There is alot we don't know about synthetic vitamins & the long term results of megadoses of vitamins...
I'm having some doubts about taking them. We still just don't know enough. I think it may be better to try to eat well, instead.
I won't give up the herbs, though!
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Haven't read all the detailed studies yet, but my general impression is that they are missing the point. Taking one vitamin or mineral in isolation usually will not prevent disease -- it is the overall state of ones health that is at issue.
Also often these studies use such small doses of supplements that you can't get meaningful results.
For example, for CoQ10 to benefit Parkinson's patients or patients with congestive heart failure the dose needed is very large -- 1400 mg I think for Parkinsons.
And then there are some supplements that work synergistically -- taking magnesium without vitamin B6 is pretty useless.
Unfortunately there is no way to get enough of some supplements from food -- especially if one is ill and has increased requirements. Organic foods have been proven to have higher levels of many nutrients so that can help.
And unless they measured the blood levels of nutrients there is no proof that the test subjects absorbed the supplements -- so no way to prove or disprove the study. Many people don't have sufficient levels of stomach acid or other digestive enzymes to absorb vitamins or minerals from food or supplements.
Bea Seibert
Posted by massman (Member # 18116) on :
Most studies today and in the past are based on synthetic fraction of truly natural vitamins
God and Nature put all the parts together for reasons. Megadoses of parts are like using drugs
Posted by lymeloco (Member # 7192) on :
Are these vitamins from China? I'd worry about what is in them. We are a trusting nation who needs to take a look at what is in these capsules/
Babies have died from formula with melamine and there are a lot more other things that have these additives in them. What about pacifiers? Or, nipples for bottles? Wake up AMERICA!! This is your life and your childrens!!!
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
quote:Everyone needs vitamins, which are critical for the body. But for most people, the micronutrients we get from foods usually are adequate to prevent vitamin deficiency, which is rare in the United States
First of all, by "most people" they mean most "healthy" people.
I am a strong proponent of getting your nutrition from your diet but so many people haven't a clue how to eat. Chicken nuggets, burgers, fries, pizza, spagetti, tacos, and other fast foods will not provide you with the nutrients you need to enjoy good health. Even some supposed healthy foods are lathered in chemicals to enhance the flavor and prolong the shelf life, both additives being added not for your health but for their bottom line profits. I'm sure most of us know by now that it is safer to eat real butter than margarine.
Fortified foods are poor choices also. They can add a drop of the most inferior quality vitamin and then advertise it is fortified with that vitamin. The best grocery stores items to buy are found on the outer walls. Fresh produce, fresh fruits, organic meats or at the very least meats not fed antibiotics and steriods. Grain fed beef and fowl have too much Omega 6, but grass fed meat has the right balance of Omega 6 and Omega 3.
Farm raised fish has much higher levels of mercury than wild fish.
Organic foods have a greater nutrient count than foods laced with pesticide.
Sick people like us do need the extra nutrients of supplements ALONG WITH a very nutritious diet. Wal-mart brand supplements are loaded with more than just the nutrient. Check the labels. Lots of red dyes and preservatives.
Get pharmacutical grade nutrients and make sure ONLY the nutrient is in the ingredients.
Diet is the best way to heal your body. All supplements are second best but far, far superior to most of the dead, toxic food we eat daily.
Sugar will slow down or stop all your efforts to heal. Find healthy sweet alternatives like Stevia and Agave Nectar to satisfy your sweet tooth.
It really is the foundation of healing.
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
That article in New York Times left this study out. And I wonder why?
That study was done at the University of California and it produced VERY different results than the study cited in the New York Times.
Statins are now being touted to lower CRP levels. Well, the scientists at Berkeley found that high doses of Vitamin C were more effective in lowering CRP levels than were the Statin drugs. And they found no adverse side effects from taking high dose Vitamin C.
So, what would you rather take to lower your CRP levels? A few dollars worth of Vitamin C every month that has virtually no side effects or would you rather take a Statin drug that cost $100.00 per month and has a boat load of side effects?
Again, I wonder why this wasn't mentioned in that New York Times article?
It seems to me that the New York Times just "cherry picked" over the studies. They seemed to ignore studies showing vitamin supplementation to be safe and effective.
It's quite sad to see such a biased article in a major newspaper.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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There are some in our country and in our world who want to destroy our ability to take care of ourselves but, more so, they want to destroy the manufacturers of nutritional supplements.
The pharmaceutical industry is a huge force behind this.
Sadly, it is no surprise that they would use bad sources of vitamins for tests (over and over) and then report the poor finding all over the media. I am most deeply concerned that the media swallows their press releases.
The media is paid by Viagra - and other drugs. Just look at the ads on the news programs. So, they would not advertise on programs that actually go into the honest appraisal of nutrition and high quality supplements.
Sadly, even many doctors don't look beyond the headlines for the poorly designed studies. And that also makes those of us who really do our homework look foolish.
We just have to remember that we have the power to research and sift what is high quality, what is likely to work from what is not. So far, we still have that right.
And with that right is the responsibility to take excellent care of ourselves because if something goes wrong it will surely be blamed on the vitamin or supplement we took with lunch.
Yet, in many studies, the participants may be downing their synthetic vitamin with a hot dog and diet cola - or worse.
You can search in ``articles'' for top notch research backed by excellent citations. Yes, they do sell supplements, but I find their research to be extensive and solid. One is certainly not forced to buy from their site, however, I do find their products to be very good.
Thank you for the excellent resources. I am saving that one to my library!
Luvs
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
I stopped taking the NY Times seriously back in the 1980's... They are very biased.
I was always big on vitamins & supplements but I have rethought my attitudes about them, recently.
There are 1000s of supplements. We really don't know how they interact with each other & each individual's condition. So, some caution may be wise in regards to high doses.
There has been some recent info about how large doses of vitamin C may be detrimental. So, it may be helpful to one type of condition in a laboratory setting and adverse to another in different circumstances.
I don't think they are bad but I think it may take some serious study to determine what each individual should use.
They say it may be useful but it also can have adverse effects by undermining other drug's effectiveness.
I'm sure there are many more studies like this. It's a complex issue...
Posted by HaplyCarlessdave (Member # 413) on :
The chemistry of life is "mystically complex", you might say. My experience has indicated nutritonal factors, including many supplements, can make a HUGE defference. It's never completely clear which supplements are best for a given situation, but one can be logically guided by multiple experiences, and powered by that mysterious "life energy" we all have inside-- in which is wrapped the intense desire for the return of health. DaveS
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