Vitamins & Supplements? Do We Need Them?

Frankly, I'm a fan of vitamins and supplements myself, especially to help bring you back into balance if you have medical problems, but a study last year in JAMA ( Journal of the American Medical Association ) raises questions about their efficacy and possibly dangers.

At the time, this study provoked fear, intrigue and even criticism, as you can see in these fascinating articles from the BBC, the Organic Consumers Association and Reader's Digest.

This month, the topic came to light again, with "The Vitamin Hoax," a fascinating article by the acclaimed holistic health counselor, Andrea Beaman, C.H.H.C., a former featured contestant on Bravo's "Top Chef" and the host of Wise Up!

Anyhow, Andrea was kind enough to let me post her article here. Here it is.

The Vitamin Hoax

"Recent scientific studies have revealed shocking information about vitamin and mineral supplements. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, antioxidant vitamins increased a person’s risk of dying by up to 16%, The University of Washington found that vitamin E elevated lung cancer risk, and researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that men who took more than one multivitamin daily had higher rates of prostate cancer (1).

Animals in the wild do not need supplements to thrive and neither do humans. We are a part of nature and if we eat wholesome food provided by our environment, it contains all the elements we need in perfect balance (fiber, water, protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, etc.). Our body will use what it needs and naturally discard the waste. As discovered in many studies, overdoses of isolated supplements accumulate in the body and can wreak havoc on our internal system. In the short term supplements may do some good, but in the long term they can cause serious harm. (1)