Most Americans Gain ZERO Benefit from Nutritional Supplements

What? Vitamins don’t help me? A nice plain English summary from the NY Times explains how typical Americans without a previously diagnosed nutritional deficiency do NOT gain any health advantages from taking a handful of supplements each morning.

Save your $$$$.

Notice the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the United States Preventive Services Task Force, among others, have ALL found no role for a once daily vitamin supplement to prevent cancer or heart disease; they recommend instead a balanced diet with a variety of foods to be MORE effective than any capsule. Reducing the plain white, high carb foods (bread, pasta, tortillas, rice, potatoes) and increasing the colorful red/orange/green/yellow/purple foods (vegetables, fruits, beans) will provide a wide range of excellent vitamin and minerals plus assist in keeping weight down.

Magnesium pill? Better to take spinach, nuts, legumes and whole-grain cereals.

Calcium pill? Try fat-free milk, yogurt, cheese and dark-green leafy vegetables.

Even more concerning, some vitamins INCREASE the risk of cancer. Based on early, suggestive evidence, a large government-sponsored study tested the ability of selenium and vitamin E to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Imagine the surprise when the men who took vitamin E developed significantly more cancers than those on a placebo.

Instead of spending money on unproven therapy, try a membership at the local gym. Exercise is outstanding for mental and physical health. See you at the Y!