VITAMIN C/BONE THINNING (OSTEOPOROSIS)
High levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) given to laboratory animals produced a decrease in their bone density. (Journal of Nutrition 114(5)920-928, May 1984) Reduced bone density makes bone pain, humpback and fractures more likely. Copyright Phylis Austin

MINIMAL BRAIN DYSFUNCTION/MEGAVITAMIN THERAPY
Thirty-one children with minimal brain dysfunction were divided into two groups. One group was given megavitamin therapy, the other received placebos. Within a two week period two children responded to therapy-- both were in the placebo group! Evaluations by parents and teachers revealed no significant change in either of the two groups. (Journal of the American Medical Association 240:2642-2643, 1978) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
A study conducted at the request of the Office of the Quartermaster of the United States Army showed no demonstrable beneficial effect from vitamin supplements. The subjects were divided into groups and given vitamins or placebos. They continued their regular diet and daily activities, keeping a log of appetite, energy level, gas, indigestion and abdominal pain. The same beneficial results were noted in the placebo group as in the vitamin group. (Journal of the American Medical Association 126:823, November 25, 1944) Copyright Phylis Austin

MEGAVITAMINS/LEARNING DISORDERS
A group of 20 children with learning disabilities were given large doses of ascorbic acid, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate and pyridoxine, along with a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. After a six month period the children receiving the megavitamins demonstrated no significant improvement as compared to a group treated with diet alone. (The Journal of Nutrition 109:819, May 1979) Copyright Phylis Austin

"NATURAL" VS. SYNTHETIC VITAMINS
Paul Stitt, a biochemist and food scientist for some of the largest corporations in the United States reports that government regulations require that only three percent of a food supplement be natural ingredients before the food can be labeled "natural." He points out that because synthetic vitamins are so much less expensive it is likely that many of the "natural" vitamins on the market are 97 percent synthetic. He says it would require 30 oranges to produce one 1000 mg. vitamin C tablet, and a bottle of all natural vitamin C tablets could cost about four hundred dollars! (Stitt, Paul A. Fighting the Food Giants, Manitowoc, Wisconsin: Natural Press, 1980, p. 221) Copyright Phylis Austin

DENTAL EROSION/CHEWABLE VITAMIN C TABLETS
A 1981 study suggests a relationship between vitamin C syrup and dental erosion. A new report indicates that the commonly used vitamin C tablets may be harmful to the teeth. A 30-year-old female presented with severe erosion of her teeth. The erosion was so extensive that she required full crowns on at least 12 teeth. Some of the chewable vitamin C tablets that she had been taking were dissolved in water and a tooth placed in the solution. The tooth was measured daily for 22 days. Days one to three the surface of the tooth felt rough, by the fourth day differences in measurement appeared, and continued for almost three weeks. The researchers feel that the vitamin C tablets produce a drop in the pH of the saliva, producing calcium citrate complexes which lead to a loss of calcium from the teeth. (Journal of the American Dental Association 107:253-256, August 1983) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN A/BIRTH DEFECTS
Accutane, a vitamin A derivative, is known to induce birth defects. Common defects include small, absent or malformed ears, cleft palate, heart defects, cortical blindness, abnormalities of the heart and blood vessels and others. Some researchers are now urging that we take a second look at the effects of large doses of vitamin supplements. (Journal of Pediatrics 105(4)583-584, October, 1984) Copyright Phylis Austin

COLON CANCER/VITAMIN D
Death rates from colon cancer are highest in the parts of the United States with the least amount of natural sunlight. Researchers feel that differences in vitamin D production by the body and calcium absorption (both related to sun exposure) may be the factors responsible for the increased colon cancer rate. (The Lancet 1:307-309, February 9, 1985) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN E/ALLERGIC REACTIONS
Various forms of vitamin E are recommended for many skin ailments and cosmetics often contain vitamin E. Two patients who applied vitamin E on scar tissue suffered allergic reactions. (Archives of Dermatology 120:906-908, 1984) Copyright Phylis Austin

STRESS VITAMINS
The Center for Science in the Public Interest cautions that high-dose vitamin preparations promoted for people who are under stress are ineffective and state that there is no proof that stress increases the need for vitamins. They refer to the promotion of vitamins for this purpose as a "giant fraud." (American Medical News, May 10, 1985, p. 41) Copyright Phylis Austin

ARTHRITIS/VITAMIN D OVERDOSE
Large doses of vitamin D have been recommended in the treatment of arthritis. A 48-year-old woman who took several teaspoons of cod liver oil and three mugs of milk daily over a period of about 18 months developed kidney failure and calcium deposits in her joints and tissues surrounding the joints. Over 30 years ago it was reported in the medical literature that large doses of vitamin D may lead to calcium deposits in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Annals of Rheumatic Diseases 44:494-498, 1985) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN A/CANCER RISK
Because special studies have suggested that vitamin A is protective against cancer some people are recommending supplements. Suezanne T. Orr, PH. D., of the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, observes that vitamin A supplements may lead to serious toxicity. She states that the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A may be easily obtained by dietary sources of provitamin A, found in many vegetables and fruits. ONE SERVING of carrot, cantaloupe, cabbage, celery, turnip greens, sweet potato, kale, mango or many other natural foods is sufficient to provide the RDA. (Clinical Nutrition 4:138-142, 1985) Copyright Phylis Austin

VEGETARIAN DIET/VITAMIN D LEVELS
A study from the Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and the Perinatal Research Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio and Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health has revealed that women who eat a vegetarian diet have higher levels of 1,25-didyroxy-vitamin D than meat eaters. The researchers focused special attention on women who were breastfeeding their children. They feared that their diet was not adequate to provide sufficient vitamin D for their infants, as their diet was mostly whole grain cereals and vegetables. The women in this study generally avoided meats, eggs, and dairy products. Vitamin D is necessary for proper absorption of calcium and it was thought that these women, on what is considered as a low calcium diet, may be unable to give their infants the recommended calcium. Furthermore, a vegetarian diet containing large amounts of grains may be high in phytate, which had until recently been thought to hinder calcium absorption. The researchers conclude that the body is able to adapt to varying dietary and physiologic conditions, making the necessary adjustment to provide adequate calcium levels. (Obstetrics and Gynecology 70(6)870-874, December 1987) Copyright Phylis Austin

PROSTATE CANCER/VITAMIN D
It has been hypothesized that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is more common in Blacks, those in northern latitudes, and the elderly. All of these groups are known to have lower levels of vitamin D.
Vitamin D levels are largely influenced by sunlight exposure. (Anticancer Research 10:1307-1312, 1990) Copyright Phylis Austin

ATOPIC DERMATITIS/GARLIC AND VITAMIN B-1
Daily baths with a solution of garlic and vitamin B-1 complex were helpful for atopic dermatitis sufferers in a Japanese study. (Pediatric Dermatology 9(2)197, June 1992) The solution is manufactured by Fuji Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd. Copyright Phylis Austin

EXCESSIVE VITAMIN D LEVELS/MILK CONSUMPTION
Vitamin D is added to milk to prevent rickets. Two recent studies have demonstrated that this may cause excessively high vitamin D levels in milk consumers. Eight milk drinkers who consumed from one-half to three cups of milk daily developed excessively high vitamin D levels. When milk samples were analyzed for vitamin D levels a wide variation in the amount of vitamin D was found. Some milk samples contained as much as 232,565 IU of vitamin D3 per quart. The researchers conclude that vitamin D fortified milk should be carefully monitored.
Another study revealed that the vitamin D content of fortified milk and infant formula may vary widely. Vitamin D levels in seven of ten samples of infant formula contained over 200 percent more vitamin D than stated on the label.
Excessive levels of vitamin D may lead to malfunction of various body organs, kidney stones, hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels), and hypercalciuria (excessive calcium excretion in the urine). New England Journal of Medicine 326(18)1173-1181, April 30, 1992) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN K INJECTIONS IN LABOR/CHILDHOOD CANCER
Infants of mothers given vitamin K injections during labor to prevent possible hemorrhage are at increased risk of developing childhood cancer. This is the second study demonstrating this relationship. (British Medical Journal 305:341-346, August 8, 1992) More evidence accumulates to show that supernutrition in any form carries some risk to the health. Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTS/LIVER INJURY
Intake of vitamin A supplements in the recommended dose of 5,000 U may cause liver damage. (American Journal of Medicine 93:703-704, December 1992) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN C/GLAUCOMA
Ophthalmologist Herschell Boyd claims that open angle glaucoma can be cured with large doses of vitamin C. He placed 30 of his patients on as much vitamin C as they could take without getting diarrhea. The vitamin C was taken three times a day. Every patient had a reduction in their intraocular pressure.
Dr. Boyd commented that he had never seen a case of glaucoma in any of his patients who routinely consumed large amounts of vitamin C. (Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 10(3/4)165-168, 1995) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN C/OSTEOPOROSIS
Dietary vitamin C may contribute to dense bones in postmenopausal women according to a report presented at a recent medical meeting.
Susan Hall, a medical student at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, studied nearly 800 postmenopausal women and observed that those whose diets contained high levels of vitamin C had thicker bones. For each additional 100 mg of vitamin C bone density increased 2 to 2.5 percent. A three percent increase in bone density produces a 50 percent reduction in the risk of hip fracture.
Women who consumed foods high in both calcium and vitamin C had the thickest bones. Because vitamin C is excreted rather rapidly by the body the dietary intake is preferred to once daily supplementation. (Obstetrics and Gynecology News 31(8)13, April 15, 1996) Copyright Phylis Austin

PREECLAMPSIA OF PREGNANCY/CALCIUM/VITAMIN D-3
Calcium and vitamin D-3 supplements during pregnancy decrease the percentage of pregnant women who develop preeclampsia according to a report from Japan. Over 900 women were followed throughout pregnancy; 16.9% of those not treated developed preeclampsia, but only 10.9% of those given the supplements did. The supplements may be beneficial to women at high risk of preeclampsia. (International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 47:115-120, 1994) Copyright Phylis Austin

BOILS/VITAMIN C
Individuals who suffer from recurrent boils (furuncles) may benefit from the consumption of one gram of vitamin C per day. Twenty- three patients who tested negative for Staphylococcus infection (a common cause of boils) took vitamin C daily for four to six weeks demonstrated improvement. (Journal of Infectious Diseases 173:1502- 5, 1996) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMIN E
Two forms of vitamin E are found in food, but only one form is extracted for use as a supplement. A team of researchers in Australia and California have observed that one form of vitamin E, gamma-tocopherol was more effective than alpha-tocopherol in decreasing lipid peroxidation in the body. Alpha-tocopherol is the form commonly found in supplements, and large doses of it are known to displace gamma-tocopherol, the primary form found in food.
Stephan Christen, a biochemist at the University of California, suggests that people eat more vitamin E-rich foods rather than taking large amounts in the form of a supplement. He suggests that emphasis be placed on such foods as grains, soybeans, and nuts, which are high in both forms of tocopherol.
He also suggested that supplement manufacturers reformulate their product to include both forms. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 94:3219-3222, April 1997) Copyright Phylis Austin

VITAMINS/ARTHRITIS
A diet high in vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and beta- carotene may slow the progression of osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder of older Americans. (Annals of Rheumatic Diseases 56(7)397-400, July 1997) Copyright Phylis Austin

FOLIC ACID/PRENATAL VITAMINS
Folic acid in prenatal vitamin preparations may be unavailable for utilization. The six prescription prenatal vitamin preparations investigated did not release folic acid sufficiently to meet the United States Pharmacopoeial Convention standards. The researchers felt that other preparations not tested performed similarly. (Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association NS37:397-400, 1997) ED- Many are advocating the use of folic acid supplements during pregnancy to reduce birth defects. A vegetarian diet, however, provides a higher blood level of folic acid than most supplements, insuring the most favorable nutrient balance for pregnancy. Copyright Phylis Austin