TOTALLY HUMAN

I was always one of those people who believed that if you take a lot of vitamins that you would be safe. Well recent research has shown that this might not be the case. Recently researches reported some startling results in which almost 15,000 male doctors who were taking vitamins E and C for ten years showed no effect on cancer rates.

Another study showed that it also had no benefit for heart disease. Also recently doctors at a New York cancer center reported that vitamin C not only protects normal cells but cancer cells. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine showed that 19 vitamin E clinics with approximately 135,000 patients with high doses of vitamin E showed a four percent increased risk of dying while those taking the vitamin along with other minerals had a six percent greater risk of dying. Another study showed that daily vitamin E takers had 13 percent higher risk of heart attack.

The Journal of Clinical Oncology published a study of 540 patients with head and neck cancer who were being treated with radiation therapy. The vitamin E decreased side effects but the users had a higher rate of recurrence for cancer.

A Havard study in 2002 of 72,000 nurses showed that those consuming high levels of vitamins through supplements etc. had a 48 percent higher risk of hip fracture than those taking less. Studies also showed that taking vitamin C for colds had no significant benefit but it did decrease the harshness of the cold.

Two studies showed that vitamin B does not prevent heart attacks and help patients with vascular disease.

However, vitamins such as B12 helps the elderly and also folic acid for women bearing children. Although these results have been published consumers still continue to take their daily vitamins saying that the tests could have been wrong or maybe scientists were treating the wrong disease with certain vitamins. I don't know how much of this is true. But if it is true then how much vitamins do we really need to take? Our bodies do depend on it. What do you think?