[Reblog] Science Matters: the power of vitamins

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From the January 14, 2015 article at Prospect – Journal of International Affairs at USCD by prospectjournalucsd

Vitamins have become a booming industry in recent years. Businesses like The Vitamin Shoppe and Nature Made have made millions by isolating specific vitamins and minerals necessary for metabolic activity. However, recent studies have shown that an excess of certain vitamins may not only be unnecessary, but also harmful. In 2014, Nature published a piece which summarized the debate among scientists and health professionals regarding the use of vitamins in society, and several studies have shown that vitamins have no significant health benefit in terms of fighting cardiovascular disease or cancer.

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According to David Agus, physician and best-selling author of “The End of Illness”, Americans spend $28 billion per year in dietary supplements, including both vitamins and herbals. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have gone so far as to propose that the US cease producing vitamin supplements, because most of the money and the resources go to waste.

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Related Resources

• Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information  (US National Institutes of Health)
• Dietary Supplements Labels Database  (US National Institutes of Health)
• Health Resources for All (editor of this blog)

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[Reposting] SCIENCE MATTERS: THE POWER OF VITAMINS

From the January 14, 2015 article at Prospect – Journal of International Affairs at USCD by prospectjournalucsd

Vitamins have become a booming industry in recent years. Businesses like The Vitamin Shoppe and Nature Made have made millions by isolating specific vitamins and minerals necessary for metabolic activity. However, recent studies have shown that an excess of certain vitamins may not only be unnecessary, but also harmful. In 2014, Nature published a piece which summarized the debate among scientists and health professionals regarding the use of vitamins in society, and several studies have shown that vitamins have no significant health benefit in terms of fighting cardiovascular disease or cancer.

….

According to David Agus, physician and best-selling author of “The End of Illness”, Americans spend $28 billion per year in dietary supplements, including both vitamins and herbals. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have gone so far as to propose that the US cease producing vitamin supplements, because most of the money and the resources go to waste.

…

Related articles

• Get More Biotin, Niacin, And Other B Vitamins In Your Diet With These Natural Sources
• Vitamin Shoppe Supplement Not Organic, Suit Says
• What Does the FDA Have to Say About Supplements?