We see recommendations from the TV doctors shows such as Dr. Oz or The Doctors promoting the newest and latest health fads telling us which vitamins and minerals we should take.  They talk about this supplement or that supplement being the greatest miracle in weight loss or in giving one energy.  We are bombarded with information claiming to be the latest research on the newest miracle supplement, but how do we wade through all the hype?  How do we know what research is based in Evidence Based Practice?

A few years ago there was a big push to drink wine and that it was one of the biggest health benefit that had come along in years.  However, if one did a little research, you would find that the wine industry had funded the research program which brought into question how illegitimate the research really was.  Also, upon further investigation, there was only one component in the grape that was of benefit.  It was not the wine at all, but an element in the grapes.

Let’s take a look at what vitamins and minerals really are.  Vitamins are any of a group of organic compounds which are essential for normal growth and nutrition and are required in small quantities in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the body.   Minerals are a solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence  needed by the human body for good health.

Vitamins function as enzymes that help our body digest foods.  Enzymes break down proteins into essential amino acids which make electrons flow and nerve transmissions possible.  Many minerals also function as coenzymes by enabling chemical reactions to occur throughout the body.

Once vitamins and minerals are absorbed by the body, they become part of the cells, enzymes, hormones, muscles, blood, and bones.  Some of these vitamins are used immediately and others are stored for use at a later time.  The vitamins that are used immediately are called water-soluble and the vitamins that are used at a later time are stored in the fat and called fat-soluble.

Minerals are found in two groups as well.  The macro or bulk minerals include calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.  The micro minerals include zinc, iron, copper, manganese, chromium, selenium iodine, potassium, and boron.  Minerals are primarily stored in the bones and muscle tissues.  It is possible to overdose on minerals if you take extremely large amounts.

I’m sure you have heard that taking supplements is a waste of money and that you can get the vitamins and minerals from the food you eat.  But, is that true? What kind of foods do you eat?  Do you eat a lot of processed foods?  Do you eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables?  Do you eat mostly take out foods from fast restaurants?

If you are not eating fresh grown vegetables and fruits, then you are not getting the nutrients you need to have a healthy body.  On the other hand, it is not necessarily a good idea to take large amounts of vitamins and minerals.  Some minerals are stored in the body and it is possible to overdose on some of them.

Having said this, it is difficult to overdose on vitamins and minerals.  One would have to take extremely large amounts to do so.

Thousands of people die every year from taking medications both prescriptions and over-the-counter.

Let’s take a closer look at the current prescription drug epidemic in the United States:

• In the US alone, an estimated 54 million people over the age of 12 have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons in their lifetime.
• Most abused prescription drugs fall under four categories, based on the number of people who misuse the drug:
  • Painkillers – 3.3 million users
  • Tranquilizers – 2 million users
  • Stimulants – 1.7 million users
  • Sedatives – 0.5 million users
  • Acetaminophen overdoses are also responsible for more than 150 deaths each year in the U.S.

Research involving data from more than 10,500 people who received drugs for poor sleep (hypnotics) showed that “as predicted, patients prescribed any hypnotic had substantially elevated hazards of dying compared to those prescribed no hypnotics” and the association held true even when patients with poor health were taken into account – and even if the patients took fewer than 18 pills in a year.

As you can see OTC drugs are more dangerous than vitamins and minerals when it comes to overdosing and deaths.

In the next posting we will take a look at some of the myths of the well-balanced diet.