By Michelle Carolla
Americans spend more than $7 billion a year on vitamins. But how do you know if you need vitamins and supplements?
A study in the Journal of American Medical Associations reports insufficient vitamin intake is an apparent cause of chronic disease. The American diet does not normally provide adequate amounts of vitamins.
Mary Ellen Scarborough, a registered dietician, told News 13 what’s important is what you eat. Eating whole, fresh foods and not processed, fatty foods is the best way to ensure you’re getting the proper amount of vitamins.
Cure-all claims are everywhere. For example, a study by the National Cancer Institute showed vitamin A did not help lung cancer patients and vitamin E did not help head and neck cancer patients.
You should also be careful of taking too many vitamins. “I don’t think they need to be mega doses,” Scarborough said. “I think sometimes we need to have caution with some of the vitamins and supplements that we take if they have a particular nutrient added to them in great amounts.”
Many multi-vitamins claim thousands of percent above the recommended amount. Why so much?
Vitamin quality is one reason. Scarborough said to make sure the vitamin is high quality and comes with the USP label denoting it’s produced in an inspected facility.
But, as you walk along the rows of vitamins, it’s hard to know where to start. Which vitamin do you need? How do you know if what you do take will help or hurt you?
So where do you start?
Chris and Cindy Bridgeman worked their way through the maze of health products and live their lives eating organic food, high-quality vitamins and supplements.
“My skin feels a whole lot better,” said Cindy Bridgeman. “I look healthier than I have ever looked. People have commented that. I think as we age, we want to take advantage of every bit of it.”
“Four times now, I was starting to get a cold and the flu and this helped me fight it off,” she said.
Chris Bridgeman said he suffered from arthritis for years, taking daily medication. But, after revamping his diet and taking the correct supplements and vitamins, he’s free from pain.
“I quit taking my arthritis medicine all together after 12 years and I feel better than I did when I was taking it so I absolutely believe it works,” he said.
For the past 19 years, Carol Simon, a health food store owner in Pawley’s Island, said she has educated her customers on the importance of eating a healthy diet and taking whole food vitamins.
“I carry 300 bottles of whole food multi-vitamins not to make my shelf look good, but because my customers do well with them,” Simon said. Simon believes your vitamins and minerals should come from whole foods. “It actually will say on there, super green foods, the carrots, the broccoli, kale, it’s from food.”
So who should take a multi-vitamin? “I think most people could benefit from having a regular multi-vitamin two times a week,” Scarborough said.
Scarborough said the percentage of vitamins and minerals in a multi-vitamin are high enough to not need one daily if you follow a proper diet. You may only need 2 to 3 a week. Following a proper diet can even eliminate the need for extra vitamins.
How do you know how much to take of what vitamin? Scarborough warned about megadoses. She said taking anything above 150 percent of the recommended daily allowance is excessive and can pose a health risk.
For example, vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble. Taking too-high a dose can lead to liver toxicity. You should take water soluble vitamins, like vitamins C and B, twice a day to maintain their effectiveness.
The bottom line is there is no easy answer because each person is different. You can find out what you need by meeting with a registered dietician. They’ll look at your diet and make recommendations based on what you eat.
Dr. Chad Huberty, a family practitioner in Myrtle Beach, also believes megadoses can cause trouble. Megadoses of vitamin A can lead to hip fractures and liver problems. Too much vitamin D can elevate calcium levels which can cause kidney stones and muscle and bone pain.
“There are some vitamins that will interact with medicines too,” Huberty said. For instance, vitamin K interacts with blood thinners significantly. So, if you’re taking something like that you need to discuss it with your doctor. You must not believe all the claims you read and as Huberty said do not take vitamins or supplements without first checking with your doctor.
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