An 'interesting' TV program about supplements that was nonsense...
Over the last week television NZ gave an enormous amount of publicity to a program to be screened last night entitled. “Your vitamins may be killing you!”
Many New Zealanders were waiting with anticipation about what promised to be some startling ground breaking news. During the run up to the program they had a Prof/Dr from Auckland University on TV stating emphatically in a very smug way that vitamins will kill you faster than second hand smoke.
To try and prove his point he dug out some studies which came to the conclusion that if you take excessive doses of Vitamin’s A, E and C that you may shorten your life. What he didn’t explain that these were studies in which the synthetic form of these vitamins were used and used on their own (which is a no no) and used in excessive amounts. Anything taken in excess will cause a problem…even water can kill you. This is why we have never advocated mega doses of vitamins but instead use a synergistic mix of many nutrients.
Anyway, this Prof/Dr got eight volunteers who were supplement users, some of which had only been taking them for a short while and were willing to give them up for six weeks. They did not reveal what the supplements were.
They measured their blood levels of vitamin A, E and C before the ‘trial’ and again after. They skimmed over the results very quickly in the program as they were far from conclusive. The only thing that was conclusive is that almost all of them were deficient in Vitamin D so the Prof/Doc concluded that it was OK to take Vitamin D supplements but if they take anything else it is likely to kill you.
It was a classic case of the Prof/Doc taking the attitude…”this is what I believe so it must be true”.
This program was obviously well funded and was a blatant attempt to discredit supplements by “person’s or entities unknown”.
Oh, his final statement was. “I am not against vitamins, but they are drugs and should only be available by prescription”.
Warren Matthews
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Reader Comments (15)
Thanks for commenting on this ridiculous television program. Every time the promo for this must see...it will shock you television expose appeared before my eyes it infuriated me to the virtual point of heaving a brick at the screen!
I didn't watch the show...I've heard it all before...from professional and lay people alike...most people simply do not have a clue when it comes to their own health...and how to go about maintaining it.
I've spent in excess of twenty years working in the "sickness industry" (I no longer do) and I can tell you from personal experience that there is a great deal of misplaced pride, smugness and superiority that is simply endemic in the system. These attitudes are like diseases in themselves and quite simply get in the way of effective health care delivery...and especially disease prevention strategies.
The modern "sickness care industry" excels in the delivery of trauma care (including orthopedics) and life support but is quite simply a dismal failure when it comes to chronic disease management.
The title of this television show "Your Vitamins Maybe Killing You" is simply ludicrous in the face of the frightening and I think appalling statistics of medical mismanagement, pharmaceutical drug reactions and side effects.
I've got a better idea for a television show. How about..."Your Doctor Prescribed Medication Is Killing You". All Pharmaceuticals are synthetic liver toxins with known and unknown side effects.
Here's the thing. Can we really trust a professionally trained "expert" who doesn't know the difference between a synthetic poison and a naturally occurring nutrient? Vitamins are Not drugs.
As far as I can tell, the only bright spot that occurred during this show was the admission of vitamin D deficiency in the test subjects and the need to supplement to correct that deficiency...but of course you'll need a prescription to get it if the medical profession has its way. Sounds like a revenue generating racket worthy of another God Father sequel to me.
Keep up the good work Warren, you're doing the right thing.
Best regards
Andrew Large.
I found myself half way through simply outraged how bad the show was especially the last line of the episode nearly made me break the TV.
Just makes me sick how people watching do not know they are even being brainwashed. But that is just how our world works there are too many "cowboys" trying to make a buck no matter the consequences or detrimental effects it may have on a person. Big pharmaceutical company's need to be spotlighted in there money making scheme's. Every person that I speak to I will share this story. I am so sick of all the lies that lead to suffering of the elderly in the end, just so they can make money. I am personally infuriated and sick and tired of all this bullsht and I will spotlight and tell anyone who is willing to listen about this horrible thing. Lets start a revolution.
Looking at the MOH website it seemed their RDI's are generally well below what is in Total Balance. So are we ok to take the levels of Vitamin A for example when it is well above the MOH guideline? Thanks
"Your program was a propaganda piece and political campaign to make Vitamins prescription only drugs, not a documentary! Professor Jackson, stated this was an exercise to help convince the public and "the powers that be", that vitamins should be regulated as medical drugs. Since when have TV3 taken to broadcasting hour long political ads to lobby Government for legislative change? Since the program states a clear political agenda, Prof. Jackson should have declared his conflict of interest. The program makers conveniently omitted to mention that Prof. Jackson is currently assisting in the NZ trials of the drug Polypill, which receives funding from the drug’s manufacturer and supplier. This drug, if approved for market, will be used as a preventative for heart attacks. The Professor’s agenda to discredit Vitamin E, proven to lower risk of heart disease, is an anti-competitive attempt to discredit the drug’s competitor. A vague reference was made to the “Cochrane Report” to substantiate claims. The Cochrane Collaboration; was a meta-analysis that has received much criticism from independent academics as well as senior statisticians. Over 700 studies were excluded and only 8% of the available database was included. Doctors who carried out the Vitamin E experiment used in the report disagreed with the Cochrane doctors’ interpretation of their data. Meta-analyses are selective, and for this reason also controversial. Controversial statements that the program makes should be open to debate within a documentary format. Clearly this program breached broadcasting standards. The medical fraternity hammer the nail in their own coffin of consumer confidence with propaganda pieces and false statements like vitamins can kill you. Shame on the program makers and TV3 for allowing themselves to be a pawn in a one sided political campaign to indoctrinate and scare the public into thinking vitamins should be regulated as drugs."
The vitamin A which is problematic is the pure Vitamin A on its own. We only use a mixed natural carotenoids with the full spectrum of other natural vitamins. I can assure you that this is well within safe limits and within the limits of European and US RDI's.
Thanks for posting this. If this polypill ever becomes reality it will be a disaster for many people just like the statins are.
I will be doing a much more detailed article on the statins when I get time. The evidence is available which proves that it does not extend peoples life's at all and although the mortality rate is down a fraction from cardiocvascular events it is up on other causes which offsets any benefit in the cardiovascular area which is acheived primarily from a reduction in C-Reactive Protein which can also be achieved from fish oil
Anyway, more about that later.
I take my TB in the morning (4) 15 minutes before breakfast. I take Aged Garlic supplement along with my breakfast. is that 15 minute interval OK or you think it would interfere with the TB? Your thoughts please!
Best Regards
Giri
15 minutes is fine. If it is convenient to make it a little longer that would also be OK but the difference would be minimal.
Vitamins in supplements are from two sources. Some are just chemically extracted from petroleum products and these are certainly synthetic. Then there are others that are 'grown' from yeast using fermentation techniques. These are what we use as they are considered to be the natural type and identical to that found in nature.
Unless you have been diagnosed with a calcium defiency you should not have to take that much. Likewise with Vitamin D. It is not good to have a high dose of Vitamin D.
The key for strong bones is not so much your calcium intake but your calcium loss. Total Balance should help prevent calcium loss and if you can keep your body in a reasonable pH balance you should not need to take extra calcium. Also, calcium needs strontium as well to be well absorbed.
So, unless you have an identifiable calcium deficiency I would just stay with what you are doing and ensure that you have a good intake of alkaline producing foods which will help prevent calcium loss from the bones. I good way to keep your pH in balance is to add lemon or limes to your drinking water. Frequently I make up a jug of water and put in several lemons. This helps alkalize your system.