Why Would Anyone NOT Take a Multivitamin?
It’s hard to believe a recent conference report from the National Institutes of Health found no compelling reasons for Americans to take a multi-vitamin.
My question: Why would any sensible person concerned about their health NOT take a multivitamin? And, for that matter, a potent multi-vitamin?
Many experts agree that the NIH report dismissed compelling evidence of the serious need for multi-vitamins, emphasizing negative over positive studies, which unfortunately is “typical,” says an antioxidant expert at Tufts.
The truth is: It’s impossible to be sure you get enough vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to ward off deficiencies, let alone enough for “optimal” health. Most Americans lack even the low recommended doses of basic nutrients, making them needlessly vulnerable to accelerated aging and chronic disease.
Imagine! 93% of us don’t get the bare minimum of vitamin E. An appalling 75% of adults lack calcium and magnesium; 50% lack vitamin A, and nearly 40% fall short of vitamin C. Few older people get enough B12, vitamin D or folic acid to keep their brains and bones from deteriorating.
That’s for ”survival” or subsistence doses. But what about ”optimal” doses?
I’m convinced much research shows you can delay aging and boost your health dramatically by getting more than a typical multi-vitamin provides. For example, recent studies found that:
*800 mcg of folic acid daily took 5 years off brain aging. And more than 400mcg cut Alzheimer’s risk 55%.
*300 IU of vitamin E a day cut heart deaths by 49% in women over age 65.
*500-1000 mg vitamin C prevented colds and their severity.
*200 mcg selenium slashed odds of prostate cancer 69%
*120 mg Ginkgo boosted memory and intellectual functioning in normal older and younger people.
Bottom Line: If those are not the doses you get in your multi-vitamin, you are shortchanging your health.
