After 30 years of viewing the use of vitamin
supplements as unnecessary, the American medical establishment has
reversed itself and is beginning to recommend that all Americans need to
supplement to remain healthy.
In a research review published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American
Medical Association (JAMA) (287, 23:3116-26, 2002), two Harvard researchers
reported finding a link between inadequate intakes of certain vitamins and the
increased risk for chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease, cancer
and osteoporosis.
The researchers–Kathleen Fairfield, M.D., and Robert Fletcher, M.D.--searched
MEDLINE (a database of 11 million indexed journal citations) for
English-language articles published between 1966 and 2002 that pertained to
vitamins and chronic disease.
Narrowing the search down to those nutrients that were considered "clinically
important," the researchers honed in on data surrounding nine vitamins and
their links to chronic disease.
Folic acid and B12 (cobalamin) were found to be necessary for homocysteine
metabolism and for reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Vitamin E
decreased the risk of prostate cancer, and vitamin D taken with calcium
decreased the occurrence of bone fractures.
However, it was found that taking excessive amounts of fat-soluble vitamins
such as vitamin A may lead to more problems than solutions.
They also found that the elderly, vegans, alcohol-dependent individuals, and
those suffering from vitamin malabsorption were at especially high risk for
inadequate vitamin intake.
In a letter accompanying the research review, Fairfield and Fletcher reported
that suboptimal intake of vitamins should be seen as a risk factor for chronic
diseases, especially in the elderly.
In addition, they said most people do not consume an optimal amount of all
vitamins through diet alone. "Pending strong evidence of effectiveness from
randomized trials, it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin
supplements," the authors wrote.
"Physicians should make specific efforts to learn about their patients' use of
vitamins to ensure that they are taking the vitamins they should."
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