The world of vitamins, minerals, and supplements is ever changing in regards to the latest research and trends, so much so that I find it almost impossible to come up with a concrete answer to the simple question: Are vitamins worth taking? If so, don’t even get me started on which brand to settle for, if the most expensive ones are “better,” or the organic ones “best”. I have come across so many healthy eaters swearing by the vitamins they throw back every morning that I can’t help but wonder if the infamous placebo effect may be overshadowing a real effect, if there is any at all. So many products on store shelves boast being ‘high in fiber,’ having ‘more vitamin C than a glass of orange juice,’ etc. that I wonder what role additional vitamins and supplements play in the overall nutrition of our society. Is it true that research is now finding some harm in vitamin intake? I have done some reading and research on the issue to help cool down this hot topic.
To give you some background, the overall concept of vitamins resides in the idea that the body cannot synthesize them on its own, thus they must be brought into the body. Before synthetic vitamins and supplements were introduced, vitamins were derived solely through food intake. We now we have loads of products on the market including, but certainly not limited to, fat and water-soluble vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics and mass amounts of foods fortified with “vitamins from A to zinc” (you may recognize this catchy quote from Centrum advertisements). Additional vitamin supplementation was very necessary when deficiencies were prevalent, but today, especially in the United States, it seems as though the vita-craze may be unnecessary while over-nutrition is a greater concern than under-nutrition.
Granted, over-nutrition does not necessarily mean adequate nutrition. The cereals, breads, pastas, cookies, packaged granola bars, and vitamin D fortified milk contribute a great deal to vitamin intake through fortification practices. These fortified products unfortunately make up the bulk of many people’s diets, leaving them literally stuffed with vitamins. Popping a multivitamin every day with a bowl of fortified Cheerios seems absolutely unnecessary, and according to Dr. Sydney Spiesel of Yale Medical Center, it can be dangerous given toxicity levels especially of the fat-soluble vitamins.
With so many people taking vitamins and supplements, and the corresponding growth of the vitamin industry along with it, it has become worrisome that the latest from the Archives of Internal Medicine reports multivitamins or ‘all-in-one-pills’ did not reduce overall mortality, or prevent cancer, heart attacks, or strokes among 160,000 post-menopausal women. Also a disappointing statement from the National Institutes of Health from a 2006 study reads that individual vitamins and minerals like calcium, niacin, and vitamin B6 “do not provide strong evidence for beneficial health-related effects of supplements taken singly, in pairs, or in combinations.”
I find the most logical approach to vitamin intake to be that when there is a risk for deficiencies, vitamins are great for resolving dietary inadequacies, but it is both unnecessary and dangerous to take vitamins just for kicks. Doctors and dietitians may want to stick to recommending that patients take a multivitamin if they do not eat a well-balanced diet and consider recommending additional iron for anemia, B12 for vegetarians, folic acid for pregnant women – all of these for very specific and individual needs. It is so important for future dietitians to stay up on the latest research surrounding the world of vitamins, minerals, and supplements and in the meantime, advise friends and family who eat well to avoid the splurge and instead spend their money on prime sources of vitamins like fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It really boils down to the fact that for some, the benefits of enhancing their diet with supplements outweighs the risks, while for others not only do they not need them, but they can be harmful.
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