and iron in them to help ward off senility. So I switched to another brand
that doesn't contain those things.

I found myself exhausted. I fell asleep at Angela's Physical Therapy
session and I never do that. I was also so tired that I would have to take
a half an hour to hour nap at odd times.

Then I was talking to my friend on the phone about this. She was reading to
me what was in her iron free ones and I stopped her when she got to vitamin
K. I didn't think she should take it. I thought she was on a blood thinner
but she said that she wasn't. Not yet but it had been mentioned to her.
Then I looked at the label on mine! I thought I had done this prior but
apparently not. Had some odd things in it. Not even sure what they were.
But precious little of anything I needed, like B vitamins. And what it did
have had only like 4-20% of the RDA. Plus it said to take one to three
pills daily. I'd only been taking one because I couldn't afford to take
three.

I have since ordered a different brand with no copper or iron and I checked
what was in there much better. In the meantime I am back to using my old
Kirkland ones with no iron but do have copper. Now I have my energy back.

I also have problems if I stop taking my B vitamins. I get cracks at the
sides of my mouth and then my skin under my gold ring will turn green. So I
know that I need my vitamins!

[Colt T]

While not a vitamin creatine lowers triglycerides.

[Henry Mydlarz]

"GysdeJongh" <JonghSevenHundredElevenAtPlanet.nl> wrote in message
news:51992e2a$0$25665$862e...@ngroups.net...
>

My take on vitamins has been that primarily they are good only if you have a
deficiency, and a deficiency that cannot be resolved through diet, or one
caused by some disorder in your body. Selling vitamins is a lucrative trade,
primarily aimed at the gullible. Especially so are the multivitamin
supplements, which have a bit of this and a bit of that, seldom having any
worthwhile amount of any specific vitamin (such as D) to make it of any use.
I consider that at best they are a placebo, a panacea where a person might
say "I take Joe Blow elixir, and I feel better. A person taking vitamins
might genuinely believe they feel better for it, as the ability to
rationalize yourself into believing anything is indeed strong.

Wandering through any chemist her in Melbourne it soon becomes apparent that
there is a vitamin on potion available to remedy every imaginable ailment,
including some unimaginable ones. I can see a major problem with taking
excessive vitamins as being the stress caused by having to work harder to
pay for the expense of buying them. I suppose it's better to spend money on
vitamins than on smoking.....

My ramble.....

Henry. (I had a Vit D deficiency and take 2400iu a day).

[mainframetech]

On May 19, 8:40 pm, "Henry Mydlarz" <myd...@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> "GysdeJongh" <JonghSevenHundredElevenAtPlanet.nl> wrote in message
>
> news:51992e2a$0$25665$862e...@ngroups.net...
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> > <http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/05/18/the-science-is-clear-vitamin...>

If you have to spend money on a placebo, cheaper to do it with
supplements than prescriptions. Remember, no deaths the last few
years on supplements, vitamins and herbs, but tens of thousands with
properly prescribed drugs, although some of those don't do anything
for you either.

Chris

[Trig]

The above is clueless IMO. First of all there is vitamin E and then is vitamin E i.e. industrial crap from BASF or the semi-synthetic all rrr-alpha tocopherol (that falsely claims to be natural E) and then there is real vitamin E's from i.e. ParaChem (mixed tocotrienols) or A.C. Grace (mixed high gamma tocopherol).

Or consider the high dose thiamine in the context of DM T2.

Vitamin C doesn't stop cold sure. How long has it been since Pauling died
as a very old man? Likely the last (heavy weight) guy to offer this idea. Granted at low levels there would likely be an effect see some of the
1950's research done in the East Bloc. It is said to help time of recovery a bit. Higher dose vitamin D3 does a nice job at reducing its frequency if you have the 'balls' to try it at the right dose on your own. Vitamin C does helps with joint pain and likely cartilage repair.

We can do dueling abstract. Oh wait the above does not have real citations
but rather the vaguer 'references.' An example of public masterbation, IMO.
So turn about is fair play.

This author likely only thinks of vitamin K as something just for clotting.

Or has the above author ever taken a magnesium maleate dose and the watched
its blood pressure in the context of a moderate calcium intake? Of course
not. And the 'dimwit' (IMO) would get the dose wrong and form wrong, IMO. Likely
it would chose magnesium oxide and claim it didn't work after glupping
a milk shake to swallow the one 250 milligram tablet.

Remember I can RUN 3 miles in 20 minutes again at age 60 (my demunged age).
Next year, I play to do a 0.5 marathon or a 12K and to beat the 19 year olds
and not be sore the next day. Then again I may have driven off a cliff by that
time, lol. Can I get faster likely. The supplements help, I've tried it both
ways. Granted some of my favs aren't vitamins officially.


"Seeking to fail studies" (IMO) often using 'industrial crap' (fact) instead of the real thing is another issue mixed in the above, IMO.
And yes the labs can turn out good stuff not just crap.

With supplements and foods, you need to know what you are doing. Conventional
supplements, conventional foods, conventional drugs all have piss poor conventional results for the most part. Most people don't need extra iron.
Yet how many supplements and foods have added transition i.e. iron and copper minerals?
How many drugs contain toxic time release agents? How many drugs are just
toxic analogues to natural compounds that could be used if someone powerful
support their use instead? Do you need examples? If I offer them will
a discussion follow?

And this author likely think supplements are just about what it
defines as "vitamins." There is a bigger universe. Minerals, vitamin
like substances, unrecognized vitamins, concentrates, etc.

not too nicely yours.........................Trig