Vitamin supplements: The dark side
An article by
Dr Asghar Ali Shah
Homeopathic Physician
Published in The News International on November 14, 2011
Commercialism in medicine promotes the belief that the nature alone cannot provide all the nutrients our body needs. This is not true as the natural food has all the vitamins and minerals we need. The natural sources of the vitamins and minerals also provide the same in an ideal form along with the balancing and counter balancing nutrients.
Patients often ask this writer if they could continue taking their vitamin and mineral supplements. And they are surprised when told that the natural food is the best source of all their vitamin and mineral needs.
A study published on October 11, 2011 in the United States indicates a 17 per cent increase in the risk of developing prostate cancer among men who take high doses of vitamin E. The new research is prompting a fresh look at the value of vitamin supplements, with some surprising results indicating that taking too many supplements could be harmful.
Another recent US study conducted among women and published on October 10 revealed that multivitamin preparations were useless and gradually contributed to a higher risk of mortality.
Mr Toren Finkel, head of the Centre for Molecular Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, USA (NIH) said in an interview that while it seems logical that taking vitamins and antioxidants should help fight illness and disease, the clinical data are consistently showing no benefit. Finkel added: “For years, we were using these supplements without knowing the effects on the body.” The research is forcing scientists to rethink the use of supplements with antioxidants, which had been seen as beneficial in preventing cancer, heart disease and other ailments.
In 2007 researchers had established a link between taking selenium supplements and an increased risk of adult diabetes. In fact those who take supplements are often already getting nutrients from their food. So the people who are choosing supplements may not need them. The matter of concern is that they do not think about their total intake.
David Schardt, a nutritionist, explained that the problem is that people think more is better and also believe that vitamin and mineral supplements are harmless. There are a lot of people who have faith in their vitamins - a faith encouraged by an industry that generates $50 billion a year. Moreover, manufacturers are free to say almost anything they want about the virtues of supplements.
The practice of medicine is not a business and should never be one. Capitalistic values stress on consumerism, short-term goals and giving society what it thinks it wants. On the other hand, the medical profession stresses humanism, long-term goals and meeting society’s actual needs.
A morbid anxiety is fuelled by clever publicity by the manufacturers of patent and proprietary drugs. Their advertisements seduce potential customers into believing that their products would guarantee longevity, health, fitness and beauty.
In majority of cases suffering from any deficiency of a vitamin or a mineral the cause lies in poor assimilation of the same. Homeopathic system of medicine cures our body’s inability to absorb the required vitamins and minerals from our natural food. The writer has himself observed that the patients showing deficiency of certain nutrients start absorbing and assimilating those nutrients from their usual natural diet.
Dr Asghar Ali Shah
Homeopathic Physician
Published in The News International on November 14, 2011
Commercialism in medicine promotes the belief that the nature alone cannot provide all the nutrients our body needs. This is not true as the natural food has all the vitamins and minerals we need. The natural sources of the vitamins and minerals also provide the same in an ideal form along with the balancing and counter balancing nutrients.
Patients often ask this writer if they could continue taking their vitamin and mineral supplements. And they are surprised when told that the natural food is the best source of all their vitamin and mineral needs.
A study published on October 11, 2011 in the United States indicates a 17 per cent increase in the risk of developing prostate cancer among men who take high doses of vitamin E. The new research is prompting a fresh look at the value of vitamin supplements, with some surprising results indicating that taking too many supplements could be harmful.
Another recent US study conducted among women and published on October 10 revealed that multivitamin preparations were useless and gradually contributed to a higher risk of mortality.
Mr Toren Finkel, head of the Centre for Molecular Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, USA (NIH) said in an interview that while it seems logical that taking vitamins and antioxidants should help fight illness and disease, the clinical data are consistently showing no benefit. Finkel added: “For years, we were using these supplements without knowing the effects on the body.” The research is forcing scientists to rethink the use of supplements with antioxidants, which had been seen as beneficial in preventing cancer, heart disease and other ailments.
In 2007 researchers had established a link between taking selenium supplements and an increased risk of adult diabetes. In fact those who take supplements are often already getting nutrients from their food. So the people who are choosing supplements may not need them. The matter of concern is that they do not think about their total intake.
David Schardt, a nutritionist, explained that the problem is that people think more is better and also believe that vitamin and mineral supplements are harmless. There are a lot of people who have faith in their vitamins - a faith encouraged by an industry that generates $50 billion a year. Moreover, manufacturers are free to say almost anything they want about the virtues of supplements.
The practice of medicine is not a business and should never be one. Capitalistic values stress on consumerism, short-term goals and giving society what it thinks it wants. On the other hand, the medical profession stresses humanism, long-term goals and meeting society’s actual needs.
A morbid anxiety is fuelled by clever publicity by the manufacturers of patent and proprietary drugs. Their advertisements seduce potential customers into believing that their products would guarantee longevity, health, fitness and beauty.
In majority of cases suffering from any deficiency of a vitamin or a mineral the cause lies in poor assimilation of the same. Homeopathic system of medicine cures our body’s inability to absorb the required vitamins and minerals from our natural food. The writer has himself observed that the patients showing deficiency of certain nutrients start absorbing and assimilating those nutrients from their usual natural diet.
