The Debate: To vitamin Up or Not to vitamin at all.
Here is the simple explanation of vitamin history to set the stage.
- Scientists observed that people who ate more of certain foods or food groups, like vegateables, where sick less often.
- So, Scientists analyzed these foods and found certain vitamins and minerals in the foods that fit the favorable nutritional and health theories of the time, such as the anti-oxidant theory.
- Scientists then isolated these vitamins and minerals out of the food and studied them for health benefits.
- Since synthetic were handy and cost effective, they were often used in research.
- Some study results were positive, some showed no benefit, and a few revealed negative results.
- As more longer term research became available, a greater amount of negative findings started showing up.
- This has generated more and more Scientists to say supplements do not work against diseases studied and some have adverse effects.
- Perhaps, as the scientific method dictates, there is another explanation that would better explain the negative vitamin research findings.
- VITAMIN FORMS, DOSAGES, AND NUTRIENT SYNERGISM matter.
WHICH SIDE IS RIGHT?
SURPRISE! Both sides are somewhat right and only a little off. Bet you didn't expect that answer. Here is why. Enough nutrients do exist in a carefully planned and selected food diet, but unfortunately, over 90%* of people simply do not eat such a diet and the reality is that some deficiencies exist, some caused by excesses of other antagonistic or absorption competitive food nutrients. High doses of vitamin E as just alpha tocopherol can block out vitamin K absorption. Plus, food growing methods have reduced food nutrient content and processing methods further remove vital nutrients. Supplements can help fill in nutritional gaps of the diet and improve health. People at or near deficiency levels benefit more than people near adaquate daily recommended amounts. This has been shown for over 60 years. The elimination of beriberi, rickets, scurvy, and pellegra proved this years ago with the fortification program adding some synthetic vitamins to certain grain foods. Plus there are recent studies showing vitamin value in preventing or reducing diseases such as macular degeneration of eyes. But, on the other side there are also some detrimental effects showing up in research such as with smokers exhibiting greater cancer risks from synthetic beta carotene and vitamin E supplements.
...a beneficial range for vitamin dosages...
The reality missed by both sides is that many vitamins have a range for beneficial effects with potential adverse effects at both low and excessively high amounts. This window concept for optimal vitamin amounts needs research to work at discovering and reporting these ranges so the consuming Public can make healthy vitamin choices. The news media is all too happy to report sensationalism for any adverse vitamin research. I.E.- All supplemental vitamins are worthless or that high dose Vitamin E will kill you!
CAUTION: Next is an article talking about safety for vitamin supplements. One referenced study that reviewed many years of vitamin studies for possible links to adverse effects found potential adverse actions at certain, most often excessive, dosages for the fat soluble vitamins since they get stored in fat and levels build up over time. Two of the water soluble vitamins C and folic acid also were found to have adverse actions as well.
VITAMIN FORMS MATTER
Plus, many vitamins and nutrients have different forms and or synergistic family members that can either exhibit increased effectiveness over other forms or greater function performance when combined together. And remember, some vitamins in higher amounts interfere with absorption of other vitamins, i.e. Vitamin E as d'alpha tocopherol over other vitamin E family members and also over vitamin K.
NEW VITAMIN TRUTHS
The truth is that if you are deficient, taking supplements would up to a certain amount and body level have value. That certain amount is not very large. If you are not deficient or already at a high body level, some supplements may not be appropriate and could move body amounts into levels that may begin to exhibit adverse effects in some people. There are studies of selenium in different regions of China that exhibit such effects. ref ref Plus, vitamin D research has found this same effect on cancer rates, protection if beginning levels are low and adverse if levels were already high before added supplements. ref
It needs to be pointed out here that of the 3 ingested areas, foods, drugs, and vitamin supplements, vitamins are by far the safest category, at least from FDA known and connected adverse events. In fact, according to Poison Control records in 2014, Zero, that is O, deaths were attributed to Vitamins or Supplements. Because there may be as yet some unknown future vitamin disease connections that are of prime importance, the prudent approach offered by this website follows the Precautionary Principle. 
SIDEBAR: Studies that fail to show benefits when taking multiple vitamins need to be addressed. Here is one such article from the Women's Health Initiative study. Article Why no benefits? Perhaps the only logical explanation that offers valid reasons is contained in this newly developed vitamin criteria. Vitamin forms, dosage windows, and nutrient synergism matter... see 4. on this page.
CRITICAL ASPECTS
Another critical aspect needs to be mentioned. Not only are dosage ranges important, but ratio ranges between related or synergistic nutrients often influence health parameters even though this concept is downgraded by many Scientists. This is due to the body's ability to compensate for less than ideal ratios for often long periods of time. This is often accomplished by speeding up elimination of excesses or by slowing down breakdown and elimination of scarce nutrients. Plus, vitamin on vitamin or mineral on mineral interactions have to factored into supplement formulas. See topic below.
The important factor here is that the body has to expend energy and take nutrients away from other vital functions in order to accomplish this compensatory action. ie Calcium from bones when potassium consumption from fruits and vegetables is low to act as an acid buffer. These are some of the vital nutrient relationships; zinc to copper, calcium to phosphorus and magnesium, folic acid to vitamin B12, vitamin D to calcium, vitamin D to K2, vitamin E alpha tocopherol to gamma tocopherol. (ref) Seldom are these ratios mentioned by traditional nutritionists, even though the supporting science behind them is used by Government Health Agencies when establishing the recommended daily nutritional amount for each vitamin and mineral.
Many studies already exist and can be used as a starting point to begin establishing this optimal window of amounts for vitamins. While the Recommended Daily Intakes (RDIs) set up by government health agencies is a good starting point, they are often either too low and occasionally too high, or do not factor in the effects of different vitamin forms, and also miss the ratio aspect. The vitamin criteria presented on this website is based upon current scientific research. It will always be a work in progress as new studies continually change knowledge realities.
SIDEBAR: This research article talks about where vitamins have effective studies and where the vitamins have not shown any positive influence. Numerous articles on this website dive into a rationale for the results of many studies due to the vitamin form used and the dosage. Vitamin E is a family of many related elements and just using one, alpha tocopherol, often leads to some of the poor results, especially on heart, brain, and prostate. article A researcher found that alpha tocopherol levels were the same in heart subjects and healthy controls and that it was gamma tocopherol that was low in heart disease. Thus, why would adding more alpha tocopherol likely lead to a better result? Turns out that the heart subject probably does need more alpha tocopherol and this was covered by the fact that since the body can convert gamma into alpha when more alpha is needed. Doesn't that mean the vitamin E forms tested and measured should include both, plus maybe also the rest of the vitamin E tocopherol family members of beta and delta since that is how nature puts them in foods. article
VITAMIN on VITAMIN InterActions
When food is the only source of vitamins, any vitamin on vitamin issue is rendered mostly moot by the low amounts of any one vitamin plus the variety of different foods to supply offsetting nutrients. BUT, with highly concentrated vitamin supplements, vitamin on vitamin issues can quickly manifest.
Check out some vitamin on vitamin issues listed here in table 15.2 on page 246. Notice some interactions are beneficial while some are detrimental. Due to vitally important considerations for vitamins, the summary for the chapter containing the Table 15.2 referenced above is copied below to safeguard against a lost link.
"Compnents of the diet can interact sometimes with beneficial and sometimes with deleterious effects. So much depends on the dietary mixture consumed and the physiological status of the consumer. When the consumer is marginally nourished, the interacting nutrients can have unexpected results. However, in the well-nourished individual consuming a wide vary of foods and not consuming an excess of any one nutrient or class of nutrients, such interactions are probably insignificant. It is only when individuals restrict their food selections and consume unbalanced supplements should there be concern over deleterious nutrient interactions." -from the Handbook of Nutrition and Food, edited by Carolyn D. Berdanier, Johanna T. Dwyer, David Heber
* According the CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):
- 9 out of 10 Americans are deficient in potassium (the CDC recently reduced potassium requirements so less people would now fall into the deficient category)
- 7 out of 10 are deficient in calcium
- 8 out of 10 are deficient in vitamin E
- 50 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin A, vitamin C, and magnesium
- More then 50 percent of the general population is vitamin D deficient, regardless of age
- While Vitamin K is not at major deficiency levels, Vitamin K2 apparently is. Vitamin K can be made by bacteria in colon. The body has to convert vitamin K into K2 unless it is supplied by certain foods or supplements.