The Vitamin Myth: Why We Think We Need Supplements

[georgeglass]

Atlantic from 2013 - 

High doses of supplements almost killed my sister about ten years ago, so I always read articles about them. I found this one to be fascinating. It just popped up in my facebook feed (I didn't go searching).


www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/07/the-vitamin-myth-why-we-think-we-need-supplements/277947/?utm_source=atlfb

[noodleoo]

I read this a few years ago and was really surprised. I stopped taking multivitamins (except prenatal while pregnant). Now I only take vitamin D. It is funny how we are all brainwashed to believe we need vitamins.

If you’ve ever watched Adam Ruins Everything, he has a good segment on the history of the vitamin craz too.

[picksthemusic]

My SIL needs to read this. I firmly believe she has a form of Orthorexia and she takes massive doses of supplements every day. However, because she believes so deeply these things help her ‘feel better’, I know this article won’t change her mind.

[winecat]

Yes! I hate taking vitamins. lol I do take a lot of Vitamin D because I was low and it's the only way my levels stay within the normal range. Vitamin B12 too but not as much because my levels weren't really low.

[ribollita]

Only Vitamin d for us.

[sushi]

After blood tests showing specific deficiencies I do take select vitamins.

The mega doses of fat soluble vitamins is pretty scary. C and b will just give you expensive pee, but a,d,e,k can become toxic.

The supplement industry is out of control and completely unregulated.

[audette]

I take D, B complex, magnesium, and monthly B12 shots, all at the direction of my docs.

No more multi for me.

D and B12 and iron seem to be the first things checked when you mention fatigue to your doc...

[macmars45]

I take calcium at the direction of my dr.

I will stop taking my multivitamin now.

[isabel]

My dad was always pushing vitamins on me as a kid. I rarely took them. I feel vindicated.

[rbp]

I actually had no idea that Linus Pauling was responsible for this. As a chemist, I knew of him as one of the greatest chemists in history. There seems to have been a trend of Nobel Laureates getting big heads and talking out their asses about things they're not qualified to discuss. (See also, Cary Mullis and HIV denialism.)

[sushi]

Feb 11, 2018 16:43:56 GMT -5 rbp said:

I actually had no idea that Linus Pauling was responsible for this. As a chemist, I knew of him as one of the greatest chemists in history. There seems to have been a trend of Nobel Laureates getting big heads and talking out their asses about things they're not qualified to discuss. (See also, Cary Mullis and HIV denialism.)

And I knew about his vitamin c cancer bullshit before I learned of his earlier legit accomplishments. Funny how our backgrounds influence us. It was actually a nursing school classmate who mentioned him to me. She knew me for a year and didnt apparently pick up on my science loving self. I don't know how she missed it. I didn't exactly hide it.

[mich1]

For most people, all vitamins do is make very expensive urine. I remember reading a report about the tremendous amount of vitamins that have been excreted into the sewer.

[juliej]

I take a daily multi with iron, B12, D, calcium, and biotin. But I'm also a post-op bariatric patient, so it's a lot harder to get everything from food. My surgeon will have me ditch the multi after a year.

[fumbalina]

I know that my body does not absorb Vitamin D, B, or iron properly. Even knowing that I don't always take those vitamins. I do remember to take them when I start feeling bad though. I recommend people tell symptoms to their doctor, not simply take vitamins. There is a strange fear of doctors and belief they do not know anything about disease.

[MrsAxilla]

Why do ya’ll take vitamin D? That’s the one we get from sunlight, right?

[msmerymac]

I started taking a magnesium supplement with calcium to see if it helped my migraines. At the same time I started seeing a chiropractor and also changed my diet. One of those quack recommendations worked, since my headaches have become MUCH better over the last few months.

[MrsAxilla]

Feb 11, 2018 17:44:03 GMT -5 @mx said:

Feb 11, 2018 17:38:22 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

Why do ya’ll take vitamin D? That’s the one we get from sunlight, right?

I take it in the winter because unless I’m on the road for work I get virtually no exposure to sunlight. Both my morning and evening commutes are outside of the hours of sunlight. Andrhe few hours I might get on the weekend aren’t enough.

You Coloradans are spoiled in this regard.

More sunshine than Miami!  

[Deleted]

I believe that Vitamins can be a great thing. Our food supply is junk and our soils are so depleted that we are no longer getting all of the vitamins and minerals that we need from our foods. Calcium is one of the most abused that I can think of. Most American's get the amount of Calcium that they need from their diets, but because most American's are also deficient in Magnesium, which is required for the uptake of Calcium, we aren't actually absorbing it. I think Vitamins should only be taken if you are actually deficient, you should never take a multi-vitamin, and any vitamins that you do take should only be in the short term. For myself, I don't take Vitamin D because I spend as much time outdoors as possible, I do however take Iodine, B Complex, Magnesium, and Zinc presently, but I'm approaching 6 months of taking them and will retest soon to see if they are still needed.

[underwaterrhymes]

Feb 11, 2018 17:38:22 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

Why do ya’ll take vitamin D? That’s the one we get from sunlight, right?

My vitamin D was 12 last time they took it.

I require supplements to maintain a healthy level.

[goldengirlz]

Feb 11, 2018 17:38:22 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

Why do ya’ll take vitamin D? That’s the one we get from sunlight, right?

Vitamin D deficiency is pretty common. My doctor tested for it, I had very low levels and she recommended a supplement. (ETA: Mine was 7 when they tested it, and I was shocked because I was living in a sunny state and tested in the summer. Women especially are at high risk.)

Getting back to the article, I do wonder if perhaps vitamins are less bioavailable from supplements ... or maybe they’re too bioavailable leading to toxicity. It is a strange paradox because the science supporting fruit and vegetable consumption is pretty sound.

[jeaniebueller]

I take B complex and magnesium to stay if migraines but am now wondering if it’s just woo

[lilac05]

If anyone is aware of more current article that says basically the same thing, please share here. I'd love to share it, but I know the people I hope would read it would say, "Yes, but that was 5 years ago. If it was such a concern, why don't we hear more about it?"

[georgeglass]

Feb 11, 2018 18:23:48 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

If anyone is aware of more current article that says basically the same thing, please share here. I'd love to share it, but I know the people I hope would read it would say, "Yes, but that was 5 years ago. If it was such a concern, why don't we hear more about it?"

A couple of 2017 articles, but they seem to focus on men:

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/b12-energy/537654/

www.cnn.com/2017/08/22/health/vitamin-b6-b12-lung-cancer-study/index.html

[GilliC]

Feb 11, 2018 17:38:22 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

Why do ya’ll take vitamin D? That’s the one we get from sunlight, right?

Sunlight? What's that?!   I live at 60°N, so I barely even see the sun in the winter.

But you actually need a surprisingly high amount of sun exposure to produce adequate levels:
health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/heart/articles/2008/06/23/time-in-the-sun-how-much-is-needed-for-vitamin-d

[AJL]

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/b12-energy/537654/

www.cnn.com/2017/08/22/health/vitamin-b6-b12-lung-cancer-study/index.html

The greatest risk were for superusers of these particular B vitamin supplements. The subjects in the study were using more than 12 TIMES the recommended daily allowance.

Per the article:
"The research team is quick to note that the doses of B vitamins in question are enormous. The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance for B6 is 1.7 milligrams per day, and for B12 it’s 2.4 micrograms. The high-risk group in the study was taking around 20 times these amounts."

So yeah, I'm not going to consider this to be a risk for the usual user of these supplements.

[lilac05]

Feb 11, 2018 18:28:05 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

A couple of 2017 articles, but they seem to focus on men:

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/b12-energy/537654/

www.cnn.com/2017/08/22/health/vitamin-b6-b12-lung-cancer-study/index.html

Thanks.  I'll keep looking for more, too.

I worry that they'll eventually find similar things about Shakeology and a bunch of the other dietary supplements, too.  Too much of a good thing is still too much.

[underwaterrhymes]

I think the big thing with these studies is they’re not focusing on the people who take a vitamin gummy or a prenatal. These are massive amounts of supplements.

[georgeglass]

Feb 11, 2018 18:37:20 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Feb 11, 2018 18:28:05 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

A couple of 2017 articles, but they seem to focus on men:

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/b12-energy/537654/

www.cnn.com/2017/08/22/health/vitamin-b6-b12-lung-cancer-study/index.html

Thanks.  I'll keep looking for more, too.

I worry that they'll eventually find similar things about Shakeology and a bunch of the other dietary supplements, too.  Too much of a good thing is still too much.

Agreed. Seeing my sister on a vent in the ICU with a 20% chance of survival that doctors attributed to overuse of supplements (not too much of one kind - just "too many" overall) has doubtlessly swayed my opinion. While they tried to stabilize her, it was easy to see and hear their frustration about supplements and vitamins in general. (She did survive)

[rjamz]

Feb 11, 2018 15:07:56 GMT -5 winecat said:

Yes! I hate taking vitamins. lol I do take a lot of Vitamin D because I was low and it's the only way my levels stay within the normal range. Vitamin B12 too but not as much because my levels weren't really low.

Same! I take vitamin D and B12 and that’s it. My doctor said that almost every single person in Chicago in the winter is low in Vitamin D. (And prenatal when pregnant)

But the rest of them? They just give you expensive pee at best or can be harmful at worst!

[rjamz]

Feb 11, 2018 17:38:22 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

Why do ya’ll take vitamin D? That’s the one we get from sunlight, right?

Colorado versus Chicago, lol. Send your sunshine here in the winter!! I also use a special sun lamp in the winter to combat SAD that I don’t think I would need if I lived in Colorado or Southern California. My doctor told me basically every person in the Chicago area becomes deficient in Vitamin D during the winter because there just isn’t enough sun available to get it.