Vitamin Poisoning: Are We Destroying Our Health with Hi-Potency Synthetic Vitamins?
Vitamins that have been made synthetically are readily available on a worldwide scale, and are sold in many different formulations. They are frequently added to a host of common foods such as dairy products, cereals, nutritional shakes, and baking flour. In the U.S. we have been taught for decades to believe that most vitamin supplements are highly beneficial. Indeed, under certain circumstances (such as with immuno-deficiency diseases) vitamin regimens have shown to be at least temporarily helpful in relieving certain symptoms, similar to the way we use some drug administrations. What we haven't been told is that large doses of synthetic vitamins, as recommended by many in the health industry, can become overwhelmingly toxic to our bodies. The same vitamin treatment that can potentially benefit sick individuals in the short term, may actually be devastating for people who are generally healthy in the long term.
The need to take vitamin supplements
There is a widely held perception that human diseases are largely caused by vitamin deficiencies and therefore, supplementation with megadoses of synthetic vitamins can be beneficial in preventing disease. This view is not fully supported by medical evidence, nonetheless it is still propagated and has been explored by many commercial interests. For example, the inclusion of vitamin C in cold remedies, the addition of vitamin A and D to milk products, the enrichment of oils and margarines with vitamin E, the addition of vitamins to nutritional shakes and the non-regulated sales of vitamin A and E supplements.
There are plenty of articles that encourage megadose vitamin treatments. Generally speaking, virtually all available information on vitamin supplementation (as provided by supplement companies) attack the minimum recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamins as being too low. Regardless of the undeniable evidence that the human body is not programmed to utilize vitamins in maximum potencies synthetically, but rather in optimum potencies via whole foods (which are often times below the minimum RDA), the industry wants you to believe that high potency vitamins yield better results.
We have been told repeatedly that vitamin overload such as with vitamin C or vitamin E isn't just beneficial in preventing the common cold, but also effective in killing cancer cells, chelating heavy metals, curing blood sugar disorders and counteracting aging. Our society has been trained to think in military terms when dealing with health issues. We habitually use terms such as "fighting illness", or "burning fat". With this strong influence, it is perhaps understandable that there is a widely held perception that high potency vitamins are ultra powerful and can be highly effective in their to capacity to "kill and destroy" disease and ill health. But is this phenomenon actually true? Have many in our nation and around the world bought into the notion that megadose vitamins are a gateway to health and wellbeing? This article will investigate the idea that vitamin abuse in our country has become a serious issue, and that high potency, synthetic vitamins are actually endangering health, instead of providing it.
Most people today truly believe that high potency vitamins are superior to lower potency vitamins regardless of how they're made - whether they're synthetically produced from chemicals, or naturally found in food sources. Consequently, we have become a nation of megadose vitamin addicts, and the vast majority of us are not even aware of it. As we will see in this article, vitamin abuse has become a serious issue that requires very close attention.
Can we do well without using vitamin supplements?
Wisdom and common sense would dictate that in today's world it's very difficult to reach optimum health and wellness levels without at least some form of nutritional supplementation. Additional vitamins, minerals, or other essential compounds often present the only practical means to grant an adequate intake of nutrients. Due to soil depletion, industrial food processing, storage conditions, and often low accessibility to fresh nutrient-dense food, it becomes imperative to supplement our diet with vitamins and other essential nutrients which are missing in our food. And the people who need supplementation most are usually those individuals under increased oxidative stress or engaged in intense physical training. This high vitamin need group would also include people with immuno-deficiency diseases and the elderly. Antioxidant nutrients have shown to help lower the metabolic stress caused by exercise or disease and thus protect cells and tissues from oxidative damage. Likewise, specific nutrients should be priority for specific needs.
Whatever the situation, we need to know how to make the right choices regarding what supplements we choose, and whether or not all nutritional supplements are as beneficial as they claim to be. An excess of any synthetic substance (including synthetic vitamins) can be potentially as harmful as its deficiency. Let's examine the theory behind the usage of synthetic vitamins.
The orthomolecular theory
There is a growing school of nutritionists called orthomolecularists who argue that there is no difference between a "synthetic" and a "natural" vitamin molecule. According to this theory, biologically identical (bioidentical) molecules from chemically made vitamins are indistinguishable from those synthesized by plants and animals. The orthomolecular theory (ortho-right) claims that we must support our bodies with the "right molecules" that are required to sustain life and that receptors on the surface of animal cells control the uptake of individual molecules regardless of how or why these molecules appear in the blood stream. Though this theory lacks scientific substantiation, and has obvious flaws regarding living and dead molecules, it has been adopted by some medical authorities who recommend synthetic vitamin supplements that contain large concentrations of isolated vitamin molecules to serve as alternative medicine.
Millions of people today are taking vitamin supplements as the only means to prevent nutritional deficiencies, believing that it actually compensates for poor eating habits and bad diets. The highest pound-for-pound vitamin consumers are fitness advocates, athletes, the sick, and the elderly. They have been told time and time again that their vitamin requirements are higher than normal and therefore require larger doses. But there is no evidence that people who take high potency synthetic vitamin supplements are doing better than those who don't. In fact, there are many indications that synthetic vitamin supplementation may actually shorten life span and may even increase cancer probability. The real evidence actually shows that vitamin supplements can become toxic to the body in the following circumstances:
if they're synthetically produced
if taken in overly high unnatural dosages.
Poisonous vitamins
Up until recently, it has been commonly assumed that only fat soluble vitamins can become potentially toxic. Since fat soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K can be stored by the body and accumulate in toxic levels when taken in large doses, the recommendation by most physicians is to be cautious with their intake. Nevertheless, this recommendation is often ignored by vitamin manufacturers who keep selling formulas with high contents of fat soluble vitamins and high milligram or IU counts.
Vitamin poisoning is not a simple problem. The issue involves lots of misinformation and misunderstanding. The information provided by vitamin manufacturers do not always reveal the truth, certainly not the whole truth. People today are easily fooled to believe that it's worth popping pills that can yield hundreds of times greater vitamin concentration than real food. What the general public isn't yet fully aware of is that the human body utilizes nutrients only as they naturally occur in food, and not in any other way.
The early human diet was largely vegetarian, as humans utilized nutrients and vitamins from plant sources in the safest, most efficient way, and at exactly the right concentrations needed for the body's metabolic needs. We all carry an inherent enzymatic capacity to convert complex plant nutrients into bioactive compounds, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. We can safely utilize natural plant carotenes into Vitamin A, we can safely optimize our Vitamin D from seeds as well as through exposure to UV sunlight, and we can safely utilize Vitamin E from eating raw nuts and seeds without any risk of toxicity.
However, as great as our capacity to utilize natural nutrients from food is, we are lacking the capacity to properly utilize synthetic nutrients derived from chemical processing. The human body can't regulate the absorption of synthetic vitamins, neither can it optimize their levels. Here is what likely occurs when synthetic vitamins are administered. The highly bioactive, chemically processed vitamin molecules bypass the body's natural enzymatic pathways, giving the body the signal that its vitamin pool is fully loaded. After synthetic vitamin administration, the body is tricked to believe that it doesn't need to utilize more of the same nutrients from food. Consequently, the enzymes that normally enable complex plant nutrients into vitamin molecules are inhibited, and the body loses its ability to fully assimilate the food's nutrients. This makes it impossible to regulate and optimize healthy vitamin concentrations. In reality, synthetic vitamins are received by the body as drugs, and like all drugs they can potentially disrupt normal metabolic functions often with devastating side effects.
Toxicity and Side Effects of Excess Fat Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin A: abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, lethargy, eczema, patchy hair loss, edema, anemia, respiratory tract infection, and chronic liver disease.
Vitamin E: allergic reaction, breathing impairments, swelling of the tongue, fatigue, headache, nausea, blurred vision, excessive bleeding (anticoagulation due to inhibition of vitamin K), increased oxidative stress, increased hypertension, and decreased life span.
Vitamin K: supplementation with a synthetic form of vitamin K Menadione has been associated with liver damage. Some reports indicate a significant association between high intramuscular levels of vitamin K and cancer.
Vitamin D: even though vitamin D poisoning is rare, toxicity can occur under certain medical conditions such as primary hyperparathyroidism, tuberculosis and lymphoma. Note that vitamin D is completely safe when produced by the body itself through UV sunlight exposure.
As for the water soluble vitamins C and B’s, these have been generally considered safe simply because water soluble vitamins are not stored by the body. Since any excess of synthetic water soluble vitamins are excreted in the urine, they presumably can't accumulate in toxic levels and therefore are regarded as safe. But are they safe indeed? Let's review how safe the water soluble vitamins are, starting with the one considered the safest of all - vitamin C.
Vitamin C - Cure or curse?
The belief that megadoses of vitamin C can cure the common cold and prolong life was given credence by the American scientist Linus Pauling (1901-1994). The basic premise of his advocation of vitamin C in large dosages was that there is somehow a "design flaw" in the human genome which disables us to produce vitamin C like other animals. According to Pauling and his advocates, we need to compensate for our genetic fault with 10,000 - 12,000 mg of vitamin C daily as adults, to prevent or cure disease.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C is 60 - 90 mg per day. Men are advised to consume more vitamin C than women, and individuals who smoke or are engaged in intense physical activities are encouraged to consume more vitamin C than average adults. This recommendation is due to the fact that smoking and exercise deplete vitamin C in the body, leaving cells vulnerable to oxidative damage. The upper intake level for vitamin C was set at 2000 mg a day for adults by the Food and Nutrition Board in 2000.
The vitamin C molecule, ascorbic acid (ascorbate) seems to be critically important to all animals and humans. It is vital to the production of collagen, it helps recycle vitamins A and E, it helps potentiate iron absorption, and it supports adrenal functions particularly during times of extreme stress. But most notoriously, vitamin C prevents and cures scurvy disease, even in small potencies such as those naturally occurring in a single lemon or an apple. Scurvy is rarely seen today except in alcoholics or extreme cases of drug addictions, eating disorders, or starvation. The disease causes bleeding and inflamed gums, loose teeth, poor wound healing, easy bruising, joint pain, muscle wasting, and a total metabolic decline with mortal consequences if untreated.
In theory, vitamin C ascorbate can help cure ailments, build tissues, counteract stress, and promote great health. This is at least how synthetic ascorbic acid has been advertised. But what seems great in theory isn't always as great in reality. The following information is based on recent studies, and will set the record straight regarding ascorbic acid supplementation in particular, and synthetic vitamins and their potential pathology, in general.
Ascorbic acid supplementation impairs muscle's mitochondrial function and adaptability to exercise.
A recent article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 87, No. 1, 142-149) reveals that synthetic supplementation with vitamin C ascorbate devastates the muscle, causing impairment in mitochondrial function, loss of endurance, and inhibition of the body's own antioxidant enzymes superoxide dimutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxide. Levels of SOD and glutathione enzyme are known markers of health, and any substance that causes a substantial decrease in the levels of these essential antioxidant enzymes disrupts the body's immune system thus lowering the capacity to resist infection and disease. In this case, rather than being a beneficial antioxidant, synthetic vitamin C ascorbate has shown to work as an adverse pro-oxidant.
The study featured in the article was designed to examine the effect of vitamin C on training efficiency in animals and humans. The researchers were aware that ascorbic acid supplementation is highly popular among exercise practitioners. The reason: since intense exercise increases oxidative stress in the muscle (as indicated by increases in peroxidation of lipids, proteins and DNA), it then has been assumed that administration of the synthetic antioxidant vitamin C ascorbate may help protect the muscle from oxidative damage. But again, in real life things often occur differently than in theory, and in this case the findings leave no place for a doubt: synthetic ascorbic acid supplementation shatters muscle performance by actually increasing oxidative stress and suppressing some critical cellular mechanisms of adaptation to exercise.
Are all forms of Vitamin C supplements potentially damaging to the muscle?
Certainly not. Unlike synthetic vitamin C, its natural equivalent is both healthy and safe. Natural vitamin C as originally occurring in plants isn't just beneficial to the muscle, it is actually essential to the whole body.
Humans and primates can't produce vitamin C and therefore must ingest it from a dietary source. The human diet is largely dependent on vitamin C rich foods, particularly fruits and vegetables and we thrive on these natural vitamin C sources. So, why then shouldn't we use high potency vitamin C ascorbate for extra high doses? Again, the reason: human biology cannot accept synthetic vitamins. In its natural form, vitamin C has a different design than the synthetic vitamin. The natural vitamin C molecule never occurs in isolated form, but rather it is accompanied by complex nutrients which are essential for vitamin C's bioactivity. The synthetic ascorbate however appears in an isolated form, often in overly high concentrations which the human body can’t properly utilize.
To be viable, water soluble vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C, and fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) should be supplemented as they naturally occur in food. When choosing a nutritional supplement, make sure it is indeed derived from a natural food source and completely attached to all of its nutritional cofactors.
The B vitamins syndrome
B vitamins are water soluble compounds, serving as catalysts and cofactors in multiple enzymatic processes involved in energy production, hormones synthesis, neurotransmitters activation and many other critical metabolic functions. Because of their great appeal, synthetic B vitamins are commonly added to foods for enrichment of nutritional content. However, even though largely regarded as safe in the past, B vitamins are now gaining the reputation as risky substances, particularly when applied in large concentrations. The most notable risk involving a synthetic B vitamin supplement is its potential excess, which ironically can cause depletion of other B vitamins, as well as toxic side effects.
For instance, excessive vitamin B1 can deplete other B vitamins, and disrupt insulin and thyroid production. Excessive vitamin B3 has shown to cause liver damage. Megadoses of niacin have also shown to adversely affect individuals who suffer from glaucoma, gout, liver disease, and peptic ulcers. Note that megadoses of niacin have been commonly prescribed today as an alternative medicine to lower cholesterol levels. Excess of synthetic vitamin B6 pyridoxine has shown to cause liver damage when used in long term "therapeutic" dosages (over 200 mg/daily). These so-called therapeutic potencies of B6 are currently available over the counter in stores nationwide. Even folic acid, which is regarded as safe and highly beneficial, could turn out to be toxic in high doses (5-10 mg) with symptoms including bloating, nausea and upset stomach. High dosages of folic acid may also result in increased occurrence of seizures among individuals suffering from epilepsy.
Why are water soluble (presumably safe) B vitamin supplements that can be excreted via the urine, actually very risky? Because as we've seen, synthetic vitamins lack the natural design of food based vitamins. Again, the body can only utilize vitamins as they naturally occur in food, regardless to whether these are water soluble or fat soluble. In their naturally occurring state, vitamins always appear in a group, balanced with other nutritional cofactors and in the right biological concentrations. In its natural form such as in plant or animal food, a B vitamin is not only 100% safe and non-toxic, it is virtually impossible to absorb it in excess.
Contrary to natural vitamins, their isolated synthetic equivalents are inherently problematic. There is no single vitamin manufacturer in the world that has yet figured out how to provide us with what nature has been providing us with since the genesis of the human species: The right balance and proper complexity of necessary and essential nutrients. Regardless of how fancy, sophisticated, or "advanced" a synthetic vitamin formula is, it can never be as safe or effective as one that emanates from naturally occurring organic food.
How to detect the difference between natural and synthetic vitamin supplements
The most notable difference between natural and synthetic vitamin supplements is in their claimed potencies. Natural vitamins as they occur in plant or animal foods are never highly concentrated. Nature provides us with balance, complexity, and bioavailability but not with a high potency. Conversely, synthetic and crystalline (chemically isolated) vitamins always appear in high unnatural potencies.
When examining vitamin products labeled as natural or whole food, note that their labels should indicate the exact natural source from which each of the vitamins are obtained. Simply put, if the vitamin concentrations are high and/or their natural sources aren't listed, most likely these vitamins are synthetic. Chemical sources for synthetic vitamin supplements include petrochemicals, coal tar, chemically manipulated sugar, and inorganic minerals. These products are not only unnatural, but potentially very dangerous.
Conclusion
We require large amounts of vitamins and nutrients to survive and thrive in our world today. Due to common nutrient deficiencies as well as inaccessibility to fresh nutrient dense food, it’s wise to supplement our diets with vitamins and other essential nutrients. However, we should avoid trying to obtain these essential nutrients from chemically based synthetic vitamins and supplements. Although our bodies require optimum levels of nutrients for mental and physical health, these nutrients can be acquired by naturally occurring whole foods, and whole food supplements.
Chemically isolated or synthetically produced vitamins and minerals are absolutely unnecessary to reach our true health potential. Scientists may never fully understand the multiple complexities of nutrients found in whole food. But we can rely on the common sense logic behind our life. Biology means the "logic of life", and this logic clearly indicates that our health is programmed to thrive on natural whole food nutrients, instead of high potency chemicals or synthetics.
Excerpts from article by Ori Hofmekler, Warrior Diet