“Is this the end of popping vitamins?” a recent article in the Wall Street Journal asks us. The author puts forth the theory that the whole case for taking vitamins is crumbling. Suddenly vitamins are suspect. It is a sensational story that will attract attention.

In reality, however, the writer used only a tiny portion of the facts to make her argument.  She delivered an exciting story, but failed to convey the truth about both the safety and benefits of supplements.

The Wall Street Journal article was prompted by two recent pieces of research, both negative, regarding  vitamin E  and  prostate cancer and multi-vitamins use in older women. Instead of placing this research in a larger scientific context, the author of the multivitamin study and the Wall Street Journal writer stated in no uncertain terms that vitamins as an entire group are useless and potentially harmful.

In fact, the entire body of research shows us that supplements provide tangible benefits that people cannot get from their doctors or their diets.

If you malign “vitamins”, you malign vitamin D, fish oils, and vitamin K2, all linked to a substantially lower risk of mortality. You ignore the benefit of magnesium for diabetics, pycnogenol for ADHD, and curcumin for  joint pain. Their list of allegations is short. The list of proven benefits for supplements goes on for miles.

The Multivitamin Study

Dr Jaakko Mursu was the primary investigator for this study.  In the past, a fundamental research focus of Dr. Mursu’s has been the health benefits of foods.  In his paper and in interviews, he has made the claim that you can and should get everything you need from food. It is unusual for a scientist, like Dr. Mursu,  to enter into the public sphere in this way to make claims not directly supported by his study.  It is possible that his claims may reflect his pre-existing bias.

The study relied on the participants to self-report the vitamins they took.  We don’t know what kinds they took, or if they were appropriate for their age group.  We already know  that too much iron and copper in elderly people is harmful because they increase oxidative stress, so this finding was not surprising.  At Sundrops, we take care not to recommend iron or excessive copper to our older customers.

The Vitamin E Study

The vitamin E study showed a very small negative effect for prostate risk from the alpha form of vitamin E.  This is not surprising because alpha vitamin E depletes the gamma type vitamin E which has actually been shown to be protective of the prostate.

Arch Intern Med 2011. JAMA 2011. J Nutr 2004.   JAMA 2010.   J Nutr Neurosci 2007.