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May 19 2008

The Vitamin Debate

Monday, 19 May 2008

Recently the question of whether to supplement or not was raised again, this time as a result of a report from a highly regarded research body known as the Cochrane Collaboration working from the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.

As I have said before, I am not a nutritionist, but I did think there would be more to this than the scare stories which hit the headlines more or less along the lines of “vitamin supplements are bad for you.”

Having read around a bit I’m simply going to raise questions on this and some of the counter-arguments. My aim is to provoke thought rather than provide answers.

The study

This study seems to originate from an eminent body of scientists so why is it apparently ‘new’ when it was first published in February 2007 news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6399773.stm

My understanding is that this body of work was a study of other studies. I don’t know what the criteria were but from hundreds of clinical trials, 68 and then 47 were selected for further analysis.

The Copenhagen team were concentrating on vitamins A, E, C, beta- carotene and selenium. So don’t forget, this is not a comprehensive study of all vitamin supplements.

Their conclusion was that the risk of death in respect of Vitamin C and selenium was unchanged and that beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E increased the risk of death by 4%(vitamin E), 7%(beta-carotene) and 16%(vitamin A)

I wish the reporting on these studies put things in context. We all have a 100% risk of dying at some time. So what were these percentages being compared with, and over what period of time?

If for example an average person has a 2% chance of dying in any one year, then are they saying that taking vitamin A would increase it to 2.34%? How much difference does it really make?

And how much exactly of these vitamins were the subjects taking? This is not clearly reported, although I believe from the Daily Mail in my hairdressers, that it was mega-doses of single supplements (so it must be right!)

Anyway, I remember being told as a child that if you’re ever stuck in the Arctic with nothing to eat, do not in any circumstances eat polar bear liver because it’s so high in vitamin A it will kill you (if the polar bear hasn’t got there first). So I’ve always thought it was common knowledge that you shouldn’t overdo vitamin A.

What the supplement advocates say

Some of the studies studied involved people who were already seriously ill. So if someone has advanced cardiovascular disease, can you really claim that an antioxidant supplement is responsible for increasing the risk of death?

Hmmn, interesting point.

Many hundreds of studies were excluded because there weren’t any deaths. The review looked at studies of sick people taking very high dose synthetic vitamins.

So does this really mean that average reasonably healthy people should not take supplements?

Vitamin, mineral and other dietary supplements have proven health benefits and can help bridge the gap for many individuals whose diets lack essential nutrients.

Would you expect them to say anything else? Beware of vested interests – they will of course stand up for their cause. However, I tend to agree.

The study looked at synthetic vitamins and excluded those sourced from plants, such as flavinoids.

See my remarks below on whole food based supplements.

There are many studies which establish that high dose vitamins are effective in reducing the risk of lethal diseases.

I have no reason to disbelieve this but it would be helpful if one or two examples could be cited.

The balanced diet brigade

Doctors, nutritionists and dieticians recommend a wide range of foods in a balanced diet.

Fair enough, but in modern life are we all able to sustain that on a consistent basis?
Even if we do have a varied diet, rich in fruit and vegetables, can we guarantee the nutritional content of our food?
Do we know if it is grown in nutrient rich soils?
How much of its nutritional content is lost through prolonged storage before it comes forward for sale?
If like me, you tend to do a shop at a big supermarket once a week, how long does it spend in your fridge or cupboard before being eaten?

My own thoughts

General reporting on scientific matters is not done very well and does nothing to add to public understanding of these issues.

If you have land, time, and inclination, you could grow your own fruit and vegetables and eat fresh from the garden.

If you live in an arable area make sure that neither you nor your plants are accidentally sprayed by passing tractors.

If you do eat a full varied diet and feel fit and well, perhaps you don’t need supplements. If it’s properly grown and eaten fresh I strongly believe that natural food will usually have the right combinations of nutrients to sustain us. After all we have evolved together over millions of years.

Whilst I endeavour to have a healthy varied diet for all the family it is not always possible, so we do take supplements, but not high doses of any one thing (except see below). In the winter, and now, during exam time, I give my children multivitamins/minerals and omega oils (we don’t eat much oily fish).

If I have the merest inkling of a cold I will take vitamin C and zinc capsules, echinacea, green barley grass, and a mixed antioxidant fruit drink (I’ll also go to bed early). That usually does the trick. Even if it is all placebo, I don’t care – it works and I’d rather not have the cold under any circumstances.

I also take a general supplement for women when I remember. If I take it regularly it settles down the hormonal highs and lows.

If I’ve had a bit too much to drink, heavy food, of feel mildly under the weather I will take green barley grass. It has a great balancing effect.

I’m not allowed to mention the name on the web, but I am associated with a wellness company which has brought out a range of supplements based on whole foods, ie, as close to the natural source as possible and thus more bio-available (easy to absorb). Seems to me to be the best of both worlds. If you would like details you can email me here and I’ll send more information.

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