Vitamins

Research on vitamins continues, but a large amount of research already documents many benefits from a healthy diet of vitamin-rich foods and from taking vitamin supplements.  Most of the studies are listed under the individual vitamins listed on the buttons above.  Vitamin E does not look as good for treating heart disease or Alzheimer's disease as originally thought with recent large-scale studies finding no benefit, although many smaller studies have found health benefits.  

A multivitamin with mineral supplement appears good for everyone including children, although I am uncomfortable with vitamin A for adults, iron for senior citizens, and calcium for older men.  It appears better to get your vitamin A from vegetables in your diet.  Iron may be bad for the heart in senior citizens, unless tests show they are clearly iron deficient. Calcium increases prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease in men.  Plenty of calcium is available in a healthy diet without milk products except my recommended one cup of "lite" yogurt a day. 

Folate or folic acid has been the #1 supplement for many conditions with considerable evidence of benefit, including depression.  Vitamin B-6 and B-12 also look like very worthwhile supplements.  Vitamin C is supported by the research, although it is not the miracle that it was once thought to be.  Vitamin D also appears useful for many conditions, although the research is less extensive.  It does help prevent and/or treat osteoporosis and heart disease and probably several cancers, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.  A small amount of research suggests it might help prevent and treat depression, especially winter depression.  Vitamin K helps osteoporosis and many be of value for several other conditions.  Many vitamins are present in a healthy diet, but some supplements appear to be of value.

A lot of new research is coming out and I will be covering as many of the worthwhile studies as I can.  Click on the button above for research on the various vitamins.

PQQ: Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) 1^st vitamin discovered since 1948. Mice deprived of PQQ suffer reduced fertility and roughened fur. Highest in pungent Japanese dish of fermented soybeans. Also rich in parsley, green tea, green peppers, kiwi fruit and papaya. 13 other known vitamins. Japanese research. Toyko, Reuters 4/24/03