Posted by MamaB on November 5, 2003, at 10:46:07
In reply to Re: Wow, some of the things I read here scare me. » Ron Jones, posted by tensor on November 4, 2003, at 1:37:30
I know that I am going to get flak for this, but this physician says it better thatn I can:
"The human body uses hundreds of internal chemicals to execute its metabolic functions. It is tempting to think that we can help the processes along by supplying extra amounts of the chemicals. If some is good, then more must be better! Although promoted by nutritional supplement enthusiasts, this theory is rooted only in hope and is contrary to scientific evidence. The body is an incredibly fine-tuned machine, and an excess of natural chemicals is more likely to gum it up than to charge it up. Periodic outbreaks of serious illness (for example, tryptophan myopathy) caused by ill-advised use of health foods and health supplements point out the danger of blindly trying to perfect on God’s work.
A better reason to use vitamins, minerals or nutritional supplements is to replace a deficiency. Avoiding the deficiency by proper diet is best. When the diet is lacking, supplements can be helpful if taken in amounts that approach (but do not exceed) the normal daily requirement."
"Vitamins: They are safe if restricted to daily requirement doses. A single daily multivitamin tablet or capsule is sufficient and is even a good idea. Avoid high-dose preparations of individual vitamins unless prescribed by a physician. High doses of vitamin A, C, D or E are unlikely to improve health and have the potential to make it worse. Vitamin A is clearly harmful if taken regularly in doses that exceed the body’s daily requirement. Vitamin D is often added to calcium tablets to promote intestinal absorption of this mineral, and the small doses used by reliable manufacturers are safe. Higher doses can result in dangerous elevations of blood calcium. High doses of vitamin C or E pose less of a threat to health, but benefits have not clearly been demonstrated by scientific studies."Minerals: Salts and minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are essential for the body’s function. In a well-balanced diet they are provided in abundance. Potassium supplements should not be taken unless prescribed by a physician. The elderly are particularly susceptible to the potentially grave consequences of too much potassium. Salt (sodium) substitutes may contain large amounts of potassium, so be cautious and inform your doctor if you use these products. Calcium is required to maintain bone strength and is often deficient in the diet of older adults. Although usually advisable, calcium preparations can lead to significant problems if taken in excess amounts. Iron supplements should be used only when an iron deficiency is discovered by a blood count. In the elderly, iron deficiency is often a sign of serious unrecognized internal bleeding and must be investigated by a physician. Excess iron intake over a prolonged period of time can lead to serious health problems. Deficiency of zinc or magnesium is uncommon in the absence of disease, malnutrition, alcoholism or the use of certain prescription medications. Excess amounts of these minerals can be harmful."
"Miscellaneous nutritional products: Hundreds of concoctions are available -- maybe thousands. Most often they are formulated as large doses of natural food substances. But they may be unnatural substances not normally present in the diet. The ascribed benefits are promoted by hucksters who are more interested in your money than your health. And some of the stuff is clearly dangerous. Beware! Avoidance of these products will save you money and protect your health. Consider them bad medicines."
"The fountain of youth remains undiscovered. Multivitamins, calcium and fiber can be helpful, but the rest of the nutritional supplements are best classified as worthless, potentially harmful or beneficial only when recommended by a physician. The grocery store remains a better source of nutritional products than the drugstore."Dr. Spilane is an internal medicine specialist and geriatrician. He is a member of the Healthpartners Medical Group and practices at the Senior’s Clinic at Regions Hospital.
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poster:MamaB
thread:276285
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