Prelude to a new Vitamin Criteria

Fundamental questions need to be addressed before any vitamin criteria can have value.

QUESTIONS:

1. Are all physiological vitamin functions known for total health?
2. Do diseases have a vitamin connection?
3. Has science researched and established all these connections?
4. Are synthetic and natural vitamins the same for all vitamins?
5. Have the proper vitamin forms and dosages been matched with optimal health?

This author has found quite exciting novel answers to these questions. Some even challenging mainstream nutritional views long accepted and presented as facts. The same nutrient may have benefits at one dose while adverse effects at another. Often this depends upon conditions in the body, such as relationships to other nutrients or possible changes in hereditary gene patterns. The short answer to the above 5 questions is one yes and four no.

It is beyond the scope of this website to deal efficiently with gene differences other than to note some important findings. Scientists will have to settle these issues in the future. Now to give some supportive answers for these 5 questions:

ANSWERS: 

1. Answer: NO.  There are many vital missing links in vitamin knowledge. Antioxidant load balance is rarely mentioned although appears to be a factor in diabetes, and also for the immune system fighting off viruses.  And pH balance between acid and alkaline rarely gets mentioned except in university science textbooks. Calcium gets stored in bones just so it will be available if the body runs out of it's preferred acid buffer, the mineral potassium. 
2. Answer:  YES, many do. But it is not always the obvious one. The vitamin C cancer connection showing HIF-1 influence to stop or slow down tumor growth has just been discovered. Here are a number of connections: Beriberi and vitamin B1, Scurvy and vitamin C, Pellagra and niacin, iron and anemia, calcium and bones, vitamin D on infection and cancer protection, vitamin K on vessel integrity, vitamin E and C protecting vessels from effects of high fat meal, fish oil omega 3 limiting inflammation, broccoli element on estrogen balance and cell detoxification, the list could go on and on.......
3. Answer: NOT enough! Very little research funds have been directed to vitamins and supplements compared to drugs, BUT there is enough to make some pretty good educated deductions.  Have to be careful though interpreting studies as many are funded by food or drug companies with conflicts of interest, either positively or adversely. The most notable concept coming out of vitamin research is that there appears to be a lot of controversy. First positive results, than negative, and later non significant. Finding a common thread is quite a challenge and the really exciting part of this website.
4. Answer:  No, there are some differences.  Some vitamins are not even close while others are almost or exactly the same. Any health professional who regurgitates the "statement" that they are the same is only exposing a grave ignorance on the subject. Some of these differences will be explained in other articles. And yes, there are profound influences on health between natural and synthetic vitamin E. ref
5. Answer:  Unfortunately, a Major NO.   Not only has Science failed to address these issues, they have held on to antiquated theories for vitamin forms and dosages for over 60 years. If the basic vitamin premise is faulty before the research studies even start, how can they be expected to arrive at valid and healthy results. Government and Science picked just one out of 8 related vitamin E family members in nature to call and even carry a vitamin E label in the 1940's. Most if not all the research has to be conducted again with the natural complete E factors to find nature's correct answers. And Folic Acid, fortified in all refined grain flours and white rice, coupled with the amounts in multiple supplements has the potential for adverse effects in certain age groups. Seniors might have a folic acid link with dementia. ref   Available Vitamin D dosages have recently increased over 25 times with very little long term studies in support. Some adverse events are developing along with the benefits of increasing vitamin D levels. ARE HUMANS about to suffer the guinea pig syndrome again?