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Below are many general statements about nutrition, along with the references from which they were obtained. Many Americans take vitamins regularly, and there is mounting evidence that taking certain vitamins is useful. Most people do not realize the tremendous strides since 1990 which can direct who should be taking what supplements. Current supplement advertising, much of which is deceptive and none of which is thoroughly regulated by regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration, guides people into taking unproven, unsafe products. It is important to distinguish between specific dosages of specific nutrients when selecting what to consume in a supplement. Each reference is numbered, followed by specific information from that source.
- Combs, Jr., G.F. The Vitamins: Fundamental Aspects in Nutrition and Health, Academic Press, New York, 1992
pg 494 – Signs of hypervitaminoses
“Vitamin A – The potential for vitamin A intoxication is greater than those for others, as its range of safe intakes is relatively small”
“Vitamin D – Because they are stored in adipose tissue, vitamins D2 and D3 have relatively high potentials for producing systemic toxicity…”
“Vitamin E – The toxic potential of vitamin E is very low; intake of 100+ times typical allowance levels are tolerated without adverse reactions…”
“Vitamin C – Dietary vitamin C concentrations 100-1000 times allowance levels appear safe…”
“Folate – Folate is generally regarded as being non-toxic. Adverse reactions to large dosages of it have not been observed…”
- Whitney, E.N., and Rolfes, S.R. Understanding Nutrition, West Publishing, Minneapolis, 1993
pg 346 “beta-carotene and the retinoids may help prevent cancer, but the retinoids are so toxic as to preclude their use in supplement form. Still, gullible people take massive doses…”
pg 403 – problems arising from calcium supplementation
pg 418 – Zinc – “Zinc supports the functions of numerous metalloenzymes involved in a multitude of metabolic processes. Zinc also assists in white blood cell immune function. ”
“Zinc can be toxic if enough is consumed. Zinc doses two or three times the RDA [which is 12-15 mg/day] lower the body’s copper content”
pg 430 – Selenium ‘ “High doses of selenium are toxic. The inappropriate use of selenium supplements as an anticancer agent increases the possibility of selenium overdose.”
- Chandra, R. K. “Graying of the immune system: Can nutrient supplements improve immunity in the elderly?”, JAMA 277: 1398-99 (1997)
“nutrient supplements may be important for health promotion and prevention of certain chronic diseases. This view goes against the prevailing dogma in nutritional science that a balanced diet is sufficient to achieve all nutritional objectives.”
- Herbert, V., “Athletes and Vitamin Supplementation”, FDA Consumer 22:5(1988)
“the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) are specifically set well above the needs of anybody to allow an adequate margin for storage.”
- Bendich, A., Mallick, R., and Leader, S., “Potential Health Economic Benefits of Vitamin Supplementation”, West J Med 166: 306-312 (1997)
“Nearly $20 billion in hospital charges were potentially avoidable with daily use of folic acid and zinc- containing multivitamins by all women of childbearing age and daily vitamin E supplementation by those over 50.”
- U. S. Department of Commerce, “Statistical Abstracts Of The United States, 116th ed.”, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., 1996
Includes information on how much nutrition the average person gets. See table No. 225
- Sone, Y. , “Age-associated problems in nutrition.”,[Osaka City University, Dept of Food and Nutrition] Appl Human Sci. 14: 201-10 (1995)
“The balanced diet; especially the diet enhanced by vitamins E and B6 and trace mineral zinc ishelpful for the elderly to prevent the declines in the immune system. The foods rich in vitamin D and calcium; they may help to prevent the elderly from osteoporosis. ”
- J. Sobal, J, and Marquart, L.F., “Vitamin/Mineral Supplement Use Among High School Athletes”, Adolescence 29:835-43 (1991)
” 35-40% of the general population uses vitamin and mineral supplements, and 20-25% of adolescents.”
Nov, 2002
