One hundred years ago scientists first discovered how valuable vitamins were to our health. Research clearly shows that certain vitamins can cure and prevent the vitamin deficiency diseases, such as scurvy and rickets. This discovery was a landmark in modern medicine.

Doctors believe that a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains and fats can give you the tiny amounts of vitamins needed each day to keep you healthy. This is called the recommended daily allowance. So why do so many Americans feel the need to take vitamin supplements each day?

The answer is Linus Pauling. As the only man to ever win two individual Nobel Prizes, one in chemistry and one for peace, Pauling carried a lot of clout. When he announced during the 1960s that vitamins taken in mega doses could prevent such things as cancer, heart disease and delay aging, the world took notice. Can you really put nature in a pill?

Pauling's idea that mega doses of Vitamin C can keep you from catching a cold is a common belief--almost a cultural myth. Even though Americans spend over one and a half billion dollars a year on vitamin supplements, there is no hard scientific proof that Pauling's theory was correct.

According to studies done at the Linus Pauling Institue, taking Vitamin C to prevent a cold is a waste of money. Their studies did show that large doses will help to lesson the symptoms of a cold once you have caught it. In a 1995 review of studies investigating the effect of vitamin C on colds, researchers concluded that doses of 1,000 to 6,000 mg a day at the onset of symptoms reduced a cold's duration by 21%, and shortened its duration by one day on average.

Other research seems to indicate the the antioxidants in Vitamin C may help protect the brain, body and arteries, and slow down the aging process. This research is not complete. Taking large doses of Vitamin C may not be as helpful as once thought, but it isn't dangerous because Vitamin C is water soluable. This is not true of some other vitamins.

Vitamins A, C, and E all help to mop up the free radicals in our body and keep them from attacking our cells. There is controversy about how well our bodies absorb Vitamin E in particular. Several studies have given conflicting results. (To be safe, always take a supplement containing Vitamin E after a meal containing fat, to help with absorption. Otherwise you may just be wasting your money.) If these vitamins could be so helpful it seems logical that more would be better, as Pauling suggested. This is not true of Vitamin A.

Several separate studies have tried to prove that mega doses of Vitamin A (beta carotene) could reduce the risk of lung cancer. Before the research groups had completed their study it became evident that the incidence of lung cancer had actually increased in the study groups. The increase in lung cancer among the Bitamin A uses rose 18% to 28% in another group. This alarmed the researchers and caused everyone to reevaluate the idea of mega doses of vitamins.

Vitamin A is not stored in the body if it is not used. Therefore taking large doses causes the body to have to store it. The liver may store the unused portion and there are cases of liver disease that point to excess use of Vitamin A. A Swedish doctor investigating the higher than normal cases of osteoporosis in Sweden has tenatively linked this to the high levels of Vitamin A in Swedish diets. Studies of lab rats have already proven a link between osteoporosis and Vitamin A.

Doctors and researchers are still debating the vitamin issue. With so many conflicting studies it is difficult to know who to listen to. My advice is not to exceed the recommended daily allowance of most vitamins (Vitamin C being the exception). When you are deciding how much of a particular vitamin or supplement to take, please consider this. Vitamins may not be drugs but they are chemicals.

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***Much of the information above was taken from The Truth About Vitamins which aired on The Science Channel on April 28, 2006.

VITAMINS and MINERALS

Vitamin C--antihistamine and an excellent antioxidant for decreasing free readicals, helps wounds heal

Vitamin A--keeps skin healthy, protect DNA, helps protect body cells from infection

Vitamin A/D--cut open and drop liquid into the ear for earaches--good for viral or bacterial infection

Vitamin E-- fat-soluable and can protect against radiation,drugs and heavy metals, and free radical reactions

CoQ 10--protects cell structures against free radical damage

B vitamins--stress protection, helps liver detoxify

***Calcium--while there are many benefits from taking calcium as we get older our bodies may not absorb it well so please please be careful when adding extra calcium to your diet. If your body does not absorb it you can develop bone spurs, increased plaque on your teeth, and rare cases kidney stones,bone spurs etc. To see if you are absorbing calcium correctly please take our Health Chek 2000 evaluation. For more information click here,then scroll to the bottom of the page.

Zinc--acne, some hair loss, impotence

Honey--helps restore energy, calming effect and helps to dissolve mucus--includes pollen, organic acids, enzymes and various proteins--is alkaline in nature
Use only natural, unprocessed honey from your area--helps desensitize allergies, applied externally it helps heal minor cuts and it contains a germ-killing substance called inhibine
If you have watery eyes, putting a drop of honey in will help. **Be careful at first because it does sting.

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