VITAMIN MYTHS

• Excess amounts of water soluble B vitamins are harmlessly flushed out of the body(?)

While this myth is often repeated, PLEASE know that this is simply not TRUE. Yes, elimination does increase, but it is what happens while these amounts are in the body for a short time that is potentially damaging.

Research is finding Vitamin B12 and synthetic Vitamins B1 & B6, and Folic acid can have adverse effects, usually at mega dosages, but also at what is now considered regular supplement dosages. Vitamin B1 at low to moderate dosages can increase certain types of cancer growth rates, like breast cancer.* Vitamin B6 over 200 mg on neurological conditions and Folic Acid over about 800 mcg on potential cancer growth and dementia. These associations have been known about for some time. Many nutrients are diphasic with detrimental effects at both low and high amounts. Vitamin B6 is necessary for proper nerve action, but only within a beneficial range of amounts. Both a deficiency and an excess are associated with damage to nerves. article article 

New research found an association between vitamin B6 at rather a modest amount increased lung cancer in men by 30-40%. ref  This study also found an association with over 500 mcg of vitamin B12 and lung cancer too. Needs to be rapidly verified. These were only observational studies, not cause and effect. Here is a report of positive vitamin B6 on cancer. Check amounts! ref

Another factor against vitamin B6 in larger doses comes from this study which strongly links vitamin B6 in women with increased rectal tumors. More work in this area is needed. A result somewhat opposite of that found in men where lower vitamin B6 was associated with greater risk for colon cancers. ref

Here is a study that looked at the different forms of vitamin B6 for action in test tubes on certain vital cells. The synthetic form of B6 used in many supplements at higher amounts killed the vital cells while natural co-enzyme forms of vitamin B6 did not. This speaks quite loudly against high dose synthetic B6 and favors the natural forms. Also, higher synthetic B6 dosages reduced the activity level of the natural forms in the body.  

If this is not enough, another study looking at vitamin B6 and B12 found an increased risk of hip fractures in postmenopausal women. The amount of vitamin B6 with this association begins at only 35 mg. and Vitamin B12 amounts over 20 mcg. ref These amounts are found in many multivitamins and B-complexes.

*(controversial) lFirst reference on cancer link ref, and another for vitamin B1 to slow down growth rate in very large dosages on certain cancers. article

FOLIC ACID

Folic Acid at higher dietary amounts is preventative against defects to fetal development of spinal cords, but may impair cognitive processes (dementia) in Elders when coupled with low vitamin B12 levels. ref  It has to be pointed out though that detrimental actions of vitamins are often only observed in a very small percentage of the population. Of course when adverse possibilities are known to exist, appropriate precautions should be exercised.

B Vitamins may operate best at moderate to higher dietary amounts but can run into adverse conditions when food sources and supplements are added together. There also appear to be differences between men and women as well as types of disease.

Looks like there is more to consuming excess water soluble B vitamin amounts than they are simply and harmlessly flushed out of the body that Nutritionists and Vitamin Companies need to consider, and the Public made aware. 

• Since bones are mostly calcium, taking extra calcium will build stronger bones and prevent fractures...

Yes, this is now partly a myth. You do need a certain amount of calcium equal to or slightly more than what is lost out of the body daily, but not the large amounts dairy or supplements can provide. The amount measured to be lost daily varies from 250 to 500, and while up to 700 milligrams has been documented, that amount is very rare. The amount depends upon factors and conditions in the body such as genes, diet, pH, and lifestyle.

The Dairy Industry has for the last 80 years along with the cattle industry supplied nutritional education materials for schools. In these materials, milk and beef played major roles and several generations have grown up with the mind-set that milk and beef are essential to health. Thus, when you now hear that a lifetime of milk drinking does not necessarily protect bones from fractures and may actually slightly increase fracture risk, shock and disbelief are the logical common sense reactions. ref  But this is exactly what research has been discovering for more than a dozen years now.

Supplements have shown slightly less risk which might put some of the high dairy increased risks on other nutrients also present, such as saturated fat and IGF-1. New theories have now emerged that have clarified the bone building process and explain why this is happening. It will take many years for this new information to penetrate the mind-set created by the dairy industry and correct health behaviors. It is paramount to learn how to balance and keep the diet and bones healthy long term if dairy is consumed. Read Healthy Bones article.. 

• Since Alpha Tocopherol is the member of the vitamin E family with almost all the action, it is the only one that needs to be supplemented.

This myth is the result of a Government decision in the 1940s that is perhaps responsible for much of the adverse effects observed in some vitamin E studies. This decision only gave alpha tocopherol, just one of the 8 vitamin E family forms found in food, vitamin E units and the only form able to be called vitamin E. Research has now discovered that the other 7 vitamin E members have functions unique to them that alpha tocopherol does not perform, or only partially performs. ref

All research to date is incomplete since it is missing nature's balance of all the family members of vitamin E. Taking higher amounts of vitamin E supplements with only alpha tocopherol, whether synthetic or natural, can interfere with the absorption amounts of the other family members arriving in food as indicted by blood measurements. ref Plus, higher intakes of natural d'alpha tocopherol synthetic dl'alpha tocopheryl complete with and can block out vitamin K absorption. 

Now, the first reference finding above should be the end all to include the whole family of vitamin E and not just the alpha tocopherol form for Dementia. In fact, the vitamin E family member showing the most prevention of Alzheimer's in not alpha tocopherol, ref (<incomplete vitamin E form used) but beta tocopherol. Higher beta tocopherol intake reduces the risk for Alzheimer's. Plus, it is the tocotrienol members of vitamin E that have greater ability to control and lower cholesterol over just alpha tocopherol. Of course all the vitamin E family members need to be taken, but science has yet to determine the healthiest amounts or if ratio amounts between the 8 different vitamin E forms is also a vital factor. article

* Synthetic vitamin E is equal to natural vitamin E. 

 CAUTION: Do NOT consume synthetic vitamin E, listed as dl'alpha tocopheryl on labels. This article pretty much sums it up. Synthetic Vitamin E was never equal to the natural form. The Scientists at the time increased the synthetic material amount until the vitamin E function they were measuring tested the same as a now smaller amount of natural vitamin E. The fact that equal amounts did not show the same activity level really is the factor that settles the issue. They are not equal and never were. Plus, vitamin E has more than just the one function the Scientists were using to equate the two forms.

Since the 1940's, many new functions have emerged for natural vitamin E and the synthetic E material keeps falling further behind the natural form in activity. This is no longer in question. But, the Government Scientists responsible for setting standards has failed to acknowledge and move on these facts and change vitamin E units and definition to include the other family members. Other Scientists have measured and given vitamin E activity to all the 8 vitamin E members and began to talk about changes and study the functions of all the vitamin E forms and related synergism.

What media is saying about myths?

This section would not be complete without taking on the very upfront Reader's Digest on their article; 22 warning signs your vitamins aren't going to work> Here  And of course their article on myths;

6 Vitamin Myths You Have to Stop Believing—and 2 Vitamins You Actually Do Need

Plus, here is another article from Medical News Today on myths here, vitamin myths.

While all the issues raised by the above Reader's Digest article have merit, the REAL issue is that the article fails to uncover the real culprit. Multi-vitamins formulas ALL use faulty vitamin forms, dosages, and are missing synergistic family members needed to impact the health and disease conditions under study. 

These vitamin myths are all explored by Vitamin Workshop 101 with simple explanations as to why and how? 

SCIENTIFIC MISINFORMATION MYTHS

This topic sticks a dagger into the heart of scientific methodology, misinformation in the age of a pandemic. It is interesting and unfortunate to see that science has morphed into a political tool. When Scientists have to watch what they say because SOMEONE DETERMINES IT IS MISINFORMATION, and that science has a moral obligation to consider conforming to cultural or societal norms, pure science is dead. Check out this analysis of an article on scientific misinformation in the public sphere, concerning Covid-19 scientific data. article

Here is a rather concerning paragraph: "The misinformation crisis exemplified and intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic lays a gauntlet at the door of all science communicators. Scholars, experts, educators, activists, organizers, public servants, and philanthropists share an obligation to engage in “difficult, broad-based negotiation of moral, financial, and other societal trade-offs alongside a collective investigation of scientific potential”. In the end, it is our hope that this colloquium issue will stimulate deeper explorations of the causes and cures for misinformation, conducted in closer collaborations among researchers and practitioners."

Are you now picturing that immoralized sentense uttered by movie star Jack M, "You can't handle the TRUTH."

Do you know why the FDA said it needed 50 years to release 329,000 or more pages of the Pfizer testing data on vaccine safety supplied to the CDC for drug approval? Not enough staff due to covid shortages and could only turn over 500 pages a month. A judge ruled that was OK for them to even take more time if needed.

Is this misinformation, myth, or ...?

Well, actually, the CDC said it contained information that could be mis-interpreted into negative stories that would confuse the Public. New case Judge rules FDA to turn over 55,000 pages a month. article Look it up. article