Vitamins: a large investigation

Take your vitamins in the spring and fall, during times of stress and cold - some say. We all vitaminodefitsit, they need everything and every day - repeat others. Who is right?

The scenario of our relationship with vitamins as nezateyliv as it is typical. We go to the drugstore for a tablet, for example, a headache, accidental glance at the shelves with vitamins (notice that they tend to mean?) Oscillate about ten minutes and ... Stand aside. Or "take two" - buy the package, take a week, then forget and found a year later in the far corner of the kitchen cabinet treasured package (or even more than one), well send it in the trash. Apparently, not convincingly explain to us the importance of these physicians tabletochek. Or, conversely, before compulsively that the worm of doubt creeps into the soul. Alas, the truth is these doubts.

Counters?

The first thing that is alarming - statistics. 80% of Russian citizens are deficient in vitamin C (A, B, and then in alphabetical order). Have you ever taken a blood test for vitamin content for research purposes? That's sociological service television have, for example, regularly torments telephone survey "which channel looking at? '. Doctors also something no hurry to invite to a free "vitamin" survey.

The Americans, however, recently surveyed 21,000 people and found that every one loses 10 important nutrients (vitamins and minerals). Given that the study participants lived in different cities and eat differently, it can be concluded that the pattern typical of the whole population. Yet 21,000 versus 6.5 billion of the world population - a drop in the ocean.

However, let's leave that question. We have created a lot of others.

 

Tablets for the lazy

One of the main arguments of the supporters of continuous use of a large number of vitamins - the poor quality of modern food. Even if a person eats a balanced, it is still not enough micronutrients for several reasons:

- Fresh foods in our diet are less and less dominated by frozen, canned, concentrated and processed in other ways.

- An average of 9 months, Europeans eat vegetables grown in greenhouses or after prolonged storage. They are much less vitamins than ground cucumbers, tomatoes.

- After three days of food storage in the refrigerator lost about 30% of vitamin C and at room temperature - all 50%.

- If you put the peeled potatoes in water askorbinka will leave it for a few hours.

- When cooking foods lose between 25% and 100% of the vitamins.

- Finally, the energy consumption of modern man is much reduced, and the need for vitamins, worked out by millions of years of evolution, remained.

All this, of course, true, but only partly. In fact, if you eat junk food and pastries, sitting at the TV, make hypovitaminosis is not difficult. And the seasonal variation of vitamins in fruits and vegetables are. But the increased demand for them is very questionable.

First, do not forget about the huge possibilities of adaptation of the human body. Reduction of energy consumption automatically reduces the need for different nutrients, including vitamins.

Second, many manufacturers enrich their products with vitamins - especially juices and dairy products.

 

Chemistry and Life

"I will not have your chemistry, I'd rather live will take vitamins" - grumbles mother-in-law, considering the package multivitamins, brought from the pharmacy. And it is useless to argue that knows any chemistry student: substances with similar chemical structure have exactly the same chemical properties and activity, regardless of their method of preparation.

But in some mother-in-law right: food vitamins are not in themselves, but in the context of other substances. And it is possible that not all of them recognized by modern science. But it is known: not every neighborhood - good. For example, the northern nations, in a diet dominated by fish, lack of vitamin B1 in the background of some excess vitamin A in fish enzyme destroys it.

 

Size matters

"He took a loading dose askorbinki and still ache ..." - lamented friend. What to say: Pharmaceutical companies have long had to put up a monument of pure gold Linus Pauling. This brilliant chemist, winner of two Nobel prizes, has opened for them in the 60's of last century, a gold mine, saying that megadoses of vitamin C prevent the appearance of a cold. Scientist recommended dosage, in the hundreds, and even thousands of times greater than daily. This was followed by many of his legacy to this day.

But brilliant scientist was wrong. Throughout his theory he built originally incorrectly postulate. And find out the ... Linus Pauling Institute, which was created specifically for the development of the ideas of Nobel laureate.

The conclusion drawn by researchers from hundreds of studies on thousands of volunteers around the world, shocked themselves. Indeed, large doses of ascorbic acid by about 20% reduce the duration of colds and alleviate some of her symptoms. But only if you're already sick. But the scientific evidence for the prophylactic action of "shock" doses of vitamin C does not exist.

Askorbinka does not insure against colds, though it kilograms eat.

However, the pounds still will not work: It was found that prolonged use of high doses of vitamin C can lead to anxiety, insomnia, hot flashes, and the kidneys, blood pressure and blood "harmless" askorbinka is not acting in the best way.

Not to mention the fact that ascorbic acid and some B vitamins with each other simply do not get along. And if a person take askorbinku in high doses, can be found "leak" of vitamins B12, B6, and B2.

 

Vitamins, to the exit!

"The fans of vitamins most expensive urine in the world" - joking doctors. And in their black humor is the truth. Indeed, not all vitamins are assimilated. If, for example, to take a multi-vitamin complex tablet on an empty stomach and wash it down with a glass of water, fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E are not trivial srabotayut.No main reason that vitamins should be straight to the exit - the poor state of the digestive tract.

- If there are problems with the pancreas, are not acquired primarily fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E.

- If the reduced secretion of gastric juice in the body do not stay the B vitamins, including B12, the lack of which leads to anemia.

- The syndrome of "leaky gut" when disturbed mucosal permeability, and vitamins in general, "skips" past, but larger molecules toxins, instead of output, are absorbed back. This condition may be caused by different reasons - from the effects of alcohol, nicotine, caffeine to bacteria Helicobacter pilory.

So before you take vitamins, check the condition of the digestive tract.

Should see a gastroenterologist, and if disturbed fatigue and frequent headaches. One reason for the chronic fatigue syndrome - mass settlements intestinal fungus genus Candida. And in this case, vitamin B6 generally not indicated, as is a favorite food of the fungus.

 

Siege or assault?

Despite the impressive number of counterarguments, in Russia, some European countries and the U.S. extended prophylactic vitamin therapy, a theory which states that if you live in the city, do not eat, smoke, you always have a deficiency of several vitamins. Designed to solve the problem of long-term intake of vitamin-mineral complexes in which vitamins are in the average daily dose. According to Russian scientists, extra vitamins still not learned, so that you are not subject hypervitaminosis. Is that allergies will develop or some side effect.

But there is another approach, reflecting a completely different view of medicine. It is most clearly represented in Germany, where the first therapeutic vitamin. According to the "German" logic before treat a vitamin deficiency, it is necessary to know exactly what is missing. Those with doctors suspect any vitamin deficiencies, prescribe a blood test (and other biological media - urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and sometimes even hair). If confirmed by the lack of vitamin, it is administered in high doses, usually intravenously. Re-analysis of blood even after a long time often shows normal levels of vitamins in the blood.

This approach is shared by many Russian-antieydzh clinic. Analysis on the content of vitamins in the blood for them quite ordinary case.

"If you have a health problem, do not take any vitamins themselves - calls Zhenera Sahakian, MD, chief medical officer of the Institute of binary rejuvenation. - Especially wrong when a person begins to independently make a one vitamin is not as part of a vitamin preparation. For example, we know that B vitamins work better together. A reception of only the beta-carotene in the blood reduces the content of lutein - a substance that has the unique ability to promote health. Check with your doctor and ask to examine your nutrientny (vitamin) status. Only then vitamins to be effective and harmless. "

 

Mirror, mirror, tell me

Immediately run to the doctor is not necessary - the original self-diagnosis can conduct themselves.

- The most common symptoms of vitamin deficiency - chronic fatigue, apathy, brittle hair and nails, skin peeling, reduced visual acuity.

- It makes sense to take care if you are a long time sitting on a strict diet, including vegetarianism. Some vitamins, for example, are found only in meat or dairy products.

Bad habits increase our need for vitamin C, B1, B6, B12, beta-carotene, folic acid.

- Often drank citizens and citizens should be aware that vitamin B6 in their body is virtually nonexistent. By the way, to make good the loss will help the bananas.

- To take antibiotics for a long time? Most likely, you do not have enough vitamin C and vitamin B2.

- Tranquilizers and sleeping pills can "to press" B vitamins and painkillers - vitamin C and folic acid.

- If persistent, non-treatment of anemia should be tested for possible deficiency of vitamin B12.

 

Output

So which theory to adopt for you? We advise to reason.

- I suspect the lack of vitamins - consult your doctor. If he would share your concerns, it is better to make a detailed analysis of the blood on the vitamin content. In Moscow, the regional centers, and other major Russian cities such possibility exists.

- You live far away from the big city, you have no time or laziness - then take a multivitamin. Long courses, as described in the instructions. At least twice a year - in spring and autumn.

- Well, if you go to that do not complain and try to eat healthy, think - do you really want to financially support the "poor" producers of vitamins?

 

Rules about which you thought

1. The vast amount of vitamins must be ingested for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is extremely important balance of power, which provides "delivery" of all groups of vitamins.

2. The more ingredients are mixed in vitamins and minerals, the more likely that one or more simply do not work. In a world moving away from products with dozens of ingredients and return to the separate taking vitamins or drugs to a carefully selected composition, diversity in different pods.

3. Abstain from vitamin-mineral complexes with frequency once-daily. It is believed that fractional intake of vitamins throughout the day (morning, lunch, evening) more effectively meets the needs of the body.

4. Always read the instructions to the tablets. If it says that the drug should be taken with food, so the way it should do, if you want to get the benefit of the pills.

 

The other side of vitamins

- Vitamin B1 refers to drugs, when taken which may develop anaphylactic shock.

- Smokers, for a long time, "abuse" in beta-carotene, is more common lung cancer. Overdose of folic acid can cause skin irritation, and too much vitamin E - high blood pressure.

- The addition of vitamins C and E reduces the loads arising in sports muscle pain, and reduces the risk of muscle injury with high physical loads.