Study: No health benefits in Multivitamins

HEALTH NEWS - Half of Americans take vitamin and mineral supplements to maintain the health of their bodies. Many health experts believe that multivitamins are very beneficial for health. But, the question is; Is it true that all the vitamins in supplement form actually make you healthier? Considering there are some studies that carried out by the researchers found no health benefits.

“We believe that the case is closed -- supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful,” concluded the authors of the editorial summarizing the new research papers, published Dec. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.*

After reviewing the evidences from any finding of the new trials, the researchers concluded that the mineral or vitamin supplements do not have clear benefits and are likely to be injurious to health. We don't know whether such conclusion can upset the trust of people to the benefits of multivitamin, Do they will keep taking it or not? Or What about the health practitioners who gave a recommendation to consume a daily supplement, Do they will pull back their advice? Well, it seems will be a fairly long debate.

However, the conclusion has come from observations in studies that can be accountable and aimed to prove following issues:

Multivitamins are not proven to reduce cardiovascular disorders

The first study  conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association has involved 350,000 people who believe that vitamin supplements can prevent chronic diseases.  In addition, the researchers reviewed 24 studies aimed at finding evidence that can be used to renew the vitamin treatment guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Turns out, the review did not find evidence that vitamin supplements can prevent the risk of heart disease. While the two other experiments found a small and very limited benefit to reduce cancer risk.

“In the absence of clear evidence about the impact of most vitamins and multivitamins on cardiovascular disease and cancer, health care professionals should counsel their patients to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that is rich in nutrients,” the Task Force concluded.*

Multivitamins can not slow down cognitive decline

To find the truth of the people's assumption that multivitamins can improve their cognitive, the researchers did a second study, which involved 5.950 male doctors aged 65 years to consume either a daily multivitamin or placebo for 12 years. And the results of the study showed multivitamin takers don't get any influence on their cognitive health compared to placebo takers.

Multivitamins do not have a role in the prevention of heart attack

In a third study, researchers reviewed around 1,700 people who have a risk of heart attack,and then they were randomized to receive daily high-dose multivitamins and minerals or placebo for 5 years.
The researchers found a finding that showed no significant difference in the rate of heart attack or stroke, but the conclusion for that matter should be taken with caution, since some participants have stopped taking vitamins early.

Based on three studies above, then it's pretty obvious to be considered whether vitamin and mineral supplements are really helping improve the quality of our health. Suppose all these conclusions are true, then it means we have been wasting of money to buy multivitamins.

“The ‘stop wasting your money’ means that perhaps you're spending money on things that won't protect you long term,” editorial co-author Dr. Edgar Miller, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.*

“What will protect you is if you spend the money on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, low fat dairy, things like that ..exercising would probably be a better use of the money.”

We don't know what will happen to the sellers of multivitamins, after researchers released the results of those studies. Are their sales will plummet?

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*Cited from cbsnews.com
photo credit: lynn.gardner via photopin cc

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Probiotics Help Vitamin D Absorption

Probiotics illustration

Webpostline.com - The study published in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, declares that by consuming probiotic supplements could increase absorption of vitamin D levels by 25 percent. This finding is the first proof to suggest that probiotic has a role to keep the nutrients of bone in the body. This means that probiotics have the same role with the sunlight related to absorb vitamin D.


However, earlier studies show that certain probiotic strains called lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242, which act to make low the levels of cholesterol. In fact, the major effect to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D still unsolved. The researchers have observed the probiotic effect on a group of adults and asked them to consume it for nine weeks, hereinafter they examined by measuring the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in their blood.

Vitamin D recognized as micronutrients that essential to prevent health problems such as rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Lack of vitamin D could increase the reduction risk of absorption of calcium in the bone, which lead to brittle bones. The researchers have also found the relation between vitamin D with heart disease protection, autoimmune diseases and diabetes.

Absorption of vitamin D can get obstacles due to several factors, such as limited sunlight, black skin, obesity, and inability of the body to absorb vitamin D into the active form of it.

The head of research, Dr. Jones says that the study has increased knowledge about the bacterial community in the bowel or benefit of microbium for human health.

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How Useful Vitamins in Your Balanced Diet

Webpostline.com - Discussing about what the vitamin is and how vitamin can useful. After knowing about vitamin term, then you will know how consume vitamin properly. The vitamin is the organic compound or a natural chemical that act to keep your body wellness, including for body growing and maintaining of body functions.


There are 13 essential major of vitamins, if you are lacking one of them; it is mean you are probably experiencing a deficiency of certain vitamin.

Vitamins divided into two different types, these are:

1. Fat-soluble vitamins
Consist of vitamin A, E, D and K.

2. Water-soluble vitamins
Consist of vitamin B-Complex and vitamin C.

If you are doing a balance diet, so what you should do is provide vitamins needed by the body, or you may consume vitamin supplement in your diet if your diet is not balanced well. In this case, vitamin supplement is useful to its act as a diet balancer.

The following may help you to know how to take vitamin intake.

The common way is taking the vitamins to the body by directly eat those. By eating vitamins, so that will pass through the digestive system. But, the problem is if you have the strong acids in your tummy, it will destroy many advantages of vitamin itself. Ensure that you are taking doses properly as such as recommended by the nutritionist and dietitian.

However, there is the injection way of taking vitamin intake like vitamin B12. This way should be done by a fully qualified medical practitioner.

Whatever your mind about vitamin, the important thing is you should remember that though you always have a healthy diet and well balanced, there is a process in the body that could make the vitamin values are disappearing in absorption of vitamins.

Vitamin supplement used for improving any vitamin deficiencies that you probably have. It's easy to carry everywhere, since its form is a tablet. Vitamin tablets mostly consist of multi-vitamin and single-vitamin.

Be aware; do not overboard to take vitamins for the supplementing of your well balanced diet. Consume as many vitamins you need, if your diet is good as it should be; perhaps you don't require any vitamin supplements. As the name suggests, "supplement" does not act as a replacement of the balanced diet. Remain wisely and be careful to use vitamin supplement.

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How to Maximize The Absorption of Vitamin?

Webpostline.com - Lacking in the vitamin can reduce effectiveness of the organ performance and making a low of endurance. It is not surprising, due to some people recommended consume supplement of vitamin, to meet nutrition needs in their body.


However, how many supplements of vitamin allow to be consumed for every day? For preventing the side effect of the supplement, avoid consuming without certain dose. Before using it, you should read the supplement composition.

Most health experts were agreeing that natural foods are the resource of nutrition. If your diet is not good enough, or ability of the body to absorb the nutrition is low - it’s time to consume additional nutrition intake.

A nutritionist, Lauren Schmitt recommends consuming a multivitamin for the elders, pregnant women, and kids, due to they are tend to occur of nutritional deficiencies. The same thing is valid for vegetarian, women who experience severe menstrual and the folks who only taking 1.600 calories intake per day.

Several medical conditions as if chronic digestive diseases and food allergies are also required of vitamin intake. Consuming the abundant nutrition from foods is never generating any problems. However, we cannot deny that the biggest nutrition is coming from the supplement.

There are some side effects of vitamin supplement such as nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and reducing of cognitive abilities. Interaction with other medicinal drugs can result in death. Excessive of vitamin A supplement can make a Hypervitaminosis A, it's marked by liver abnormalities, reduced bone density, and birth defects.

Consuming supplements of vitamin B12 excessively is not lead poisoning. This supplement can interact with antibiotic and anti-diabetic cure. However, consume healthy food with balance nutrients is not enough to meet nutrition. Therefore, before taking supplements make sure whether a vitamin type is lacking in the body.

Conducting a testing including blood cells, glucose levels, electrolytes, and organ function and question from a doctor about diet and lifestyle. Examination of vitamin deficiency based on the symptoms that occur then the Doctor will do confirm through the overall health examination as well as diet habits.

How to maximize the absorption of vitamin?

"To maximize the benefits, you should select a vitamin that consists of 2 to 3 capsules per day, rather than one big vitamin but swallowed at once, "said health practitioner, Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Taking a food and supplement should according to its nature. For example, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins coupled with healthy fats. It since the fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E and K, so that will provide the best result of absorption if coupled with the healthy fats such as nuts, fish oil, and olive oil.

The occurrence of nausea can be avoided by consuming vitamins and foods, it is possible occurring to vitamin D consumption. Divide consumption doses of supplement conducted with choosing a vitamin that can divided within two doses smaller, and this thing can improve absorption.

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Excess of Vitamin D is Danger

Webpostline.com - Did you know that excess of vitamin D is danger? Various researches recently are reinforcing the proofs of vitamin D benefits in the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and bone disorders. However, that does not mean that vitamin D is allow be consumed excessively.


A Study lead by John Hopkins University has shown that people who consume these vitamin excessively is not giving any benefits at all for thebody, it can even be dangerous. The study published by American Journal of Medicine announced that consuming vitamin D supplement excessively is not recommended, due to could increase the risk of cardiovascular disorders, with taking the right dose it will protect the heart and blood vessels.

Muhammad Amer is a Chairman of the Study and he is also a professor assistant of medicine from Medicine School of Johns Hopkins University, was said, "Healthy people have been popping these pills, but they should not continue taking vitamin D supplements unchecked,”. He also said, "At a certain point, more vitamin D no longer confers any survival benefit, so taking these expensive supplements is at best a waste of money."

However, he gave a recommendation for the certain people who indeed require additional doses of vitamin D, such as the elderly, newly menopausal women, and patients with kidney disease.

A survey of medical records showed more than 10,000 patients in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and this is has became a conclusions basic. The survey has conducted in 2001 to 2004, and then compares those data with other data obtained from the National Death Index in 2006. The result has showed that the levels of vitamin D in the blood are 21 nanograms per milliliter of 25 considered as sufficient levels.

When the levels are normal, vitamin D in the blood will provide benefits that reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by half, but if levels are greater than 21 nanograms, the protective effect would likely be reduced, and even become dangerous.

The main source of vitamin D is from sunlight and fortified milk. Previous research showed that the addition of vitamin D to those who lack of this vitamin would reduce cardiovascular risk. Otherwise, excessive doses associated with increased risk.

Therefore, the better way is consult with a doctor when you are going to take supplements of vitamin D.

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Vitamin D in Mushrooms is Equal With Supplement

Webpostline.com - Calcium is the essential mineral to keep bones and strong muscles. However, if you don't have the sufficient vitamin D, the calcium that you have obtained from meals or supplements is useless. Vitamin D is also essential for calcium absorption from meals into the bone.

Maintaining of vitamin D level will reduce the brittle bones risk, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis. Naturally, our bodies will produce vitamin D when we are exposed the sunlight. Therefore, for the people who live in the winter countries or spending more time indoors, taking vitamin D from supplements is the recommendation.

Other sources show to obtain vitamin D is the mushrooms that have been dried for at least 30 minutes under the sun. This is revealed by a recent study conducted by a team of University School of Medicine from Boston. The researchers have compared the amount of vitamin D between people who ate the mushrooms that dried in the sun with people who take vitamin D supplements to 2000 units or 3000 units. All participants were given mushroom powder or vitamin supplements that should be consumed once daily for 12 weeks or during the winter. Then the researchers took blood samples to determine the metabolism of vitamin D.

The result is the mushrooms that has been dried in the sun; contains vitamin D as better as with the source of the supplement. They who ate the mushroom powder has a good vitamin D status.

Other studies have shown that the mushroom going to form the vitamin D2 in the same process as the human body when exposed to sunlight.

Benefits of vitamin D are known broadly than just maintaining of bone health, but also to prevent flu infection, strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, and diabetes. However, you should be careful to consume vitamin D, due to excessive doses associated with increased risk.

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