City Commentary
The City Commentary is a local bi-monthly magazine that focuses on 4 key urban elements: Understanding What Cities Are and What Drives Them, Flexibility, Understanding that education is Outcome Based, Commitment to Individual and Collective Success.The following is an article I wrote for the "Health & Beauty" section of the publication.
When you were young and caught a cold, your mother probably gave you vitamin C tablets to boost your immune system. Perhaps today you are among the millions of Americans that take vitamin C and other dietary supplements to prevent sickness or improve your health. But do dietary supplements deliver what they promise? Do they help or harm our bodies? And should we take them at all?
Is it Worth It?
Americans spend billions of dollars every year on pills that promise to boost immune systems, improve memory and even reduce the risk of certain cancers. But little concrete scientific evidence exists that dietary supplements are beneficial, while some studies may generate mix emotions.
A ten-year study at Creighton University among women age 55 and older suggests that increasing vitamin D intake could reduce the risk of breast and other cancers. Those taking a combination of calcium and vitamin D had a 77 percent reduced risk of cancers.
Compare those results with another study conducted at Duke University, which suggests that seniors with a high intake of calcium and vitamin D have a higher risk of brain lesions. However, the researchers in both studies made no recommendations based on the results, and individuals should not increase or decrease intake of calcium, vitamin D or other supplements solely based on them.
As for the vitamin C that Mom gave you as a kid: Some studies suggest that increased doses of it may ease symptoms or shorten the life of your cold for about half a day; but it won't prevent you from getting another one.
Read that Label...Carefully!
Consumers may be surprised to know that the dietary supplements they take are not approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as are prescriptions, and many may not be tested for safety or efficacy. Under the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act of 1994, they don't have to be. So makers of vitamins and supplements can legally make any claim they desire, as long as they don't say that they heal, cure or treat a disease or condition. But before you clear your bathroom cabinet of all of your vitamins, you should know if you will benefit from them and how they will react to your body.
As Dr. Sarah Ash, an associate professor of nutrition in the department of food science at North Carolina State University, explains, there are many factors that determine how supplements will affect one's body.
"Some variables to consider are the dosage, the product being given at the right time of life and the time span for which it's taken," she says. "Sometimes it can't be taken for just a year; it must be for a lifetime."
Who Should Take them?
Among certain populations, vitamin and supplement pill consumption may not be a bad idea.
"They could be more effective among those at greater risk for nutrient deficiency," adds Ash. "Anyone over 60 should be taking a multivitamin, such as Centrum Silver. They may also need vitamin D, as they're more prone to low sunlight exposure."
Ash also says that most children don't need supplement pills, while women from adolescence through adulthood could benefit from a multivitamin with iron.
But Ash doesn't make these suggestions without regard to the risks associated with the products, and cautions consumers to be smart when purchasing, as the makers of some products profit from consumer ignorance.
"If you're a frequenter of a place that sells supplements, you'll know that there's always some hot new product. There wouldn't be a need for it if the other products were as effective as they claim," she states.
Important Points to Remember
* Some supplements (such as calcium and iron) should be taken separately or they may interfere with one another.
* Vitamins and supplements are better absorbed with food.
* Vitamins and supplements are not cure-alls, and cannot take the place of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
* There are several factors that could determine how each vitamin and supplement could react to your body.
* You should discuss taking vitamins and supplements with your doctor.
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