There have been two recent studies that have shown vitamins may be harmful to our health. There have been studies in the past showing just the opposite. Who do we believe and what do we do?

A study of 39,000 women found that women over 55 who took multivitamins may have a slightly increased risk of early mortality than those who do not. When looking closely at the study many of the women were taking multivitamins with iron. Postmenopausal women without iron deficiency should not be taking iron. It can increase the chance of heart disease, the number one killer of women. In addition, we do not know what prompted the vitamin use in this group of women. It could be that they were not feeling well and looked to vitamins to make a difference.

Another study of 35,000 men found that 400 IU’s of Vitamin E in the form of dl-alpha tocopherol daily were at increased risk for developing prostate cancer. This study implies that men should not be taking vitamin E in this synthetic form. Vitamin E in natural form is a mix of 8 different antioxidant tocopherols and tocotrienols. When one piece of a vitamin is extracted it may not be effective and could possibly be harmful.

What is a person to do? I have an idea. Just as it is probably not a good thing to pick apart vitamins and take them. It is probably not a great idea to take vitamins outside their natural source. What do I mean by that? The best way to get vitamins and minerals is in food. That is the healthiest and safest source.

For vitamin C, eat citrus fruits. For Vitamin E eat nuts such as almonds and walnuts. For selenium, all you need is one or two Brazil nuts a day. For vitamin A, the safest source is food that contains beta-carotene such as carrots and sweet potatoes. Liver is another good source. The only vitamin that is tough to get in food is Vitamin D. It is absorbed through the skin but as we age or if we use sunscreen we may not get enough this way. You might require a supplement for that. Calcium is also hard to get if you are not a milk drinker.

I agree that all these studies are confusing. I doubt we will ever know the true positive or negative effects of vitamin and mineral supplements. There are variable manufacturing practices, a zillion brands and combinations and there is a consistency problem. Therefore, I feel strongly that we should get our vitamins the old fashioned way, the way mother nature intended, by eating healthy nutrient packed food.