Do Vitamin Pills Really Work?

"Unfortunately the issues of extensive soil depletion, economics, and an all round shortage of time make the processed alternatives more appealing to most people."

-can you tell me just in what way this makes ANY sense? First off, everything we eat, regardless of its extent of processing comes from the earth. In fact, the industrial agriculture complex, so-called agri-business, is responsible for the horrendous environmental impacts of large scale agricultural operations, soil erosion, water pollution, and air pollution. They are also the largest producers and promoters of processed goods.

You present this argument as though eating fruits and vegetables (which are able to be found locally, or even grown in your backyard with relatively minimal care) are contributing to the problem of soil erosion in the world. In reality, the most serious problems of soil erosion are found in the developing world, as a result of deforestation. this deforestation is largely a result of shifts in the agricultural systems as a result of inequitable trade agreements that allow the US and EU to maintain significant subsidies to their agricultural producers, particularly those that produce and market heavily processed food products. (McDonalds receives almost a million $USD every year in AGRICULTURAL subsidies)

So really, if you are that concerned about proper vitamin intake, absorbtion or any of that, don't blame soil erosion and economics for the laziness our society promotes through its over abundance of disgusting chemical concoctions (easy-mac anyone?) that only barely resemble the food they came from.

Wow - you've completely misunderstood me. I'm not the greatest of writers, and I think I failed to make the point I intended.

I agree with you! Notice I said "appealing to most people" - I believe that is an accurate assessment - most people don't care too much where their food comes from. That's not a defense. You might be interested to know that I spent two years running a small organic market garden based on permaculture principles.

The soil I was working in was known to be deficient in the micro-nutrient Selenium - whether due to historic volcanic activity or what - I'm not sure. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that it seems the best way to get your vitamins is through whole fruit, nuts, and vegetables - however for many people it's far easier to buy a Big Mac and gulp down some vitamins that to attempt to grow these.

Even if you do buy fruit and vegetables from a supermarket - you cannot be sure that there is some micronutrient deficiency based on the intensive and highly fertilized mono-cultures that produce most of our fruit and veg.

It is a very small percentage of people that will go to a local farmers market or CSA to get their F&V. It's a shame - but that's just the way it is. Most people would rather eat all sorts of processed stuff and then try to fix it with loads of supplements. The only winners are the large supplement companies and food processors (the "money-making empire" that I was referring to).

I'm trying to figure out the mix of points in this entry

1) Help the reader determine whether vitamins are worthwhile
2) Rant about how our knowledge of nutrition, if any, is obscured by ignorance
3) Rant about the military-industiral-agriculture-pharmaceutical-Satan-everything-evil-complex
4) Sound controversial
5) Pretend to be a journalist but end up imitating the structure but not the content of an article (last paragraph really illustrates this)

No, I don't like blogs in general due to the pretense of most authors.

It's probably best to stick to one or two of the above, and not mix personal rants with information. And if you just want to share things you're personally exploring, drop the journalist imitation. Say something like "I read an article questioning the value of vitamins over the foods that naturally contain them. I wonder whether they are worth consideration when planning a diet. Perhaps it's another expensive placebo that companies can sell." (not that these are your thoughts, just an example)

Sorry if I come across as harsh. At least that means I'm not watering things down.

Blargg. You might want to read the disclaimer. I have no intention of pretending to be a journalist. What happens is that you read so many items from the press that you end up writing in that similar style.

The trouble is, when you start writing too many personal rants, the whole thing just degrades into a cynical diatribe.

Apart from providing some constructive criticism regarding writing style - what exactly is your point with regards to diet?

If anyone who reads this article takes vitamin supplements, i want to know where the nutrient content present in vitamins comes from. I have read that some vitamine producing laboratories add small amounts of a plant or herb to their products, trying to make the consumer think the particular supplement was derived from that plant or herb. reguardless if this is true or not, i want to know where the content of vitamin supplements actually comes from. Do these "vitamin-producing laboratories" actually distract the nutrients from truckloads of fruit, and put them into pill capsulls? how does the whole process work?

Hackerson: The vitamins in the majority of supplements are laboratory-synthesized molecules for the most part. Calcium is derived from oyster shells or chalk deposits. Some laboratories might extract a small portion of vitamins from plants to say they are botanical (thus costing more). Vitamins are no more than molecules that the body needs to perform optimally and most can be made using traditional organic chemistry synthesis techniques.

Synthesized vitamins are not as effective as their organic counterparts. Hence why more people take vitamin supplements than ever before, yet every major disease is on the rise. I understand that it's an indirect relationship, however, people should get their vitamins from food, not from a pill. I don't think vitamin supplementation actually hurts anybody, but too many people think of it as a gateway to eating less wholesome foods.

Maybe a little off the subject but does anyone out there know of any studies done on absorbtion rates or accessability of vitamins and minerals in most vitamins that are available. I have no doubt that we need to supplement our diets but which ones are doing any good and which ones are a waste of time and money.

Unfortunately the issues of extensive soil depletion, economics, and an all round shortage of time make the processed alternatives more appealing to most people."

-can you tell me just in what way this makes ANY sense? First off, everything we eat, regardless of its extent of processing comes from the earth. In fact, the industrial agriculture complex, so-called agri-business, is responsible for the horrendous environmental impacts of large scale agricultural operations, soil erosion, water pollution, and air pollution. They are also the largest producers and promoters of processed goods.

Interesting...
I have been trying to lose weight (for quite some time) and have been taking a vitamin supplement (Berocca) to keep my energy up.
I seem to be doing ok (drinking lots of water seems to be the key) but I don't want to be on a diet forever. I also don't want to be taking a supplement forever.
Considering I have been eating healthier (its part of the 'diet rules' believe it or not) AND taking a supplement I can only imagine that when I'm at my target weight and call the diet off I am going to really, really struggle.
Is it normal to take supplements for life. What if they're bad for us and I have been taking the tablet every day for 20 years!?

This is all so confusing. All I know is that the tablets are helping keep me upbeat without the pleasure of my favourite food - chips!

Berocca vitamin c supplement information here.

No one knows the origin of most of the vitamin ingredients thus the fraud that is perpetrated is harm less as it gives people something to blow their money on and keeps their mind occupied. The scarab (dung beetle) had it right. The USDA attempt to regulate was loudly defeated as this crowd does not want truth it wants fantacy. Think I will go to lottery vendor and get a ticket--now that is a fantacy that could pay off with only a measely 70,000,000 to one odds.

RE:Jack Ferguson. True. One does notknow the origin of most of the vitamin products on the market. Many are of
synthetic origin. I believe it is legal to label a product natural and still allow ingredients to be as low
as l0%natural and 90%synthetic. The problem is most of the synthetically derived are stimulants,with an effect
similar to drugs, sugar or caffeine, that is the reason
many feel a boost in energy. Stimulants often lead to
glandular problems. For 34 years, I have consumed food
supplements of natural plant origin with no chemical extracts used in the process. When selecting a health
product, ask which major medical journals have printed
the companys clinical research. Many have done research
without results that qualify for medical journals. There is a big difference between "vitamins" and Food supple-ments. check out my web site Jeanne McGowen CNC

Look for vitamins that use more bioavailable ingredients. Also, there are supplements derived from natural sources. I will list my personal choices:

AST Multi Pro 32X
500mg Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid)
Dessicated Liver Tablets
Kelp Capsules

The last three are in there because I am a bodybuilder and have much different nutritional needs. However, I do recommend AST Multi Pro 32X, especially if you're active.

I don't think that vitamin pills work, dear. You cannot obtain your nutritional needs simply by taking a pill, food has to be your main source of vitamins and minerals. Most of those pills are worthless anyway. They are created cheaply in laboratories using very low-quality ingredients which are synthetic and not organic and they are mainly composed of binders and fillers and chemical coatings, with the vitamin and mineral content the smallest part of the pill. They are inorganic, they have no bioavailability at all, they are overpriced and worthless as a health aid.

There have also been some scientific studies recently that have refuted health claims made for these pills. Volunteers have swallowed supplements for years and have been tested for health effects from taking these over a five year period. Unsurprisingly, health effects were negligible and the volunteers who took them still died of strokes, heart attacks, cancer etc. Please don't waste your money on worthless pills, try eating a healthy, well balanced diet and drinking plenty of water, This is better than bought tablets from a chemist or supermarket.

Me too. I dont think the vitamin pills may work. I had been tried some for a while and I am still the same nothing change since then.

I'm not sure about preventing strokes, heart attacks, cancer, etc; but as far as athletic performance goes, I have to say that good vitamins make a difference. I was stuck in a plateau for a while when taking 2 centrums per day. I then moved up to 1 AST Multi Pro 32X per day and started progressing in my workouts again, and I haven't plateaued since then. I've also found that dessicated liver tablets do at least as much for me as creatine.

I've found that certain things, like swollen lymph nodes (I suffer from several autoimmune diseases, so I'm in a constant state of infection) are better with vitamins (and yes, I eat around 10 servings of fruit and veg daily, and even force myself to eat fruit and veg I don't particularly like to make sure I get a variety). I also have fewer psoriasis flare-ups when I take vitamins. So for me, they are worth my money.

What about those of us that don't eat sugar in any form (including fructost). How are we to get the nutrients in fruit? Can you brew blueberry/apple teas that we buy at the grocery store for example?

I never used to take vitamins and i suffered because of it. I was always tired and out of energy and just plain dead all of the time. I was introduced to the vitamins i take now by a close friend and from that point on my life has had big changes. i have lost weight and started feeling healthier. i have more energy as well. I work at a foundry so you kind of need to be awake and have energy for safety issues and i never have problems with being tired at work anymore. I found these all natural vitamins at this website- www.DontForgetToTakeYourVitamins.com/Lanfranca12578. they don't have any synthetic vitamins in them which can cause heart problems. this is the main reason i never used to take vitamins.

Ok, now this one just takes the cake for unbacked junk science info. Synthetic vitamins now cause heart problems. Lovely.

The human body is designed to break down food and use it to make energy and provide nutrition which keeps the body working properly. Imagine a car needing petrol to run on and you have the basic idea. The food that we eat is fuel for the human body. Vitamin pills are a 20th century invention, people could be healthy before then without all these pills and tablets, and they probably knew next to nothing about nutrition in those days. Yet they still survived, they still were healthy and they did not have so many of the problems we see today like obesity, cancers, etc.

If you want an example of this, just look at the Queen Mother. She was born in 1900, she was probably brought up without vitamin supplements (these would not have been invented by then) save perhaps for the obligatory tablespoon of cod liver oil as a child. Throughout her twenties, thirties and mid-forties at least, she would not have taken any vitamin pills at all (these were a post World War 2 invention).
She was healthy and spritely and looked so well throughout her entire life. So much so that even at the age of 90 she was getting about the place and still carrying out public duties. Apparently she loved to drink gin and dubonnet and swore by homeopathy, but that's all.

Would we not all love to be as healthy and vigorous as her at that age? Did she ever take vitamins, I doubt it really. She was raised in an age where people smoked, drank, ate three meals a day, did not exercise that much and knew virtually nothing about diet and vitamins and minerals. She lived to 101 and looked fabulous. I doubt that she was obsessed with her health and constantly popping pills all the time, she just lived her life and enjoyed herself. I think that is the secret. Happiness keeps you healthy. The oldest woman in the world, Jeanne Calment, was a Frenchwoman and she lived into a very advanced old age, and she was a smoker! It's not always the case that those who live the longest have the healthiest lifestyle, in many cases it's actually the opposite.

Multivitamins have not been shown to prevent any illness. If someone takes a multivitamin everyday as a sort of health insurance policy, that is their choice. But it won't make you live any longer than anyone else. It won't make you healthier than people who don't take them. Taking a vitamin pill cannot correct for a poor diet, and there is also evidence to show that you could easily overdose on some of the fat-soluble vitamins like A,D,E and K. As fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver if there is an excess, these can build-up over time and eventually cause liver damage. This is a very real fact. Toxic levels of vitamins can easily be reached when taking supplements because the doses are concentrated. If you get your vitamins from foods an overdose is extremely unlikely to occur. Toxic levels of vitamins can cause a series of unpleasant health conditions. To be safe, make sure that if you do take vitamins that they are formulated to 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance and are made by a reputable company. Avoid high-strength formulas as these vitamins are rarely necessary for most people, and stick with a basic Multivitamins and Iron formulation. The brands that have a complete A-Z vitamin and mineral formula are usually rather irritating to the stomach and can make you feel nauseous occasionally. Minerals are only really needed by the body in very minute amounts, therefore an A-Z supplement is unnecessary usually.
A chemists brand of vitamins is usually slightly higher quality than a supermarket brand, having said that-if you must take a multivitamin then do shop around for a brand that suits you and your budget.

I hope these tips help. Sorry about the length of this post.

I think that most people CAN get adequate nutrition from their meals without having to resort to vitamin supplementation. If you eat meat regularly, have vegetables with your evening meal, drink plenty of water and try to eat some fruit each day I think you are unlikely to need a multivitamin.

Even with lack of mineral content in modern vegetables and peoples abysmal high-calorie, high-sugar and junk food diets, vitamin and mineral deficiency diseases like scurvy, rickets, and beri-beri are virtually unheard of in the western world. The majority of people in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most of Europe are generally healthy and not seriously deficient in vitamins and minerals.

There is a great deal of difference between a slight dietary deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals, and a full-blown deficiency disease like scurvy. A person who exists on junk food and take-aways might well be slightly deficient in vitamin C for example, but it would be preposterously unlikely that this would lead to scurvy. There would still be just enough vitamin C in that persons unhealthy diet to prevent them from getting scurvy. A nutritional deficiency is not always life-threateningly serious, a lot of the time these are simply minor deficits which are easily correctable with dietary changes.

The danger with vitamin pills is that because swallowing a pill is a very simple act, the idea of simply taking a pill every day for your nutritional needs is very appealing to a lot of people. It may lull them into a false sense of security in thinking that their nutritional needs are protected by taking the pill, and that no real effort has to be made with their daily diet and it's nutritional content. Vitamin pills are called food supplements because they are meant to SUPPLEMENT a healthy, balanced diet-not to replace it.

Food should always be your first and major source of nutrition. If you try to eat fruits and vegetables regularly, drink lots of water, eat bread and meat regularly you should get most of your vitamins and minerals. If you choose to take a vitamin pill to supplement this diet then that is your choice, but it would probably be quite unnecessary with the variety of foods consumed. A pill can never replace natural nutrient values in wholesome, natural foods. Eat plenty of these and you can not go wrong.

I personally do not take any vitamins or minerals, believing that my diet is adequate for providing what I need and if it were not, the diet would have to be improved and not supplemented with myriad different pills.

This post gives evidence of the confusion and uncertainty surrounding the nutrition supplement issue in the minds of most. The best thing to do in my opinion is to invetigate the issue and not make assumptions about what we put in our bodies especially if we are expecting certain results.

A good resource for finding information not based on rumors or hype, is Better Life Unlimited. You will find great articles there on a variety of health related issues. I have spoken with several of the doctors there and find that they are very helpful with any questions I have.

I found these great plant-based multivitamins through a company called Nutrilite. They aren't the least expensive on the market but they are the best I've ever seen.

Do your own investigation though. Look for plant-based, certified organic, readily absorbable supplements. Too many companies are throwning junk into the market and making it difficult for people to find quality nutrition.

Of course, we still need to look for quality foods too. Fresh fruits and vegetables... preferably organic. Exercise should be a focus too. Our convenience-based society makes us have to work exercise into our daily routine. Sedentary lifestyles are dangerous to our health. Supplementaion and healthy diet are not enough. We still have to get up and do something.

I find that the outdoors provides plenty of activities that used to be a normal way of life. But we all know this stuff right?

Here's to everyone's healthy, happy life!

Tom

The key is not to put any synthetic ingredients into your body.

Our bodies are organic, they view any synthetic ingredients as foreign and that’s why all of the vitamin studies are coming back ambiguous, they never study live energetic whole foods.

If you want an insurance policy than add organic whole food nutrients to your diet and throw always all man made synthetic vitamins. Whole foods have a spectrum of vitamins and minerals that come together as complexes, no where in nature do you find isolated ascorbic acid, vitamin C. It is always found in concert with other vitamins, enzymes and co-factors.

Finally lets not forget the power of the mind to help our bodies and the power of helping others.

I keep hearing people say "drink plenty of water". However, it is my understanding that if you are eating enough fruit and vegetables, there's no need to drink all that much water, as you get a lot of fluids from the very fruit and vegetables you're already consuming. Or am I off base?

If you believe that vitamin/mineral tablets can supplement your daily intakes rather than act as substitute for food, point your browser to your.mitamins.info where you can customize and purchase your own formulas. We can even help you sell your customized formulas if you believe they will benefit others.

Ryan said:
Liver tabs

I'm all for liver tablets too, particularly in concert with a greens powder.

That's the complete whole food vitamin/minerals right there. The liver has the B vitamins that vegetables lack, as well as many minerals. (Brewer's yeast would work too, for a vegetarian.)

The greens powder I use is called "Best of Greens" and includes freeze-dried sea vegetables, algaes, grasses and cruciferous vegetables. BoG is the only one I've found so far that is all greens, and no fillers. Good stuff.

Have you researched Usana Health Sciences? Their products were rated number #1 in Lyle MacWilliams Comparative Guide to Nutritionals from over 500 nutritionals tested.

Dr. Wentz, the founder, is a world reknown microbiologist who has just won the Albert Einstein award.

His vision to change world health has made a huge difference.

Learn more about Usana products at:
www.newstart.usana.com

GETTING VITAMINS

I am one of those people that should be taking vitamins but never enjoyed popping pills. However my husband and I have found an easy and tasteful way to get our daily fruit requirement,,we drink Monavie. Monavie is a juice made up of 19 fruits including the ACAI berry. The ACAI berry has been named the #1 superfood in the world by Dr. Perricone. My husband and I drink 2oz in the morning and 2oz at night and have never felt better. Our energy level has soared, we have lost over 30 pounds combined, our aches and pains have vanished and my cholesterol and high blood pressure has finally registered normal levels!! Learn more about this great drink: email me at garmonavie@aol.com

Why you should stick with whole foods vitamins:
http://thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.php?page=articles/whole_food_vitamins.php

I think there is one important thing that we all need to consider and that is that for thousands of years the natural remedies have been used and these are as they say naturally occuring not man made and manufactured with almost a single goal in mind "MONEY". Maybe some folk have our health in mind but the fact remains we are only human. Natural vitamins and minerals are by far the most reliable and beneficial.

I read a book a long time ago discussing the benefits of natural vitamins compared to synthetic supplements and there were numerous benefits to natural. It even went so far as saying that it is more difficult for you body to recognize these synthetic strains and as a result can actually overabsorb them causing harm to your body.

I do believe that we all need vitamins simply because our food has become so processed and we eat much more JUNK than we did many years ago. I do think it is hard for us to gleen the needed amounts out of the food we get from the grocery store. The top 4 causes on death worldwide are: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Diabetes. These are all largely preventable through diet and lifestyle. Many Americans are suffering from low energy, stress related illnesses, sleeping problems, and chronic pain.....not to mention being overweight. The question really isn't "Do we need vitamins?" it is "Do vitamins do what they are supposed to do?"
I certainly understand the debate. Some info. a lot of you might appreciate. Shaklee recently did a study which involved 1000 people. Some were long time Shaklee users (20+ years), some were users of other supplements and some used no supplements. The results just recently came out and I can e-mail it to any of you who are interested. What I have learned over the years is to ask for the facts. "Do you have a double-blind clinical study that shows the results of this product?" Shaklee is the only company I know of that does this sort of research. They test and retest. Sure, everyone wants to make money, however, Shaklee is very concerned about the consumer. Perhaps there are other companies out there with similar research, but I haven't heard about them.
I have returned time and again to the Shaklee supplements. I have Epilepsy. I have had it my entire life and it is controlled by meds. However, I have found that being on meds every day wears down my immune system. I have had Canker sores in my mouth nearly constantly ever since I can remember. Sometimes I would have 4-5 at a time. Since getting back on the Shaklee supplements 3 months ago, I have not had an issue other than one time when I had a cold. It is amazing. I have more energy and no longer need a nap in the middle of the day (a HUGE deal when you have 8 kids and run a daycare!!!). :)
Anyway, this is getting LONG. E-mail me if you would like a copy of the study and more info. :)
Have a great day!!!
Colleen

If you can maintain a healthy diet, then vitamin supplementation may not be needed. But if your lifestyle or work schedule prohibits you from eating healthy foods(which applies to many people), then supplementation may be a better choice.

vitamins said:
if your lifestyle or work schedule prohibits you from eating healthy foods(which applies to many people)[...]

i would love to see those results you mentioned, i eat a diet with little fresh fruit and veg and was led to believe synthetic multi vitamins were actually just more of a hindrance than a help... if i thought that a daily multi vitamin would even supply me with just a little gooodness i would deem them worthwhile although everyone seems to have conflicting views. confused. very. with thanks shaun

I am dismayed to see that this thread has turned into an advertisement for differing companies and their overpriced brands of vitamins. If you want to be healthy then you need to eat lots of whole foods and plenty of fruits and vegetables, in particular. If you manage this then you have absolutely no need to take any vitamin pills at all and any doctor or nutritionist or dietician will confirm this statement.

If you realise that your diet falls short of essential nutrients then you need to improve your diet, not head for the shops and buy loads of pills. The problem is that we live in a generation of pill-monsters and people want to take a pill for every little thing because it seems so convenient just to swallow a tablet. We are obsessed with pills. Feel depressed? Take a pill. Want to lose weight? Take a pill. Having trouble sleeping? Take a pill. Eating a less-than-healthy diet? Take a vitamin pill.

I think a lot of this is simple laziness on our part. People can't be bothered to eat a healthy, wholesome diet. So they binge on junk-foods and expect that taking a multivitamin will make up for it. Sadly it won't make up for it, at all. You can't eat an unhealthy diet and expect that a handful of different pills will make everything alright. It's also recently been discovered that taking vitamin pills to excess can raise the chances of developing various cancers and can also shorten lifespans as well. This has been indicated in recent scientific trials in France and Denmark by respected researchers. You can probably find information about these trials on the internet. Now it's official: Vitamin pills shorten lifespans and increase risk of cancer!

Don't EVER take these pills. Just eat a healthy diet, OK?

Jonathan said:

"I am dismayed to see that this thread has turned into an advertisement for differing companies and their overpriced brands of vitamins."

And I totally agree, which is why we at Mitamins reccommend customized vitamin supplements that suit your needs and budget.

Thanks

regardless of whether vitamins pills provide the adequate amount of nutrition, many people lack certain amounts of vitamins for a healthy lifestyle. its unrealistic to constantly worry about your diet all the time and that is where vitamin pills come in.

in any case, vitamin pills are known as supplements. they are not meant to replace anything but rather add and improve health.

i like how you compare vitamins to insurance policies. i'm pretty risk adverse and definitely for insurance policies. you only live once and personally i want to maximize mine.

I agree with most of the replies that I have read that talk about vitamins and the importance of them, but what I have noticed in this forum is how that topic did switch over into losing weight as well.

We all definitely need to take the right vitamins and supplements whether we chose to diet or not, just to maintain the healthiest body we can and since we do not typically eat enough fruits and vegetables during the day. But lets not overlook the natural herbs and supplements that can be taken specifically for weight loss, such as Hoodia Gordonii, or All Cells Salts, which is very high in minerals, Gentian, Bladderwrack, Greasewood, just to name a few.

The biggest thing that I have always disliked about taking vitamins, supplements or even diet pills, when I purchased them from time to time, is that they are hard to swallow and most people that I speak to agree, they dislike having to take a handful of pills in the morning, in the afternoon and at night to just to get what our bodies need.

www.mypureherbs.net