Vitamin Roulette
If you were to believe all the media scares about health and nutrition, by now you would have abandoned all uses of cellphones, salt, refined sugar, teflon pans, soda, deodorants, lettuce, cantaloupes, meat, and fish — and in the process would have become a thorough pain in the ass. And last month, you would have stopped taking vitamins.
World renowned biochemist and microbiologist Bruce Ames, speaking at a recent medical conference, lamented how news media tend to misinterpret or sensationalize epidemiological findings.
A superficial review of demographic data for the city of Miami, he pointed out, would show that – as if by magic — everyone is born Hispanic but dies Jewish.
Which reminded me of the shocking but true statistic that the average American has one ball and one tit.
In the case of the vitamin scare, news headlines gasped that supplements do no good whatever, or that they actually hasten death. But a preponderance of the best evidence runs more like this:
Americans suffer from widespread nutrient deficiencies including vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, folate, and omega 3 fatty acids.
A host of solid studies in recent years have found positive outcomes achieved by correcting these deficiencies with supplements to combat various diseases. These include calcium and vitamin D for women with bone loss; folic acid for people with cervical dysplasia (pre-cancerous lesions); iron for anemics; B-complex vitamins to improve cognitive function; vitamin C, E, and zinc; carotenoids and selenium to lower the risk of macular degeneration; and folate and vitamin B12 to treat or lower the likelihood of depression.
These are just examples of the reasons for taking supplements and of their effects. Vitamin D, for example – the so-called sunshine vitamin – also has been credibly connected (sometimes combined with calcium) with stronger bones, fewer fractures, fewer cancers, and lower risk of multiple sclerosis and diabetes. (source: Jane Brody in the New York Times).
As for Dr. Ames, he has written extensively about how vitamin and mineral insufficiencies contribute to various age-related diseases.
Obviously, it’s ideal to get all the essential nutrients in a healthy, balanced diet. Short of that, supplements could be important because people who eat nothing but processed foods can wind up like 17th century sailors, subject to scurvy and rickets.
We’re talking common sense here. We’re not experts in any of this, and we’ve been quick to lampoon the miracle-cure nutrient nostrum industry with its thousands of mostly silly products and supercilious claims – as we did this past August when some of the supplement suppliers staged gala Back-to-School Sales. But basic nutrients like those mentioned here (they sell those, too) are essential, whether administered by food, supplements, injections, or sunshine.
Oh yes, and regular physical exercise not only keeps you fit but also aids in generating more neurons in the brain.
So you’re smart to go to the gym and even smarter when you leave.