Vitamin Supplements - Do you need them?

By Dr. Di Pasquale

If you're eating a really balanced diet, meaning lots of vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, fish and meat, do you need vitamin supplement? It used to be the answer is no but now there's evidence that you would still need vitamin supplements to get the vitamins you need.

What's changed? Not only have scientists determined why we need pyridoxine (vitamin B6), but they are also accumulating evidence that this vitamin and others do much more than ward off the so-called diseases of deficiency, things like scurvy and rickets. Intake of several vitamins above the minimum daily requirement may prevent heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and other chromic diseases.

ABC of Vitamins

Vitamin comes from the Latin word vitae, ‘life’ and mineral. 13 compounds have been classified as vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E, and K, the four fat-soluble vitamins, tend to accumulate in the body. Vitamin C and the eight B vitamins-biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12-dissolve in water, so excess amounts are excreted.

A - retinol, retinaldehyde, retinoic acid

It's good for the eyes but it does more for you. Like stimulates production of and activity of white blood cells, takes part in remodeling bone, helps maintain the health of endothelial cells (those lining the body's interior surfaces), and regulates cell growth and division. Recommended: 5,000 IU for men, 4,000 for women. Where to get it from: Breakfast cereals, juices, dairy products are fortified with Vitamin A. And don't forget carrots and other vegetables that contain beta-carotene which the body can turn into vitamin A. Warning: It's easy to get too little Vitamin A but it's also easy to get too much. . Intake of up to 10,000 IU, twice the current recommended daily level, is thought to be safe. However, there is some evidence that this much preformed vitamin A might increase the risk of hip fracture (2) or some birth defects.

B: B1 - thiamin , B2 - riboflavin, B6 - pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, B12 - cobalamin and Folic Acid

There are eight Vitamin B (although there's Vitamin B12). One of these is folic acid which too little of, scientists found, can cause birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. This occurs when the early development of tissues that eventually become the spinal cord, the tissues that surround it, or the brain goes awry. Twenty five years ago, British researchers found that mothers of children with spina bifida had low vitamin levels. Eventually, two large trials in which women were randomly assigned to take folic acid or a placebo showed that getting too little folic acid increased a woman's chances of having a baby with spina bifida or anencephaly and that getting enough folic acid could prevent these birth defects. Recommended: 400 micrograms. Where to get it from: Not easy to get from food. In the US, it's now required to add it to most enriched breads, flour, cornmeal, pastas, rice, and other grain products, along with the iron and other micronutrients that have been added for years

The other exciting discovery about folic acid and two other B vitamins is that they may help fight heart disease and some types of cancer. It's too early to tell if there's merely an association between increased intake of folic acid and other B vitamins and heart disease or cancer, or if high intakes prevent these chronic diseases.

Good for the Heart

Together with folic acid, Vitamin B6/B12 do one important thing - help recycle a protein breakdown product called homocysteine into methionine, one of the 20 or so building blocks from which the body builds new proteins. Why is this important?, because homocysteine have been linked by some studies with increased risks of heart disease. Without these vitamins, the recycling process becomes inefficient and your arteries might get clogged with cholesterol. Increasing intake of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 decreases homocysteine levels. And some observational studies show lower risks of cardiovascular disease among people with higher intakes of folic acid, those who use multivitamin supplements, or those with higher levels of serum folate (the form of folic acid found in the   body).

Cancer Fighter

In addition to recycling homocysteine, folate plays a key role in building DNA, the complex compound that forms our genetic blueprint. Observational studies show that people who get higher than average amounts of folic acid from their diets or supplements have lower risks of colon cancer and breast cancer. This could be especially important for those who drink alcohol, since alcohol blocks the absorption of folic acid and inactivates circulating folate. Recommended: Folic Acid - 400 micrograms (mg) per day Where to get it from: Prepared breakfast cereals, beans, and fortified grains. B6 - 1.3 to 1.7 mg/day, Higher doses have been tested as a treatment for conditions ranging from premenstrual syndrome to attention deficit disorder and carpal tunnel syndrome. To date, there is little evidence that it works. B12 - 6 mg/day, Barely 100 years ago, a lack of vitamin B12 was the cause of a common and deadly disease called pernicious anemia. Its symptoms include memory loss, disorientation, hallucinations, and tingling in the arms and legs. Although full-blown pernicious anemia is less common today, it is still often diagnosed in older people who have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food. It's also possible that some people diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease are actually suffering from the more reversible vitamin B12 deficiency.

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