You stop by the pharmacy on your way home from work. All you really need to do is pick up some shampoo and another box of tissues. Next thing you know, you find yourself standing in the vitamin aisle surrounded by colorful packaging marketed to women in soothing shades of pastel pinks and purples. You think to yourself, “I really should starting taking vitamins.” But where do you start? Conflicting studies come out everyday detailing new multivitamins or dietary supplements. Some scream: “Calcium supplements prevent colon cancer!!” And then, Eric Jacobs, a senior epidemiologist and vitamin specialist with the American Cancer Society says, “There is no vitamin or mineral supplement proven to reduce the risk of cancer."
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed. The FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. After it reaches the market?! Generally, manufacturers do not need to register their products with the FDA nor get the FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements.
I’m confused. Some people swear by them. Others say they are a scam. The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate vitamins until they hit the shelves and (I assume) a consumer reports an issue. Still, I find myself, especially as we get closer to the big 3-0, thinking that I really should start taking a supplement or multivitamin. Especially with my diet I know I’m not getting enough of the nutrients I need to stay healthy (a’la a lean cuisine for lunch and some leftover chinese for dinner).
Personally, I want to make a grab for the Flintstone chewables of yesteryears (http://www.flintstonesvitamins.com/) and just call it a day.
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3 comments:
I know what you mean, Leslie. During stretches where I do take a multivitamin every day, I can't say that I notice feeling any different... but it's GOTTA be a good idea, right?! Hmmm.
I agree -- it is so freakin confusing!! I asked my obgyn what I should be doing, and she said that any multivitamin -- centrum, etc -- would work... But then I read that certain vitamins are not absorbed well, etc... So I got the Centrum chewables because for some reason I have convinced myself that they are absorbed better because I am chewing them... ???
Hi Cmase,
Great blog! So, I started taking an insane amount of vitamin B and I swear it is making a difference. First, it comes out in my urine so it must be working, right? Please do check on that. Second, I am always bloated and since I started taking this "Super B-Complex" my bloating has practically disappeared. I am just not that puffy anymore. Third, I swear my hair has grown...it really feels longer. Now, I have only been taking this vitamin for three weeks, but I am a brand-new woman. Keep up the good work on the blog and if you have time, please look into neon-yellow urine from vitamin use. :)
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