Vitamin Supplements – Are they Beneficial or Just Hype?Vitamin supplements have been increasing in popularity and availability over past 30 years. In North America it has become a multi – billion dollar industry. Vitamin supplements have been hailed as powerful antioxidants that fight against a wide variety of health conditions such as cancer and heart disease. They are also credited with causing reverse affects in aging process, and enhancing athletic ability.
The question is, however, do these claims have substance – or is it a product of giant corporate machine that preys on society’s fears, fuelled by media. The media has a tendency to sensationalize certain ideas and findings, often misrepresenting them. This is one process by which consumer trends are created or molded.
If this is case, following question may be raised. Which food trends are inspired by factual information that is truly beneficial to health? In other words do certain products really deliver on promises made by industry or media? If not, then who is to blame?
The media may be partly to blame for playing up on certain fears, facts or ideas. At same time corporations could be partly responsible as well. Where real problem lies is in miscommunication. These problems would be solved if a reliable and effective stream of communication existed between scientific community, government, media and corporate world.
This is objective these organizations should be striving for. Until such a system is put into place there will be no accurate way of telling whether consumer can count on every benefit promised.
Now let’s get back to vitamin supplements. In order to find facts we must go right to source. In other words we have to look at results from scientific studies. A recent study, that included tens of thousands of subjects, showed that vitamin E and beta carotene supplementation did not lower risk of heart disease or death from heart disease. Foods, however, that contain antioxidants are still recommended. (1)
Over last twenty years there have been many similar studies with varying results. In fact they have been largely contradicting. And so to this day subject remains controversial. If you look at facts as a whole, you will find that vitamin supplements show no clear benefits in healthy people with well balanced diets.
On other hand, in cases of malnutrition or other forms of vitamin deficiencies, vitamin supplementation subscribed by physicians has been proven to be beneficial and essential. Countless studies have proven that vitamins and nutrients from real food sources are much more effective.