Vitamin Issues Covered

Setting the stage:

1. VITAMINS WORK! This is not really in question. For over 80 years, vitamins added to foods have been preventing diseases like beriberi and pellagra. Iodine has been added to salt to prevent goiters and thyroid problems. The human body will not survive without consuming vitamins from outside sources; food, bacteria, or supplements.
2. VITAMIN FORMS MATTER! Differences exist between vitamin and mineral forms that impact assimilation and absorption rates, plus ability to influence different degrees of body functions. Vitamins and minerals naturally form compounds with acids or other elements. Rarely are they found without a carrier attached. They can be toxic without a carrier. There are preferred vitamin and mineral forms. Usually these forms have the greater level of benefits with the least side effects. Most vitamin and mineral compounds break apart during digestion and get recombined with the proper body compounding nutrients when they leave the digestive system. The left behind carrier elements can either be beneficial, neutral, or possibly slightly adverse for other body functions.
3. Delivery methods impact stability and absorption channels. First, oral intake only. Mulit-Vitamins come in tablets, capsules, softgels,liquid, powder, and chewables. Liquids may seem like a good delivery method, but are mainly for those who cannot swallow pills or don't like the taste of powders. Each method has benefits and also detrimental possibilities. Here is the simplified version of sequence from best to least: Capsules (easier to swallow than tablets, but lower dosages), Softgels ( be sure to take with meal containing fats), coated capsules, Quick release tablets, regular release tablets (pressure puts more nutrients than in capsules, but also needs binders, flow agents, and disintegration factors) powders (tend to oxidize more with each jar opening, and moisture in air can damage), chewables (taste consideration, sugar potential), liquids (rapid oxidation and nutrient interactions while in bottle, and from oxygen exposure when bottle opened, time-release tablets  (tendency to not breakdown properly for processing and absorption).
4. New technologies are emerging for delivery systems that attempt to bypass natural controls and blocks of normal digestion and processing pathways. Nano-emulsion and Lipo-somes (fat wrapped) nutrients increase absorption. There are still some unanswered questions regarding which nutrients would benefit from these methods and where these forms go once inside the body. While these systems have been used for some time for drug targeting, using these methods for delivering nutrients is rather new and presents questions about nutrients going into body areas where they are not normally found. Certain nutrients that have a very low percentage of digestive absorption benefit from these systems like curcumin. Since these systems allow greater entrance into the brain, this brings up issues over possible brain toxicity. ref
5. Most VITAMINS exhibit the greatest benefits within certain dosage windows, easy to maintain with a good diet, but challenging with concentrated supplements. The proper dosages, not to low or too high, and forms of vitamins can deliver numerous benefits. One has to remember to add together dietary food vitamins to the amounts in supplements for daily totals.
6. VITAMINS AND MINERALS often have many different body functions to perform. Magnesium participates in over 300 enzyme functions. Science attempts to isolate and study just one or two at a time which often leads to results that jeopardize health in unevaluated organs or tissues. Plus, the same nutrient can have benefits in one situation and opposite reactions in another. While Calcium is a bone builder nutrient, it also participates in regulating pH of the blood and cellular health. Studies only looking at bone markers may miss vital adverse changes in artery and heart conditions, such as soft tissue calcification.
7. Vitamin supplement research is incomplete. There are numerous vitamin supplement functions and interactions that still need to be determined. Thus, for some of these missing areas, especially for proper dosage of synergistic nutrients, guesstimates will have to suffice based upon current available science. Also, quite a significant amount of research is conducted only on animals. Human studies can show a different scenario. Even between different Countries, results can vary due to genetic and cultural dietary patterns.
   
8. When properly used, VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS support health, but the opposite is also possible. Vitamin Supplements should have as their goal to maintain or enhance health without adversely interfering outside of normal body metabolism. While there are many positive vitamin responses, there is also potentially adverse activity. New Vitamin research has uncovered some flaws and cracks in current vitamin theories and products. article ref
9. Vitamin supplements should be complementary to dietary nutrients, not in place of them. Unfortunately, the half of the population that takes supplements are often not the ones with the greater need. Their vitamin issue is just as likely to be one of an excess or unbalance of some supplemented vitamins and minerals as it is to be a dietary deficiency.
10. Vitamin Deficiencies often found up to 50% of the population that does not consume supplements other than the ones added to fortified foods. This is based upon the percentages found in general Public dietary survey statistics. Averages are between 21-24%. Some minerals even exhibit deficiencies up to 95% of population, like potassium.
11. Nutrient deficiencies often exist in non-major vitamins and minerals. These are also rarely measured. Many have vital functions that have yet to be acknowledged as necessary. Included here would be bioflavonoids, rutin, the other 7 family members of vitamin E, 9-cis beta carotene, alpha carotene, lutein, and other carotenoid complex factors, CoQ10, Vitamin K2, and various fibers, insoluble and soluble, such as beta glucans. Many articles on this website give vital data about these nutrients.  
12. Vitamin supplements are Controversial. Similar research sometimes finds seemingly opposite conclusions. It is necessary to analyze comparison study results for differences in dosages, nutrient formats, delivery methods, and test subject criteria to control variables. People can be quite different between locations in genetics, dietary patterns, activity levels, plus influences from different environmental and occupational exposures. ref
13. This is critical. Nutrient on Nutrient Interference and Interactions. Many nutrients, such as the flavonoids, the carotenoids, and vitamin E members, work together as a team. One nutrient action may offset an opposite action in a related family nutrient. To only supplement one of these can upset harmony and balance. This is one reason why lower dosages may have advantages over larger dosages.
14. Polar opposite functions. One concept seldom factored in when determining proper supplement protocols is that some vitamins and other nutrients can have opposite behavior under different body conditions. Example 1. Folates prevent cell mutations during cell division which limits cancer development. But after cancer starts, this action of folates to help healthy cells divide safely gets hijacked by the cancer cells to help them divide faster and rapidly grow the tumor. article  2. Antioxidant vitamins stop free radicals from damaging cells, but some radicals have beneficial functions to perform before antioxidants control them. Like when white blood cells produce a free radical to destroy illness causing viruses before a cold develops. 3. Vitamin E usually helps protect heart with antioxidant functions, but some studies report vitamin E in higher dosages might exhibit opposite actions and function as a pro-oxidant. Needs more research. ref
15. Over 95% of current Multiple Vitamins exhibit one or more flaws in dosages, forms, or nutrient on nutrient interactions.
16. It needs to be pointed out that vitamin studies often use different methods of delivery to get vitamins into the body. One method (among oral tablets & caps, IV drip, muscle injection, liquid, chewable gummies, powders, sub dermal, etc) cannot be used as support for another method since there could be unique differences in results. But, this mixing of data and results is far too often used in vitamin literature, especially if IV drip study results are compared to oral supplements.
17. Subjects of vitamin studies often have different beginning dietary vitamin levels which hinders the analysis and results as to effectiveness. People are more likely to be influenced positively by supplements if they are deficient, rather than if they are already sufficient in the studied vitamin. ref  Beginning Selenium levels are critical to results. Low at start results are more likely to be positive while the opposite is found if beginning levels are already elevated and more is added.
18. Not just vitamin toxicity over certain high amounts is a factor, far more often it is amounts under toxic amounts that also can cause disruptive effects. High calcium intake has been associated with increased prostate cancer risk. ref Vitamin D increases calcium intake at amounts far below toxic amounts. ref 
19. A fundamental Age-ing Issue: Can vitamins influence the rate of aging, or the natural slowdown of numerous body processes, such as hormone generation, vision or hearing loss, and reduced muscle mass?
20. This issue is vital to Vitamin Functions. It should be near the top of this article. In order to work, Vitamins usually have to combine and interact with many other nutrients, such as other vitamins, minerals, and or proteins. EXAMPLE: Vitamin D process has to first start with the mineral magnesium. Then vitamin D has to change forms and attach to a form of vitamin A on cell walls. This new combination needs another element called a vitamin D receptor. At this point inside cells, this new compound triggers genes to build proteins, like osteocalcin. Osteocalcin goes on to another form through the action of vitamin K2. This activated osteocalin then combines with minerals like calcium and magnesium and becomes new bone tissue. 
21. Often vitamins form a part of an enzyme. The functions of these enzymes are sometimes attributed to the vitamin. 
22. Top Critical Issue: Current Vitamin data has some theory flaws. Most vitamin research up to now used some flawed vitamin forms and dosages without beneficial synergistic family members. The amount of recent research using the new corrected vitamin criteria revealed by this website articles and scientific links is not yet sufficient to give proper vitamin usage dosages, formats, and combination vitamin results. Continued research is vitally needed. Thus, this undercurrent limits presented materials that stretch beyond the linked research, even though this research does present a rather favorable picture of future health trends. That the past vitamin studies used flawed forms and dosages is no longer an issue, just a reality that more Scientists will have to embrace in the near future. 

These flaws are not always due to sinister deviations in supplements like between some natural and synthetic vitamins, but are often just consequences of normal physiology, especially absorption, breakdown, elimination, plus body levels and functions of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin supplements differ from food sources since they are very concentrated and leave out buffer elements like fibers, proteins, and fats. Take lower dose vitamins and minerals with food to limit any potential adverse effects. While studies of vitamins in food exhibit many positive health associations, concentrated vitamin supplement research sometimes discovers adverse actions along with benefits. 

SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

Addressed in this section are some of the potential adverse vitamin supplement issues that need to be resolved so corrective vitamin solutions gain significance and become consumer main choices. The issues relating to vitamins for health involve around these aspects; Formulas, dosages, absorption, assimilation, synergistic actions, load impacts, participation levels, and interference. In certain situations, vitamins can block or crowd out other nutrients for docking assignments, hinder carrier attachments, or interfere in metabolic pathways. Many of these issues are responsible for food nutrients often exhibiting benefits while isolated supplements might show inconsistencies. The Scientific community appears split on many of these issues with Dieticians and Nutritionists completely ignoring vital research connections. Find out which ones in the articles on this website.

BASE ISSUE and QUESTION

The body uses many of the above mentioned aspects as protective mechanisms to maintain the normal state of homeostasis. This means the body has to balance and juggle the intake of nutrients, that often radically vary day to day and week to week, to meet the daily demands of body cells, tissues, and organs. And it usually does a pretty miraculous job since it has numerous coping abilities. But, these mechanisms were designed to work with the nutrients in foods. 

NOW! How do vitamin supplements impact these time tested body coping mechanisms?      

• Vitamins and minerals in food ride along with many other phyto-nutrients that can have benefits while supplements are largely isolated nutrients.
• The many fibers, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates plus phyto-nutrients in whole foods act as buffers to trickle vitamins and minerals into the blood stream, while supplements are highly concentrated and flood the system with larger amounts than the body is designed to handle at one time. 
• This novel concept of nature to control release of vitamins and minerals from food achieves a balance with other nutrients so body systems (Kidneys) do not have to overwork to accomplish this balanced regulation after digestion and assimilation.
• It is simply a matter of balancing body physiology with dietary nutrients.
• Concentrated Supplements of vitamins and minerals can either augment or interfere with absorption, assimilation, pH and mineral balance issues, metabolism pathways, and even hormone regulation.
• LOWER DOSAGES OF VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS are actually more likely to HARMONIZE WITH NATURE than mega-doses as well as reduce stress on many protective body mechanisms, such as demands on Kidneys and Liver for healthy metabolism.
• The many novel vitamin concepts explored here attempt to clarity emerging vitamin benefits and risks through linked scientific study references with simple explanations of related body functions. 
• These issues are not just limited to minor players, but involve major nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamins B6, C, D, E, & K, folic acid, and selenium. See below.
• Over 90% of current Multiple Vitamins have old style formulas, faulty nutrient forms, and or dosage problems. article
• Staying Healthy is paramount for ageing BABY-BOOMERS undergoing a slowdown in metabolism and body functions, plus influence of wear and tear over time on structures, with added environmental concerns from increasing food bacterial contamination, decreasing soil fertility reducing food nutrient content, plus the build-up of environmental toxins, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and other potential hormone interrupters. GMOis another budding new challenge.
• As if this was not enough for the body to handle, new technological inventions such as cell phones and the internet are bombarding the brain with mental images at an accelerating rate. Plus, microwaves of energy and the effects of increasing blue light spectrum on brain activity are still getting unwrapped. Body coping mechanisms have not yet developed methods to properly process and protect the brain and body cycles from these assaults. article article  

Health Professional education and accepted vitamin "facts" are not set in stone. They are and should always have been a work in progress to verify. Too often vitamin advice is more of a band-aid than a cure, and suffers greatly from the tunnel vision concept. Science and Nature should work together rather than at odds. Anyway, NATURE usually wins out. See the Big picture of health (article) and especially read this article - Profound Health.  

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