RE: Vitamins - You Decide, I Know I Have :o)

[Guest guest]

I still don't take supplements :-) , but do periodically load my diet into

DWIDP and check that I am covering nutritional bases.

While it is easy to blame the pill pushers, they are just responding to a

demand from the marketplace for a shortcut to health provided by " magic "

pills. Perhaps we should look inward for the source of the present state of

affairs.

JR

-----Original Message-----

From: Dave [mailto:ohiodave@...]

Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 11:33 AM

Subject: [ ] Vitamin E Controversy - You Decide, I Know I

Have )

At 08:01 AM 11/13/2004, you wrote:

>Dear Friend,

>

>As you've probably heard, researchers at s Hopkins University

>released a study this week which claims that 400 IU or more of

>vitamin E can increase the risk of death and should be avoided. As a

>complementary physician, I was angry and disappointed that such a

>study was released to the public-causing unnecessary fear and concern

>among the millions of people using this safe, incredibly useful

>supplement to improve their health.

>

>My Analysis of the Study

>

>I'm skeptical of any meta-analysis using only 19 studies to make

>sweeping claims that vitamin E is unsafe and shouldn't be used,

>especially when thousands of research studies done over more than

>three generations have attested to its great health benefits and

>safety. Historically, vitamin E is one of the longest used

>supplements, with research studies dating back to the 1930s. In fact,

>there have been more than 6,000 studies alone that show

>cardiovascular benefit from vitamin E supplementation. There are many

>more research studies touting vitamin E's benefits and safety in

>treating many other health concerns-dermatological problems, hot

>flashes, osteoarthritis, and much more.

>

>In the case of this particular study, there's just no logic to

>justify the conclusion. First of all, the high dosage trials were

>often small and were performed in patients with chronic diseases, who

>were at greater risk for mortality anyway. Not to mention, half the

>people in this study were using other vitamins and minerals in

>addition to vitamin E. I have significant doubts about the

>researchers' ability to accurately extrapolate that vitamin E was the

>culprit, when patients were using vitamin E combined with other

>vitamins and minerals. Imagine-if researchers made such sweeping

>generalizations about prescription drugs, there wouldn't be any left

>on the market! And in reality, patients have had countless more

>problems caused by prescription drugs than with vitamin E-myself

>included.

>

>This study (which, by the way, was funded in part by a pharmaceutical

>company) is just another example of the traditional medical

>establishment and the mainstream media trying to discredit the

>benefits and safety of nutritional supplements-a pattern that I have

>now seen for 30 years. I agree with the Council for Responsible

>Medicine's recently published response to this study, which you can

>read here.

>

>Personally Speaking

>

>Vitamin E is the first nutrient I used on myself back in 1974 with

>great benefits-and it's had a long history of safety and

>effectiveness. I continue to use it with confidence. Of the thousands

>of patients I've seen while in practice, I've recommended vitamin E

>to nearly all of them, and have very rarely seen even the slightest

>side effect.

>

>In general, I recommend that healthy women take 600-1,600 IU of

>natural vitamin E per day.

>

>Wishing you the best of health,

>

> M. Lark, M.D.

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