Vitamins overrated?

Vitamin D supplements are still iffy (on uselessness) particularly for darker skinned folks.

lots of food isn't as nutrient dense these days, due to poor soil quality, early picking, long storage etc.

supplementing is probably a good idea, but having good supplements is vital..

“We believe that the case is closed -- supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful,” concluded the authors of the editorial summarizing the new research papers, published Dec. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The important follow-up would be how many Americans qualify as "well-nourished" and what qualifies as well-nourished. I do not take a multivitamin daily, or even regularly. I also do not eat as healthy as I should. On occasion I will take a multivitamin for a week when I'm feeling run down or off. Anecdotally, I notice that helps pull me out of the funk.

“The ‘stop wasting your money’ means that perhaps you're spending money on things that won't protect you long term,” editorial co-author Dr. Edgar Miller, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, told CBS News’ chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. “What will protect you is if you spend the money on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, low fat dairy, things like that ..exercising would probably be a better use of the money.”

There is a question out there regarding whether or not the singular compounds identified as the "vitamins" are truly representative of what constitutes the completeness of the various vitamins. For example, we all know that the beta-carotene molecule is recognized as vitamin A. However, there is an argument that in whole food sources there are numerous micronutrients and phytochemicals that occur naturally along side beta-carotene.

The argument is that a "vitamin" is actual comprised of a complex of chemicals that are necessary biologically. It is one hypothesis as to why certain geographical diets (example - "Mediterranean Diet") appear to have an effect of reducing certain health risks, such as, cancer and heart disease. Yet when they test the stand alone vitamin molecules for the benefits from these diets the results usually do not work out the same.

The "whole food" vitamin hypothesis has yet to be effectively test though, as far as I know.

More strikingly, it found enough evidence to recommend against taking beta-carotene or vitamin E for preventing both diseases, finding they not only didn’t help but the former may raise risk for lung cancer for already at-risk individuals.

Yeah... Funny story there. There are two very large scale studies, one of which I believe was done in Denmark, on mega-dosing of these two vitamins for months or even years at a time. They actually halted the study early because the morbidity rate and mortality rate of lung cancer in smokers skyrocketed. In the conclusion of one of the studies they completely neglected to mention that it appeared mega-dosing increased lung cancer in a section of the test subjects. Instead it blandly reported that the vitamin supplementation had no positive effect.... :noway:

Those studies are both a few years old, maybe approaching 10 or more for one. :ohwell:

Vitamin D supplements are still iffy (on uselessness) particularly for darker skinned folks.

Its not just "darker skinned folks". It depends on where you live. ie people that live in the Midwest typically have to take Vit D supplements because they do not get the sun that the south gets.

We also don't get the sun damage, thankfully. Vitamin D supplements for me.

I have thought for years that multi-vitamins were useless. I think it's fine to take certain vitamin supplements if you know you're deficient or don't consume near enough of a certain vitamin. Iron if you're doctor says you're deficient or Vit D in the winter seems reasonable. As a vegetarian who doesn't consume a ton of dairy, I pop a B12 vitamin a few times a week. But multi-vitamins run you the risk that you'll overconsume a vitamin and that can have negative consequences (depending on the vitamin). There's not much proof they protect us so why run the risk?

I think too that we misunderstand "supplementing". Often times we are seeing vitamin and mineral supplements with 500%, 1000%, and more of the RDA. That isn't "supplementing". It's overdosing.

We over emphasize the idea that bigger is always better. If a little is good, a lot must be more gooder...:noway:

I don't take any pills that isn't prescribed to me by a doctor.

And this why they don't want you buying supplements. Keep the paychecks of the pharma industry intact. Got any vics or percs I needa fix man

?

You do know doctors tell you if you're deficient in vitamins after you take a blood test, right? If I don't know I need specific nutrients I'm not going to pay the Supplement Industry intact.

I've been told by my doctor to either take a calcium supplement or in other ways up my intake.

I think too that we misunderstand "supplementing". Often times we are seeing vitamin and mineral supplements with 500%, 1000%, and more of the RDA. That isn't "supplementing". It's overdosing.

We over emphasize the idea that bigger is always better. If a little is good, a lot must be more gooder...:noway:

It gives you expensive urine, but nothing more.

In some cases it can increase a person's risk of certain types of cancer, so not just expensive urine.

As much as I'm uncertain as to the necessity and effectiveness of vitamins, I'm not certain any article I read on a main broadcast newschannel would be enough to sway me in either direction. I'll wait for a reliable study that I can read through...

Here are links to the studies that the media reports are based on: (The Annals of Internal Medicine)

Oral High-Dose Multivitamins and Minerals After Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Trial
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1789248

Long-Term Multivitamin Supplementation and Cognitive Function in Men: A Randomized Trial
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1789250

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: An Updated Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1767855

The accompanying editorial:

Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1789253


The Annals is a well respected and reliable medical journal. Right up there with the New England journal of medicine