Vitamin Flaws

VITAMIN DESIGN FLAWS EXPOSED

Verification: There are numerous scientific research studies referenced in the articles on this website that verify the basis for the design flaws mentioned leading to the new vitamin critieria developed and presented on this website. To see a list of support titles, go here.

It is difficult to comprehend with the advanced technology and tools of scientific research that Multi-Vitamin and Mineral supplements still have numerous design flaws and missed health building opportunities in nutrient forms, dosages, and synergistic combinations. Plus, reams of faulty nutritional information still govern far too many dietary theories, marketing stories, and millions of vitamin websites. Some of these flaws are even for vitamin dosages within recommended amounts provided by Government Health Agencies. While it is true that only a few of these flaws are serious enough to jeopardize health over the short term, longer use may pose significant health issues difficult to relate back to the consumed vitamins and minerals when future diseases manifest. Thus mainly, most of these flaws represent lost opportunities to simply improve health odds. Many of these missed connections are not yet even recognized by mainstream medicine even though the science is there. It seems obvious that there must be a reason Govenment Health Agencies have missed this new science. Let's get right to these flaws. But first, recognize that...   

...over 95%* of current MULTIPLE VITAMIN products contain flaws in vitamin forms, dosages, and or synergistic combinations.

*Actually it is 100%, but about 5% are close enough that with a little tweaking, they will suffice. 

Here are some of the vitamin flaws and background conditions revealed by new vitamin research. 

• There are synergistic vitamin or nutrient family members that when present with the main vitamin dramatically increase the effectiveness and avenues of actions for that vitamin. pages
• Some Synthetic vitamins have limited actions compared to same amount of natural vitamin. article
• Many vitamins exhibit the most effective actions within a certain window of dosages, neither too low or an excess. article article
• Minerals come in many different formats, each with the potential for unique absorption, assimilation, and degree of function activity.

• 95% of multi-vitamins contain only the synthetic all-trans form of beta carotene article
• Only a few multi-vitamins use a natural source for beta carotene such as D. Salina algae, which contains many different forms of beta carotene, especially all-trans and 9-cis, both are needed for vital roles in body functions.
• D. Salina and other algae also naturally contain alpha carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and crytoxanthin which have unique and important functions not exhibited by beta carotene. 

• Beta Carotene converts to vitamin A when the body needs it.
• All-trans and 9-cis beta carotenes have the ability to convert into the other form when more of that form is needed, but all-trans form conversion into 9-cis is limited. 
• Vitamin D does not function before it combines with 9-cis retinoic acid receptors (RXR)(made mainly from 9-cis beta carotene with a trace made from all-trans BC)
• Excessive dosages of vitamin D, before reaching levels considered toxic, can lead to higher calcium levels and begin exhibiting damage to certain organs and some tissues. ref

• Vitamin C is more effective when coupled with family members: Bioflavonoids, Rutin, and Hesperidin. These family members protect and extend vitamin C functions and life in the body.
• Synthetic vitamin C and natural food C are the same structure. Accessory factors make the difference and add extra value on their own beyond just vitamin C.

• Vitamin E in 95% of multi-vitamins only contains one tocopherol form, either as natural isolated d'alpha tocopherol or as synthetic dl'alpha tocopheryl. The synthetic form of E should not be consumed. It exhibits the greatest structural difference between the synthetic and natural vitamin E form.
• Vitamin E is more effective with family members: Beta, Delta, and Gamma tocopherols. 
• Also part of the of vitamin E family are four tocotrienols, Alpha-, beta-, delta-, and gamma-tocotrienols. Best to take in small doses (30-50mg) separately since all vitamin E forms compete for same digestion and absorption docking sites.
• Vitamin E as alpha tocopherol is very effective as an antioxidant against oxygen radicals but needs gamma tocopherol to protect against nitrogen radicals. This was discovered in the SELECT study for prostate cancer.
• The other vitamin E family members have unique actions separate from alpha tocopherol, such as protect brain cells, lower LDL cholesterol, and lower risk of certain cancers. article

• Excess Vitamin B1 can be harnessed by cancer cells to increase tumor growth rate article
• Both a deficiency and excess of Vitamin B6 levels are associated with nerve damage ref ref
• Moderate intakes over time of vitamin B6 may be associated with lung cancer risk in males only (one small study needs verification, but valid for male smokers)
• Also note, a deficiency of vitamin B6 may be associated with higher risks of many cancers including colon, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal. Higher intakes of food source vitamin B6 are protective. But this benefit has not been duplicated in supplement studies, most of which use too large of a dose. ref 
• Vitamin B6 over 35 mg coupled with supplemental vitamin B12 was found associated with increased hip fractures in Senior Women. ref ref 
• Excess Synthetic Folic Acid interferes with immune cell activity article
• Folic Acid can mask or cover up the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficient megaloblastic anemia.
• Excess Folic Acid on cognitive decline when coupled with low vitamin B12* ref ref  ref
• Low dietary Folate intake associated with greater cognitive decline. ref
• Folic acid used by existing cancer cells to help tumors grow article
• Supplements of Vitamin B12 are available in 3 natural forms and one synthetic form, cyanocobalamin, which is inferior and should not be used. ref
• While the 3 natural forms are all found in the body, the synthetic form is seldom present, and only shows up in smokers because there is some cyanide in the smoke that might form into the synthetic vitamin B12. 
• The synthetic form is used in most multivitamins since it cost less and is more heat stable.
• While all 4 forms correct a vitamin B12 deficiency, they each appear to have a favored pathway where they excel in healthy individuals.
• Cyanocobalamin should not be used in renal failure conditions, especially for Seniors where cyanide may accumulate from lack of Kidney function to remove.
• NOTE: a few foods also naturally have cyanide, thus if one knows their Kidneys are weak, it is best to avoid cyanide whenever possible. 
• Why is the cyanocobalamin form excreted out in urine at amounts greater than the natural forms? ref

• Excess Selenium potential to increase diabetes risk (Select Study)
• Excess vitamin A interferes with vitamin K absorption and functions
• Synthetic Vitamin E and even, to a lesser extent, natural isolated vitamin E, with only d-alpha tocopherol, are missing other vitamin E family members that serve unique and vital functions separate from d-alpha tocopherol for heart, brain, and immune systems. article 

• Adding calcium supplements if your dietary calcium is already high predicts an increased mortality rate when the total together is over 1400 mg. pages (one serving of dairy can be 300 mg. of calcium)
• Calcium ending up in soft tissues and artery walls due to lack of synergistic nutrients to control, such as vitamin D3, vitamin K2, plus lack of balance with magnesium and phosphorus. article
• Higher dosages of natural vitamin E as just alpha tocopherol interfere with the absorption of the other 3 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols plus vitamin K arriving in food
• Plus, how to safely consume vitamin supplements to avoid excesses, interference between nutrients in digestion, assimilation, and pathway protocols.
• Last, the scientific methods used to test vitamins on health and disease in humans are quite difficult to set up, carry out, and monitor. There are some unique genetic differences between humans. Plus, there are just too many moving parts to coordinate and this often leads to different results from similar proptocols. ref  

Current Multiple Vitamin products fail to consider or satisfy many of these facts. And these are just the tip of the iceberg for potential flaws in multi-vitamin formulas. Below are a few support details for these new facts, but greater detail and scientific support links will be presented in the over 300 other articles on this website. These articles will also attempt to add clarity as to why and how the establishment vitamin health protocols seemingly over-look most of them, or don't think they need to be mentioned. An amazingly intriguing mystery story searching for a plausible ending. But waiting for these necessary changes could jeopardize health.

SUPPORT 

• Science speaks out on some of these aspects. ref a
• Moderate amounts of vitamin B6 (over 20 mg for a period of time with vitamin B12) found associated with elevated lung cancer risk in men, especially smokers, but not in women. This gender factor tips off that there might be an androgen hormone connection. And the facts support a slim possibility. Vitamin B6 increases androgens which are linked to (71%) increased non-small cell lung cancer, as well as many other cancers like prostate. ref ref
• Vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid were studied to see if they could reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) since they lower homocysteine levels which was linked to increased CVD. These studies did not reveal a reduction in CVD even though homocysteine levels were lowered. ref But, other disease associations appeared with increased supplemental intake amounts of these vitamins, such as hip fractures and some cancers. Higher intakes from food are considered protective against cancers, but this was not found for higher supplement amounts. 
• While there are vitamin B6 studies that show higher levels appear to limit colon and pancreatic cancers, these mainly compared low and adequate amounts of B6 from dietary sources. Supplements only show value to those people who had a dietary B6 deficiency.
• Synthetic Vitamin E, dl'alpha tocopheryl (dl telling sign, just d is natural form), should NEVER be consumed for nutritional purposes without medical supervision. article
• Higher dosages of isolated either synthetic or natural vitamin E supplements, reduce the body levels of the other vitamin E family members arriving in food: beta, delta, and gamma tocopherols and the tocotrienols in same four configurations. Each of these has needed vital functions separate from the alpha tocopherol form.
• Vitamin E as d'alpha tocopherol. Since the antioxidant theory says that vitamin E should protect against the development of heart disease, it is puzzling that vitamin E studies did not reach a positive result. So, a medical dcotor finally decided to measure blood levels of vitamin E forms in heart patients versus healthy subjects. He found that the vitamin E as d'alpha tocpherol were the same in both groups. Thus, why would one expect adding more of a vitamin E form that was not deficient be expected to yield a beneficial effect?  But, he did find another vitamin E family member, d'gamma tocopherol, was lower in heart pateints. Could it be that simple. Rarely!
• Synthetic Folic Acid should NOT be consumed above low amounts, especially since this form is already present in fortified cereal foods. article While the liver can turn the synthetic folic acid into the natural folate form up to about 200 mcg per meal and 600 mcg per day, unmetabolized folic acid is still found in the blood stream of many consumers, even some newborn infants. One adverse effect is suppressed immune system killer cell activity. ref ref <high dose folic acid, ref (Sugar has this same effect too, ref)
• Natural folate should be limited to under 300 mcg, while synthetic should not be over 200 mcg, especially since synthetic folic acid is already part of the diet in fortified foods. ref
• Synthetic beta carotene is incomplete and it is better to not consume since it is missing factors found in natural carotenoid foods and also in D. salina algae supplements. article Synthetic beta carotene is all-trans while natural has all-trans plus 9-cis. 95% of multiple vitamin supplements have only synthetic all-trans beta carotene. Plus, it is another carotenoid family member, alpha carotene, that is associated with lower mortality and disease rates when found in higher amounts in blood. Both alpha carotene and beta carotene are necessary plus many other family members as well. (Lycopene, Lutein, Astazanthin, etc). (This topic contains some controversy. But the trend is there. Hard to ignore. Like the vitamin E family, 9-cis Beta carotene disappears out of blood stream rapidly, but is found in higher concentrations in many tissues and organs. Why?) 
• Synthetic vitamin A as retinol palmitate should be limited to under 4000 mcg. Links exist that show increased bone fractures with higher amounts, but this is still somewhat controversial. Natural sources are preferred, like fish. The body can split the beta carotene molecule to make vitamin A.
• Omega 3 fish oils are highly perishable and need increased antioxidants (vitamin E) to protect against rancidity. Refrigeration helps too.
• Antioxidants, Vitamins C, D, E, K, plus CoQ10, zinc and selenium, need to be limited to achieve a balance between oxidation and reduction actions. The redox principle. 
• Supplements to combat colds containing antioxidants should be limited to allow the body to use free radicals to kill viruses before antioxidants step in and neutralize these radicals. Colds last longer in people who take lots of antioxidant vitamins.
• Vitamin D is detrimental at both too low of a level and also at excessive amounts. A blood level of 30 ng/mL is preferred. (25-35) below 20 and over 40 can exhibit adverse effects.
  • While over 40 ng/mL has been found to be advantageous with some cancers, a medical team should supervise higher vitamin D intakes over 4000 IUs to watch for possible side effects. ref
• Many studies say vitamin C does not prevent colds for the average person. But here is a fact. Vitamin C does reduce the illness rate in extreme athletes by as much as 50%. For the average person, vitamin C can slightly reduce the severity of symptoms and the duration of a five day cold by maybe half a day. Vitamin C helps build collagen, a vital element of many body tissues and organs.
• Potassium should mainly be consumed in food. As a supplement, tablets or capsules are limited to only 99mg (5% of requirement) due to adverse effects on intestinal tract wall cells. The liquid form is used for higher amounts. Bananas average 400 mg and avocados have 400 in half of average size. Most people are low in potassium. The consumed average is only about 2400mg in males and 1900 mg for females. The requirement used to be 4700 mg but was recently reduced about 25% to 3400 mg for males and 2600 mg for females. It was so difficult to reach the initial levels with diet that the Government recently reduced them. Government meal programs have to provide a certain percentage of the required nutrients and the higher potassium levels were difficult to achieve. Possibly this decrease was also as a safeguard since many people have to reduce potassium levels to help impaired Kidney functions. ref
• Calcium is vital for many functions, but presents challenges when supplements are at 1000 mg per day since the diet can supply 300 to 700 mg. Over 1400 mg of total calcium per day has been linked to problems. Not always due to the calcium, but due to the lack of other nutrients needed for synergistic behavior to make sure calcium does not end up in artery walls or in soft tissues (vitamin K2 as MK7).
• Magnesium has many synergistic functions, especially with calcium, and is often deficient in many diets. Calcium is fortified in numerous foods and abundant in dairy, so a deficiency of magnesium would hinder calcium movement into and out of cells. Tests measuring magnesium blood levels fail to accurately reveal the amount of magnesium in tissues.
• Selenium is a trace mineral and most supplements contain too much, (200 mcg) Studies show in areas where selenium is abundant in soil and thus in foods grown in them, very little if any selenium should be consumed. Adverse effects develop at excess levels. Diabetes rates are increased for one. And another is since selenium forms part of one of the two vital detox compounds, an unbalanced ratio may result. The two cellular detox compounds, GPX and SOD, need to be in balance for optimal cellular health.
• Vitamin E as d'alpha tocopherol. Since the antioxidant theory says that vitamin E should protect against the development of heart disease, it is puzzling that the studies did not reach a positive result. So, a medical dcotor finally decided to measure blood levels of vitamin E forms in heart patients versue healthy subjects. He found that the level of vitamin E in heart patients was the same as in healthy controls. Thus, why would one expect adding more of a vitamin E form that was not deficient be expected to yield a beneficial effect?  But, he did find another vitamin E family member, d'gamma tocopherol, was lower in heart patients.
• Vitamin K has more functions than to just help coagulate blood. It directs the activity of numerous proteins that participate in such diverse functions as bone building, artery integrity, blood sugar regulation, and even limited  major diseases. But it is needed in amounts within a proper window to not over-cook or under-develop these processes. One such example is how it activates a multi-purpose protein called osteocalcin that exists in two forms, one carboxylated, activated by vitamin K, and the other not carboxylated. These two forms when in balance control actions like building bones, blood sugar regulation, and even prostate cancer cell growth.This is very new information and needs immediate verification. article

This reference mentions another aspect in vitamin research studies as to why a positive benefit would not always be a result. If the baseline average level of the test subjects before the study is already at or near the effective level for that vitamin, a beneficial result would be less likely to manifest. This article describes the optimal window of vitamin amounts that exhibit the best healthy body functions, and how both low and excessive could bring on adverse effects.

FYI: This website has some good information about certain vitamin aspects. But it still lacks some vital information that would add clarity and explanations for some of the points mentioned.  

HOW WERE THE VITAMIN FLAWS DISCOVERED?    

You will not find many of these flaws mentioned in the first pages of search engines like Google. Try going to the very last pages of internet offerings for a particular vitamin issue and you might find websites containing these flaws, or in the scientific journals listed on Pubmed.gov. Over 10,000 Pubmed scientific studies were examined to find these vitamin flaws. 

Here is a list of many vitamin and mineral interaction issues. Of course, most are minor considerations when a variety of foods are included in diet. But, in supplements with higher concentrations, these issues can be magnified and gain significance over time.

Update on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 11:41AM by Team RightWay

How serious are these vitamin flaws?

While all vitamin flaws start out as just minor nuisances, usually not observable outside of the body, the longer they are consumed, the more serious they can become. The very first deficiency vitamin associations where discovered for vitamin C with scurvy and the B vitamins, B1, thiamine, causing beriberi, and B2, riboflavin, causing pellagra. How quickly these diseases show up depends upon the level of vitamin deficiency. Scurvy without vitamin C could show up in just a few months exhibited by Columbus and crew on the Santa Maria in 1492. The issue facing Scientists at present is what is happening in the body before these deficiencies are revealed? These flaws could start influencing conditions that are favorable to start cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, or diabetes. Precautionary measures need to began many years before symptoms emerge. This is why studies have trouble relating vitamins to future disease states. 

Some of the body processes that vitamin flaws over time influence include digestion, assimilation, mineral balance, pH control, and intestinal flora balance. Cellular activities are difficult to spot before they manifest into a larger outward observable body disruption. Chief among cellular activities includes energy production in mitochondria, membrane integrity for mineral balance, enzyme functions, antioxidant loads on radical oxidation, plus production of hormone and other messenger elements, especially those from omega fats regulating inflammation.

While the vitamin flaws mentioned on this do not yet all have adequate scientific study support, they should at least kick off the precautionary approach until research is able to verify, one way or the other.

But, the referenced studies do paint a most compelling picture for many, plus phisology is offered to support possible pathways and connections.

Update on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 5:00PM by Team RightWay

Why do so many flaws exist?

The simple answer is often the most accurate. Many health systems in the United States are designed to make money mainly off people who are sick. There is one beacon of hope that has not been fully appreciated yet. Insurance companies make more money when people are healthy and not using up insurance company profits. But, they only give a small amount of attention to keeping people healthy. 

Imagine what would happen if insurance payments went directly to Doctors and Hospitals every month only when people were healthy. Accidents don't count.  When one gets sick, they stop paying the Hospitals and Doctors since they have failed. How would this impact treatments and care?

Let's look at one known example. A Doctor tested a patient and told her she had osteoporosis, low bone mass. The Doctor wanted to give here a bone drug. She wanted to first try natural products. The Doctor said OK, but told her they would not work. And said, try them for a month and then come back for another test. After the patient had taken a bone builder product from a vitamin store for a month, she arrived for her approintment and again, the test came back low bone mass. The patient went on the drug and returned the natural bone builder products.

Now, the telling part of this story is that the natural bone builders would take at least 4 months to show any improvement, and that bones naturally take 6 months to complete the bone renewal process and complete mineralization. Since the Doctor obviously knew these facts that bone building taking many months to show any result, he mislead the patient.

The second mistake, is that even when taking the bone drug, one still has to be building bone and should still be taking the nutrients she returned. This of course assumes the bone building product she picked had any science to show effectiveness. And this one did. It was a multi-nutrient product that contained all the known bone builidng elements. The scientific study measured and found improvments in some of the same bone pathway elements the Doctor would have measured to make a diagnosis of osteoporosis. article with facts and references