More differences, according to J. Carper

Posted by Matt Berry on October 30, 1998 at 12:59:06:

In Reply to: What's the difference? posted by rpcman on October 29, 1998 at 16:25:58:

Of course natural foods have additional benefits like fiber, calories, etc., but what is the

difference between say 5 mg of vitamin C in natural vs. supplemental forms? Same exact vitamins, right?



More Jean Carper:

She has no real problem with regular multi-vitamin intake which does not exceed the RDA -- as a matter of "health insurance."   And she admits that under special circumstances, supplements may be necessary -- especially in the case of iron and calcium tablets for women. She considers megadoses to be medicinal and not nutritional and so she suggests consultation with a doctor. Setting the above aside, natural foods are a better bet when it comes to vitamin and mineral deficiencies because ...

• Ignorance
  

"Food ... carries with it mysterious baggage full of known and unknown nutritional elements; nutrition is a young science, and a multitude of food's secrets are undoubtedly yet to be discovered. Getting nutrients from foods instead of pills, provides a wide range of macro- as well as micronutrients that are very complicated and have vast, ill-understood effects on human life."

• How much good?
  

"Consider this conclusion of several enlightening studies: children who take supplements have the same biological nutritional status as youngsters who don't."

• Interactions:
  

She reports that the absorption of some vitamins depends upon the availability or unavailability of other nutrients. For example, to boost Calcium intake, Vitamin D rich foods are suggested. However, Vitamin D is toxic in high doses and so supplements should be avoided. Instead, she suggests milk (fortified with d), salmon, sardines, liver, ... etc.

• Mega-doses, except under medical advice is a bad-idea.
  

"Regular megadoses of vitamin C (1 gram with each meal) can wipe out enough vitamin B₁₂ to cause a serious deficiency" (I can remember being told that megadoses of vitamin C were harmless.)

"... megadoses of folic acid can mask a deficiency of vitamin B₁₂, which could expose the user to serious and irreversible neurological damage."

"... animal studies suggest that very large doses of vitamin E can actually reduce absorption of the vitamin."