I was asked to respond to an opinion column in the New York Times Sunday June 8th, by Paul Offit, a vocal skeptic of anything he terms, “alternative medicine”. He notes the famous, albeit 20-year old 1994 study that used beta-carotene, vitamin E and placebo in smokers to assess the cancer protective effects of these antioxidants. There was not protection and in fact, the beta carotene group had higher lung cancer rates. The result raised doubt about the overwhelming health benefit of single high does nutrients. I read a recent article about the ubiquity of added folic acid in processed foods and that illness could result due to the imbalance of folic acid compared to the companion B vitamins, especially B12.

Dr. Offit posits that the vitamins themselves are not necessary and potentially harmful to your health and longevity. For every study like the beta-carotene/smoker that displays a harmful effect of a nutrient pill, there are vastly more that show that small amounts of supplemental vitamin D protect against a myriad of illnesses and that those that take multiple vitamins are protected from many other cancers. Dr. Offit offers a trite black and white view of nutrients. Perhaps he is frustrated from responding to the misguided self-help plans that the “worried-well” follow when they feel they need to take over twenty supplement pills per day based upon the advice of a Dr. Oz, faddish blog, or their trusted alternative practitioner. Dr. Offit uses studies to pound his message home but suffers from the WYSIATI error; “What You See Is All There Is”, if you go back twenty years and conveniently pick out only the negative studies, you can provide a compelling one-sided argument.

True: if you start mega-dosing vitamins, or taking high doses of single nutrients, there is the possibility of more harm than good. It is also safe to say that the risk of harm is less than for OTC and Rx medications. Like politics, the vitamin question has gone radical. On one side are the Offit-Egos stating, “alternative medicine and vitamins are unnecessary, potentially harmful wastes of time.” On the other side are the Oz-like opportunists that tout the harmless but wildly effective magic pill for virtually every ill.

Your answer is in the middle. If you want my opinion, you should be closer to the skeptic side of the middle. A low dose, well-balanced nutritional supplement plan allows the vital gaps to be filled-in. Few people are making broth out of cartilaginous marrow bones, and few are eating local nutrient dense foods like oysters and sardines with the skin on and bone in. The USDA estimates that over 60% of Americans do not get even the low-ball RDA of Magnesium, other nutrient inadequacies affect about 20-40% of the U.S. population.

#1 – Avoid single nutrients except at the recommendation of a very qualified health care provider. #2 – As your daily plan, take a partial dose of a broad complex of nutrients; I take two of a 6-a day formula. #3 – Take some extra minerals with mostly magnesium. Vitamins do not stand alone, they are “supplements”, that is to say they supplement your diet. Keep it simple. I agree with Dr. Offit, there is not a magic pill out there, but the volume of research does support a sensible nutritional supplemental plan for your and my health and longevity.

-Dr. Maurer
I hope that in my coming book and website, The Blood Code, I can bring the converstation to the middle and give you a rational guide to your dietary, fitness and nutritional habits.