Most Daily Vitamins Are Worthless

Photo: The Washington Post

According to the latest medical research, most of the daily vitamins we take are useless; and certain common vitamin supplements are, in fact, harmful. That is surprising! I don't know about you, but I have taken a multivitamin since early childhood ... even by dropper before I could swallow pills. If there's no real benefit, that's a ton of money down the drain!

Business Insider wrote an article on vitamins -- listing ones to take, as well as, ones to skip, based on what science tells us to do. Let me sum up the recommendations for you:

Vitamins to take:

1) Vitamin D - It keeps our bones strong by helping us absorb calcium, but it's hard to get all our requirements from food alone. In the summer, we get vitamin D from being out in the sun. In the winter, not so much. The people who took Vitamin D supplements in a large 2011 medical study lived longer then those who didn't.

2) Zinc - It's the only supplement proven to shorten colds. The mineral seems to interfere with the reproduction of cold viruses.

3) Folic acid - Take folic acid if you are pregnant, or if you might get pregnant. Studies show it reduces birth defects of the fetus' brain, spine and spinal cord.

Vitamins to skip:

1) Multivitamins - You get everything you need in a balanced diet. Consuming an excess of vitamins like A, Bs and C can harm you. In the 2011 study, women who took multivitamins over a long period of time died sooner than the women who didn't take multivitamins! So at the very least, multivitamins didn't keep the study group healthy.

2) Antioxidants - Get your antioxidants from berries.🍓🍒 (Technically, a cherry is a drupe, due to the pit.) When taken in excess as supplements, vitamins A, C and E have been linked to an increase of certain cancers, especially among male smokers.

3) Vitamin C - Eat citrus fruit 🍊🍋 instead of taking vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C has not been proven to shorten a cold, plus it raises the risk of painful kidney stones.

4) Probiotics - We can get probiotics from yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles and other fermented food at a fraction of the cost of probiotic pills. The science is lacking to support the benefit of taking a more expensive pill supplement.

5) Vitamin B3 - Better to get vitamin B3 by eating salmon, tuna and beets.🐟 The study subjects who took vitamin B3 pills developed infections, liver problems and internal bleeding.

6) Vitamin E - Get vitamin E from food like eggs 🍳 and spinach. Vitamin E supplements increased the risk of prostate cancer in men.

The bottom line is, Mother Nature rules, and many of us may want to change our thinking. It is always better to get vitamins by eating food. Food gives your body all the vitamins it needs in the right form and amount. Supplements just don't cut it. Science can't prove the benefit of taking many of them, so most likely, we are spending lots of money for nothing. Arrghh!

At no time, have I ever gone vitamin supplement overboard, but for years have taken a (drugstore brand) multivitamin pill. Alas, I'm already doomed!🙂

Photo: Flickr/Michelle Dyer

Nonetheless, I do take the latest data seriously (before future studies change the advice again, bringing back the need to take multivitamins:). Certainly for now, I will be vigilant about taking a vitamin D supplement ... and zinc, if I'm trying to ward off a cold. What will you do my smart, savvy readers?


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Vitamins For Your Health, Is Expensive Better?

Do you wake up each morning and reach for a fix of vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements? I know I do. Right after breakfast, I pop a multi-vitamin, usually a Theragran-M into my month. Then later in the day, I take extra calcium, vitamin D with magnesium and a fish oil capsule. But is it necessary? After all, except for occasional indulgences … like french fries! or nachos!!, I eat healthy meals. And I also mix it up, eating a variety of different foods, colors, fruits and vegetables each day. So do I need the supplements too? Well as it turns out, the answer is probably yes. Many doctors think supplements are a good idea to make sure we get all the vitamins and nutrients that may be lost by the time our food reaches our plates, or that we just don't get enough of in the foods we eat.

Most doctors agree, you don't need to buy fancy vitamins. Dr. Mehmet Oz, co-author of the books, “You, The Owner 's Manual,” says it's fine to buy “straight forward, inexpensive vitamins” like those found in a drugstore. He tells readers to purchase vitamins from the big companies. The better known companies are not likely to cheat you on the amount of vitamins listed on the label. You want to be sure "the vitamins are in there" as claimed. For the amount of each vitamin recommended check here. The one area Dr. Oz differs from what is routinely recommended by the FDA and vitamin companies is the amount of vitamin D an adult needs. Dr. Oz and new studies say the standard is too low. Instead, we should get at least 1,000-1,200 IUs per day. Vitamin D should be combined with 1000 mgs of calcium, plus 500 mgs of magnesium so your body can absorb it. And if possible it's best to divide your dose of vitamins and supplements, and take them twice a day. Some doctors, including Dr. Oz, believe DHA-Omega 3 fats are good for your brain. If you don't eat salmon or sardines twice a week, the consensus is, you can take a daily DHA-Omaga 3 pill.

As Dr. Oz notes, “Most of us could get all our nutrients from our diets," but the reality is, "most of us don't” in the foods we eat. So unless you're that rare person who eats right every single day and can be sure the apple you eat today has all the nutrients it did a hundred years ago, “you're better off taking supplements just to be safe.”

And as we focus on staying healthy, America is debating a safety net of another kind: universal health care. Here's what Roger Ebert, the noted film critic who has battled cancer for several years, has to say about the proposed reforms. It's worth a read. Click here.