Using Vitamins to Prevent Disease

Many vitamin enthusiasts today are recommending that we take very large quantities, or mega doses, of vitamins to prevent disease. This is not always a bad idea, although available data and government policies, as well as much of the nutrition and medical establishment, say this form of supplementation can be dangerous and is ill-advised.

There's no doubt that mega doses of certain vitamins (A and D come to mind) can be harmful. But when it comes to the antioxidant vitamins C and E and to folk acid, which clinical studies linked to decreasing the risks of cancer and heart disease, we part ways with the establishment.

While we applaud the skepticism of these groups, we feel they are mistaken in taking such a conservative and closed-minded stance in demanding incontrovertible scientific evidence of the benefits claimed for mega doses of antioxidants and folk acid before saying yes to supplementation. At this point in time, we believe the evidence for benefit is there, though the precise benefits and risks remain to be defined by further research. We don't believe it is wise or necessary to take a wait-and-see approach until studies bear fruit. Such a delay could take years off your life.

It is our contention that the evidence about the value and safety of larger doses of vitamins C and E and folk acid than recommended by the current RDAs has been proven to a great enough degree to warrant taking such products in or along with a multivitamin. DRIs, including Tolerable Upper Intake Levels, have not yet been established for the antioxidants, so we're not sure where the government will go with this issue, but the 1998 DRIs include an acknowledgment of the key role played by folate and an important increase in the intake levels for everyone. However, we advocate early and consistent antioxidant and multivitamin/mineral use starting in childhood and continuing for your whole life. Supplementation is not just for the young or old. Today, the data clearly indicate that it has benefits for all of us.

A forward-thinking group that agrees with our position is the Alliance for Aging Research, a nonprofit, national public health organization. In 1994 this group took the bold step of advocating that consumers take large amounts of antioxidant vitamins to fight age-associated damage to the body's cells. They recommended taking vitamin C in a daily dose of 250 mg to 1,000 mg and vitamin E in a dose of 100IU to 400IU per day. (The alliance also recommended beta carotene supplementation, which we do not.)

The alliance based its recommendations on over two hundred clinical and epidemiologkal studies conducted over the past two decades that suggest these vitamins can reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and cataracts as you age. In addition, their analysis found that these vitamins are safe and effective for most individuals to take, and that it is difficult to get the high doses needed from foods alone. (Besides which, most Americans are already falling short in consuming the more conservative number of servings of various foods—especially fruits and vegetables—the government recommends for good health.)

Using Vitamins to neat Disease

In contrast, the trend toward people taking massive doses of vitamins and minerals to treat disease (not just prevent it) without guidance from a physician is troubling to us. Such people are using these substances as drugs, not as food supplements. We strongly encourage you to seek the advice of a physician if you wish to use mega doses of vitamins to treat disease.

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