Are Vitamins Toxic?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/opinion/sunday/dont-take-your-vitamins.html?src=me&_r=0


http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/07/the-vitamin-myth-why-we-think-we-need-supplements/277947/

This is actually a very complicated question with a complicated answer. I've been writing a book on this topic as well as other health-related topics, and I can safely say that vitamins should never be consumed in pill form. Most tablets/pills are essentially ground up rocks with a toxic adhesive to hold the powder together.


On the other hand, there are many safe and nutritious capsules or liquid vitamins that contain consumable vitamins in the same form that you would find in, say...vegetables, for instance. Always do your own research before consuming anything as an extract.


I will give you an example of a supplement I would never take in pill form. Calcium will give you bone spurs and increase your risk of heart attack unless it's combined with the proper co-factors which act as a vehicle to bring the calcium to your body in a useable configuration. Calcium causes muscles, including the heart, to contract without a way to relax by itself, although it is necessary for nearly every body function. People typically get enough calcium already, but what they don't often get enough of is the mineral that balances calcium. That mineral is magnesium. Magnesium relaxes the muscles, reduces stress, lowers the risk of heart attack, alleviates depression and muscle cramps, assists the body in using calcium for bones and muscles and many other functions.


But like calcium, magnesium has toxic forms and combinations that are good for human consumption with its co-factors. Just like H2O is water while H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide with only a single extra oxygen molecule added, minerals can also be made very different if they are not coupled with the appropriate "carrier salt" or other cofactors.


Bottom line is, vitamins and minerals are necessary for us and most of us are deficient in some of them. Before deciding on what to take, though, always look up multiple sources of information before making your own assessment about what's safe to take and what you think will do you the most benefit. Usually, natural foods are the best source of vitamins and minerals with all of the cofactors already in place. Just make sure your food sources are USDA certified organic and not from China, also non-GMO. Always read labels and avoid additives and preservatives as they will tax your liver, cause allergies, inflammation and a host of other degenerative diseases you don't want. Avoid soy at all costs. Soy is widely regarded as an anti-nutrient which is well-known to cause cancer, memory loss and digestive problems amongst other health issues.


Good luck on your quest for a supplement that is suitable for you. I hope you find what you're after and I hope I've been able to help you in some way without adding too much confusion.


Cheers

I would also like to point out that doctors are trained by the drug companies to push drugs or other products they or the hospitals produce. It's all about making money to them and "treating" the patient rather than curing the root problem. It's usually safer to take the advice of someone who isn't going to make a profit from your inquiry. There are plenty of naturopathic doctors and herbal specialists online who give free advice and were not trained by the pharmaceutical industry to brainwash you into taking their drugs with all of the side effects that go along with them.


Just an FYI and food for thought.

Is Nutrasumma Hydrolyzed Collagen capsules safe to take?

Hi Justice,

Thanks for the very useful information.

May I ask about glucosamine chondroitin? supposedly for joint health. Are there any side effects?

Many thanks.

Tired of hearing about conventional Dr's only treating symptoms and not the cause. Some may just want to make a buck but you bet there are those in the alternative medicine industry who do too. Dont throw the baby out with the bathwater! A good Dr will advise on nutrition, encourage exercise, appropriate weight loss and refer for counselling or physiotherapy etc if needed…not holistic??is


Insulting to say all Dr's are basically unethical and mere willing servants of Big Pharma!! Ever seen the long list of supplements a naturopath etc often prescribes?! I suppose the supplements industry is giving their vast profit all to charity...not! Western medicine isnt perfect but neither is the alternative.

Agree - there seems to be a desire to have 'health in a pill' - whether it be pharmaceuticals or vitamins...


There are no short cuts to good health - quite obviously diet and exercise are the answers... but taking a pill is far easier...

Hi, Recently I met someone from the company manatech: they are trying to sell Glyco-nutrients - saying something about seven essential sugars we all need etc... I have a hunch this is a crock of S*** but wondering if anyone can give some advice.

Experts Decisive Against Multivitamins: 'Stop Wasting Money'


http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/experts-decisive-against-multivitamins-stop-wasting-money/282440/

Sad but true, all the artificial vitamins and calcium pills are in many way harmful to our body in fact.


From what my doctor told me, ARTIFICIAL vitamin pills will enhance the risk of lung cancer whereas Calcium pills, like others said, actually increase the chance of getting a heart attack.



So all i suggest is understand your own risks before making any decision on what to take, some may be good and some may do more damage then you will ever imagine.

In general, it is best to get your nutrients from natural sources, and to consume them as whole foods, including all the naturally-occuring co-factors.


For example, instead of taking supplemental glucosamine/chondroitin pills, make bone soup or bone broth, using knuckle joints and marrow bones from organically-raised animals. (Look up instructions online.) Consuming this twice a week will make and keep your bones STRONG, much more effectively than any isolated supplement ever could.


Yes, soils are depleted in many areas and most modern supermarket veggies contain only a small portion of the nutrients that our grandparents got from their foods. In addition, we deplete our bodies by consuming processed and refined foods. But with a little effort and an emphasis on fresh, mostly raw and mostly organic foods, we can get most of our nutrients.


If you want to supplement beyond that, I would recommend hemp seed oil (now available from some health food stores) and cod liver oil (molecularly distilled is best, to avoid contaminants like mercury). There are also liquid vitamins made from whole-food sources that retain many co-factors, like the "Vitamin Code" ones. Some people complain about the taste, but I think that is foolish.


Look into fermenting your own vegetables, for a probiotic effect on the gut. Much cheaper, kind of fun, and actually much more effective than those expensive probiotic pills in the health food stores.


Some things that don't look like supplements actually are. Great Supermarket (in Pacific Place) sells a concentrated syrup made by vacuum-processing (low temperature) sugar beet juice. It is used in Germany as a breakfast spread, and by chefs to decorate plates with squiggly designs. But it is actually a powerful medicinal supplement, too, because it is one of the best known methyl donors AND helps prevent heart problems by encouraging the formation of nitric oxide while in the mouth.


Certain minerals like copper can be obtained from organic, unsulfured, unrefined Blackstrap Molasses. Selenium can be best obtained from Brazil nuts (assuming, of course, that the soil they were grown in contained any selenium!). Most commercial selenium supplements, on the other hand, are poorly absorbed and/or toxic.


Avoid all supplements that contain Magnesium Stearate. This slippery, fatty substance is used SOLELY for the convenience of the manufacturers, to keep the stuff from sticking to their machines. The problem is, it coats your gut and keeps you from absorbing most of what is in the pill! Stick with the whole-foods-derived supplements, and you'll avoid problems like this.


START with your diet. Eliminate the processed junk foods. Emphasize whole, natural, organic, mostly-plant-based REAL foods. THEN, after a few weeks on a truly good diet and after a bit of research, consider experimenting with supplements if you think you need them. Adding some supplements will NEVER compensate for a poor diet. In the short-term, if you have actual deficiencies, the right supplements can work wonders, but MOST of what people buy is actually a complete waste of their money.

In general, it is best to get your nutrients from natural sources, and to consume them as whole foods, including all the naturally-occuring co-factors.


For example, instead of taking supplemental glucosamine/chondroitin pills, make bone soup or bone broth, using knuckle joints and marrow bones from organically-raised animals. (Look up instructions online.) Consuming this twice a week will make and keep your bones STRONG, much more effectively than any isolated supplement ever could.


Yes, soils are depleted in many areas and most modern supermarket veggies contain only a small portion of the nutrients that our grandparents got from their foods. In addition, we deplete our bodies by consuming processed and refined foods. But with a little effort and an emphasis on fresh, mostly raw and mostly organic foods, we can get most of our nutrients.


If you want to supplement beyond that, I would recommend hemp seed oil (now available from some health food stores) and cod liver oil (molecularly distilled is best, to avoid contaminants like mercury). There are also liquid vitamins made from whole-food sources that retain many co-factors, like the "Vitamin Code" ones. Some people complain about the taste, but I think that is foolish.


Look into fermenting your own vegetables, for a probiotic effect on the gut. Much cheaper, kind of fun, and actually much more effective than those expensive probiotic pills in the health food stores.


Some things that don't look like supplements actually are. Great Supermarket (in Pacific Place) sells a concentrated syrup made by vacuum-processing (low temperature) sugar beet juice. It is used in Germany as a breakfast spread, and by chefs to decorate plates with squiggly designs. But it is actually a powerful medicinal supplement, too, because it is one of the best known methyl donors AND helps prevent heart problems by encouraging the formation of nitric oxide while in the mouth.


Certain minerals like copper can be obtained from organic, unsulfured, unrefined Blackstrap Molasses. Selenium can be best obtained from Brazil nuts (assuming, of course, that the soil they were grown in contained any selenium!). Most commercial selenium supplements, on the other hand, are poorly absorbed and/or toxic.


Avoid all supplements that contain Magnesium Stearate. This slippery, fatty substance is used SOLELY for the convenience of the manufacturers, to keep the stuff from sticking to their machines. The problem is, it coats your gut and keeps you from absorbing most of what is in the pill! Stick with the whole-foods-derived supplements, and you'll avoid problems like this.


START with your diet. Eliminate the processed junk foods. Emphasize whole, natural, organic, mostly-plant-based REAL foods. THEN, after a few weeks on a truly good diet and after a bit of research, consider experimenting with supplements if you think you need them. Adding some supplements will NEVER compensate for a poor diet. In the short-term, if you have actual deficiencies, the right supplements can work wonders, but MOST of what people buy is actually a complete waste of their money.