Never heard of any person dying by taking high doses of vitamins .. Surely saw people die by taking wrong doses of Drug companies pills.

Sounds like this article was paid by the drug companies. They sure don't want you to take Harmless vitamins but make sure and take their drugs so they cam make BOOCOO bucks on pills that are worth pennies to manufacture.

I like the part suggesting you should not take too much Vitamin C, as it might interfere with your chemotherapy.

Not surprising. Intuitively, don't you think that trying to distill minute "nutrients" into little pills that do not at all resemble food, seems like a crock? Or someone after your money?

The government is in the pocket of Big Pharma, bought and paid for.

Keep taking good care of yourself folks, and that includes taking your vitamins.

And if big brother makes it illegal, go underground.

If vitamins don't do anything then why is Abbott Laboratories marketing and selling Niaspan as a prescription drug? It's the same thing as over the counter Niacin, which is Vit B3. I find it hard to believe they spent 10 years and a billion dollars to bring it to market.

Corporate journalism at work; These guys will do whatever it takes to dis-empower people from taking care of themselves - big pharma will sell nothing if people are healthy. Most foods lack vitamins due to the oil based fertilizers currently used. We are chronically deficient in things like Vitamin D which is the best flu defense. In short, this article is rubbish.

they think they know better all the time. educated morons.

Sorry don't agree. And obviously neither do 50% of Americans. Personally, I have been "popping" vitamins for 30 years now, and I'd fight you tooth and nail for the right to continue.  I am 58 years old, look 10 years younger, feel 20 years younger. I run circles around most of the younger people I know. Have high levels of energy, sharp mind and quick wit. No health issues, I am not on any medication. I went through menopause 8 years ago without so much as a hot flash. Just another day at the beach.  We should not just take vitamins, willy - nilly, but educate ourselves on the best ones for our health issues. I plan to keep going until I am 100. Then maybe I'll take a vacation.

 Sooo..... eat better. OK, thanks for the article.

It is funny that many of the inexpensive ways of becoming healthier are discounted in favor of some type of expensive drug from the Pharma's billion dollar enterprise. That is why Americans, especially older ones are taking 6 to 10 pills a day or more. I cannot speak for anyone else but I have indeed found that if you have a vitamin deficiency taking that vitamin can be especially beneficial. A few examples are that ms patience have been found to be lacking vitamin d and people with gum diseases can benefit greatly from vitamin c. But lets ignore that by all means and run the costs of health care through the roof on pharma drugs.

The author mentions that supplements shouldn't be taken as a replacement for good nutrition or as a safety net against a bad diet. I think that most people taking supplements care more about their health in general and most likely already eat a healthier diet.

This article is doing a diservice to a lot of people buy doing a terrible reporting job as a hype writing.What is a good diet ,are they natural supplements or artificial,does a person have a digestion problem. If your on a diet of some type you do need to supplement.Also the writer should go to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ the place contains the info that she says does not exist!

The biggest difference between vitamins and drugs is the way they are regulated, not what they are made of. Drugs have to go through extensive clinical trials before being approved by the FDA - that is the reason they are so expensive. Dietary supplements can be just as toxic but people assume they are safe because they are "natural," which is a meaningless term and because they assume that if the government doesn't have to watch over them then they must be safe. This is total bull@!$%#. The truth is that people can be harmed or killed by dietary supplements and they have. For example, there have been 2 major landmark trials on beta-carotene that showed that this supplement actually killed more people than it helped in the groups they studied, yet beta-carotene in food has been shown to be beneficial. However, I recently did a review of supplement companies' advertising practices and found that they tell you how wonderful beta-carotene is but they completely fail to explain that this is only in food and that beta-carotene supplements can be harmful in certain people. How much more do you need to realize that "Big-Vita" is lining their pockets too? No one is telling you that you don't have the right to take vitamins but you need to educate yourself from reputable sources and actual science, not from quacks or people who get their credentials from "hundreds of satisfied customers." Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it is safe for everyone! As a Registered Dietitian, I always make sure to tell people what science actually knows about the product and let them decide - I believe very strongly in autonomy. I think many health care professionals can agree that we are hesitant to recommend these products because they haven't undergone clinical trials, and just like beta-carotene, could turn out badly. Remember the Hippocrates oath of "First Do No Harm?"

Political Junkie in CT.........need your help.......can you please tell me what vitmins you took (take) through your meopause years? I'm 48 and refuse to take any hormone pills. I only want to take something natural. Please let me know. Thank-you and have a wonderful day! Jen   

One thing our media does poorly is report on supplements and this is no exception, nor is this article. It goes without saying that a simple multivitamin won't prevent any diseases; that conclusion is trivial. Nobody who practices Orthomolecular medicine (the people who actively use supplements in their medical practices) would question that.

What they would object to is using this trivial conclusion as the foundation of a fallacious generalization about the use of all supplements. The little blurb about how megascorbate will reduce the effectiveness of your chemo merely indicates that the chap making this pronouncement has never met anyone or read anything by anyone who actually uses vitamin C in cancer treatment. Another piece, this time about the maximum safe level of vitamin D, merely indicated that the brilliant nutritional board members knew nothing about the difference between vitamin D2 and vitamin D3, which is much less toxic than D2.

Personally, if had the choice of taking advice from one of these experts or a 10-year recovered schizophrenic treated with megavitamins, I'd pick the schizophrenic first.

PS. For the guy looking for Big Vita to match Big Pharma. Hoffman LaRoche makes most of the vitamins you see in the store, which they sell in bulk to supplementeers, who tablet them. You don't see big ads from them because they also have pharmaceuticals to market, which have a much higher profit margin.

I think the main point of this story is that we all need to have healthier diets with FOOD and not rely so much on vitamin supplements, especially if they arent doing anything for us.

According to research, supplement users are more likely than non-supplement users to engage in healthy habits. Here are some statistics:

• 84% of supplement users try to eat a balanced diet (compared with 75% of non-users)
• 59% of supplement users exercise regularly (compared with 53% of non-users)
• 73% of supplement users visit their doctor regularly (compared with 61% of non-users)
• 65% of supplement users regularly get a good night’s sleep (compared with 67% of non-users)

Source: Council for Responsible Nutrition

The title of this article is inappropriate. There are numerous studies that demonstrate the beneficial affects of various supplements. However rare they are, there are also DOCTORS who buck the big pharma influence and advocate for nutricianal supplements to prevent illness as well. Vitamin D is just one of the many. How about Fish Oil, Garlic, B12 and Calcium supplements? All have scientifc research that documents their abilities to improve health. Yes, should we eat healthy? Of course. But who can define what the perfect diet is? The perfect diet is a constantly evolving animal. Even the RDA amounts are evolving. Take Vitamin D. At one time, they say 400 units. Well, now eveyone knows that 400 units is not enough when the body can produce 10,000 units from 15 minutes in direct sun. I have taken supplements for the past 5 years. At 43, I take no regular meds and I plan on staying that way for a very long time.

Niacin in larger than normal daily recommended does DOES  have an effect on certain lippo-proteins levels. It can be an important treatment if recommended by your doctor. But there are can also be side effects.

This is NOT the same as the normal vitamin function which requires a much smaller dose and can be easily gained from normal healthy food.

Daily fish oil suppl raised my HDL and took me out of a mathematical risk group due to my ratio of HDL to LDL. Does that mean I will avoid or prolong a heart attack from happening? No. Is it possible that without the suppliment I may never suffer a heart attack? Sure.

That is why the debate will never end.

When it comes to eating, Americans are naive. Why do people in India and China live long lives? Because they eat FRESH foods. Everything here in the USA is processed. Only Americans eat tasteless frozen fish filets where all the natural juices are drained away. Only Americans eat processed packages of chicken without the bones. Again, any nutritional value is gone. Most Americans drink more alcohol than they do water. Most Americans eat HUGE portion sizes. And then they think that popping a pill every morning or evening will make them healthy! What a joke! Most think that they need to go a gym and kill themselves to lose a few pounds but in truth, it's actually really easy.

How many people walk briskly for 30-45 minutes 5 times a week? You don't need a gym or an exercise machine. Just go outside and walk around the park or even around the block. Start gradually eating smaller portions. Select FRESH foods instead of processed. Drink water instead of beer or soda. I am not saying that you shouldn't have french fries or fried chicken or that Bud every now and then. Sure you can but not EVERY MEAL. 

American are the dumbest eaters I have met. No wonder they are also the fattest.

This registered dietician should look well above her pay grade and find out how many doctors are taking multivitamins and other supplements. According to their own medical journal polling, 85% of doctors reported using these supplements.

It's one thing to say that you should stick with getting your vitamins from several servings of fruits and veggies every day, but how many people actually do that with the typical american diet? Not many because it's simply not realistic.

The author should realize that the current health care system is broken, and the FDA continues to approve all those highly toxic drugs. It's no wonder the masses have turned to supplementation.

What world does this author live? I listen daily to TV adds about drugs you need to see you Doctor about. The side affects are horrendous. Get a Life.

The following are a few recent links from our home page VitaminCFoundation.org to stories about peer-reviewed studies of just one vitamin! Vitamin C.

Vitamin C 'A Must' During Pregnancy

A new study has announced that poor absorption of vitamin C during pregnancy may decrease a baby's chances of survival.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that a specific protein called Slc23a1 may regulate the ability of a newborn's kidneys to absorb the nutrient. Having adequate levels of vitamin C during pregnancy can ensure that a number of bodily systems run smoothly.

2011: Study of 232,007 find significantly lower risk of diabetes was associated with the use of Vitamin C Supplements

Plasma vitamin C concentrations predict 42% lower risk of incident stroke over 10 y in 20,649 participants

Liquid Chromatography Reveals Vitamin C Deficiency Common in Dialysis Patients

Vitamin C Shown to Boost Cell Regeneration and Aid Stem Cell Research

According to a new study published by Cell Press, vitamin C boosts the production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which offer a potential for regenerative medicine.

Vitamin C 'Cures' Mice with Accelerated Aging Disease

In the research report, a team of Canadian scientists shows that vitamin C stops and even reverses accelerated aging in a mouse model of Werner's syndrome, but the discovery may also be applicable to other progeroid syndromes.