Yoga, Evaluating Vitamin Supplements

Bob Crowther shares some perspectives about the value, safety and possible  health risks attributed to vitamin supplements. 

For many years vitamins were are recognized by the medical community and nutritionists as essential for health maintenance and overall fitness.

This position was based on decades of research since the the words 'vital amine' were used by Casimir Funk in 1912 to describe a rice coat protein (later identified as vitamin B1, thiamine). 

Google vitamins/NYT for an overview of these thirteen organic compounds, to learn the basics of their nine water (B's, C) and four fat (A, D, E, K) soluble forms and to identify some foods containing them.

Despite their various and important roles in facilitating normal metabolism, the consumption and safety of vitamin supplements have been in the news recently based on an evaluation and publication of diverse data.

Read About Recent Research Findings

A recent editorial published in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, was critical of vitamin supplement use: among other findings, the five authors wrote:

"most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided".

Medical institutions including the Mayo Clinic have issued statements on their websites about vitamin supplements that should be heeded: consumption of high concentrations of vitamins can be toxic.

Not surprisingly, warnings about vitamin supplements are not new. 

This most recent editorial has prompted individual and group commentary challenging the content of the statement.

Organizations involved in supplement supply and retail like the Natural Products Association have been vocal.

Undoubtedly, a vigorous response to protect their multi-billion dollar industry will occur - raising, among others, the following issues:

• What about those studies citing protective effects from vitamin supplements especially in diverse geographical regions where malnutrition and unbalanced diets occur?

• What assumptions, criteria and controls are made when studies evaluating vitamin supplements are being designed? 

• How are age differences and nutritional status determined? [what actually constitutes a well balanced diet among participants] 

The public is confronted with one reality of scientific inquiry: change occurs, our knowledge continues to evolve. 

Vitamins once thought to be and promoted as safe have been subsequently found to either have no benefit or to be harmful.

Simply recall relatively recent announcements made by medical community professionals of changing recommendations and policies during the past six months re: 

• obesity (now a disease)
• statin use 
• cholesterol treatment
• trans fats
• high carbohydrate consumption leading to diabetes
• high blood pressure medications.

The public is left with conflicting advice about vitamin supplements.

How are individuals to make informed decisions about these vitamin supplements?

Questions Remain. 

Given the diversity of basic and applied vitamin research data, what has to occur to reconcile the reports in books and articles by medical and nutrition specialists demonstrating positive outcomes from vitamin supplement use?

Are current daily vitamin recommendations for infants, adolescents, young and mature adults in need of further revision? 

Do they reflect our most current scientific understanding?

In the absence of regulation and oversight by the Food and Drug Association of industry claims supplying supplements, the consumer is confronted on how to assess and receive unbiased information on these products. 

Compounding this lack of accountability, even when FDA approval has been recognized, problems will remain: not all individuals will have similar reactions to evaluated products and adverse, even lethal reactions, may occur to some number of individuals.

Many individuals have taken a multivitamin for decades related to an absence of balanced nutrition choices and simply seeking to 'feel  better.

Reading the dietary supplements documents available from the National Institutes of Health website may be a good first step to formulate questions for your primary care physicians, medical specialists and / or nutritionists re: vitamin supplements for your specific conditions. 

What are your perspectives? 

Let me know what you think about how the medical community can be more transparent and better educate the public about vitamin supplements. 

A Scientific Note

Interest in the evolutionary biology of vitamins within different organisms remains an active research discipline - see Carl Zimmer's two articles appearing in the New York Times (NYT) (December, 2013).

#Fat and Water-Soluble Vitamins #Vitamin Supplement Health Risks # Vitamin Supplement Safety #Yoga And Nutrition