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In research news this week there is a study on how vitamins decrease the benefits of exercise. Sorry about that health wise exercisers.
During exercise there is metabolism of glucose, with release of reactive oxygen molecules that cause oxidative stress, which in turn can cause tissue damage. It is this oxidative stress which is felt to contribute to aging. Since vitamins have anti-oxidant properties, you would think that taking vitamins with exercise would be a good thing. So far, so good.
In the study (see the paper here) 20 physically trained normal young men were compared to 19 untrained normal young men. Before and after a 4 week intervention of physical exercise training the men underwent measurement of insulin sensitivity (a marker of risk for diabetes and poor health) using glucose infusion rate (GIR) measurement while a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic (normal blood sugar) clamp was in place. Subjects were treated with 1000 mg/day of vitamin C and 400 IU/day of vitamin E or with no vitamins. In both trained and untrained men, in untreated (but not treated) men there was increased insulin sensitivity as measured with GIR, increased mediators of defense against reactive oxidant species (superoxide dismutases 1 and 2 and glutathione peroxidase, and other mediators of response to reactive oxygen species. The authors posited that vitamins, by destroying reactive oxygen species, interfere with the body’s natural response to the increase in reactive oxygen species seen after exercise.
I must admit to a little bit of vitamin whistleblower fatigue, having written extensively in the past both in my book (see sidebar) and this blog about vitamins not only not being useful to prevent, but actually increasing the risk of cancer and heart disease. The supposed benefit of antioxidant capacities are a marketing scam to sell stuff that doesn’t help you. And no you do not need to take a multivitman a day, unless you are suicidal. And it doesn’t matter if you don’t eat enought fruits and vegetables. And yes I have heard the argument that manufactured vitamins, or the doses used in the studies, are not the real thing. So eat some vegetables.
Hat tip to CDC mole.
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What if you are pregnant or trying to be? Is it better to be on or off vitamins?
I vehemently disagree. Among childbearing women alone, the vitamin/mineral deficiencies in this country are appalling — and can lead to the very disorders in children that everyone is up in arms against treating medically.
Epigenetics research is clearly showing the link between vitamin deficiency and “bad/good gene” expression.
Any gardener knows that nutrition matters.
I’ve read the link discussing this study, but it provides few details — e.g. the type of antioxidants used.
If you are trying to get pregnant you should take B12 to prevent spina bifida in your child. That essentially covers the possibility that you are one of those rare people who have a genetic susceptibility to this disease. If you are already pregnant it is too late. There is no other evidence that well nourished women need vitamins even during pregnancy that I am aware of.
I added more detail in the post on the study and a copy of the paper.
Experts in this area recommend setting about to correct deficiencies at least a year or two before you think about getting pregnant. These nutrients are the building blocks of the neurological system, and that “die is cast” right off the bat.
Vitamin D, magnesium, calcium, iron, EFAs – these are just of the few nutrients that are widely thought deficient in women of child-bearing age. These deficiencies in utero can create problems for life for the child. Incorrectable problems.
There’s some speculation that women have been taking TOO MUCH folic acid (perhaps you meant to say that, Dr. B, not B-12?). In fact, the researcher who made that discovery (folate and spina bifuda) has expressed concern that in the American way of overdoing it, we’ve cast too wide a net with the folate (adding it in mass quanties to breads, cereals, etc.). And so women who didn’t have that genetic variant were risking harmful gene expression/methylation in other directions.
So much we don’t know about individual needs.
P.S. Too much folic acid can trigger B-12 deficiency. Perhaps that what you were thinking.
Wow Doug,
You’re brilliant!
My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease a few years ago, and took part in a UTSW study – with Aricept….
Didn’t work too well – seems like drugs rarely do…..
So, I started puttng in some research hours – not as a “doctor”, as a son….
He’s been on Huperzine A (chinese club moss), folic acid, omega 3-s, and grapeseed extract – along with other vitamins….
No symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease….
It always comes down to combinations – the right herb/supplement blend – tends to run diseases outta town Doug….
But, now that I’ve just read your beautifully-written piece, I’ll make sure my dad gets off his supplement/herb blend, and goes to see a “doctor”…..
Not.
You don’t have a clue.
But, you do have one less reader.
I can get this crap directly from the federal govt – with more of it on the way – as the FDA fends off supplement mfgrs in favor of being whores for drugmakers.
Start taking 2,000 iu’s of Vitamin D – daily, if this comment has you depressed….I’ll stop reading your crap….We’ll both start to feel better really soon.
Duane
All right, well don’t forget to send me an ‘unsubscribe’ email to get off this list. Correction: Gina was right, I meant folate and not B12. As for multivitamins in pregnancy Mrs. Bremner says it probably won’t hurt, but take them BEFORE pregnancy. And yes the massive amounts of vitamins they are putting in cereals is probably not a good idea, which is why Denmark banned Kellogg’s fortified cereals which were increasing the rates of osteoporosis through excessive Vitamin A (follow links from this post).
Doug,
A person can’t get the B-12 they need from “eating more vegetables: -
http://discoverandrecover.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/dr-joseph-mercola-one-in-four-adults-deficient-in-vitamin-b-12/
Duane
That’s odd Duane, my partner’s dad was on Aricept- it made a significant improvement for him for quite awhile.
Obviously, since in your paradigm proof is established by a single case, you are convinced as well.
For my own reasons, I’ve done my best (with my limited chemistry background) to get my brain around some of this Oxidative Stress research.
I really like this Wikipedia entry on ROS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_oxygen_species
Here’s one of the more pertinent statements: “[Effects of ROS]…but also positive effects such as the induction of host defense genes and mobilization of ion transport systems. This is implicating them more frequently with roles in redox signaling or oxidative signaling. In particular, platelets involved in wound repair and blood homeostasis release ROS to recruit additional platelets to sites of injury. These also provide a link to the adaptive immune system via the recruitment of leukocytes.”
So many of the supplementation studies have shown null or even negative effect. The high dose supplementation schemes so often have have unexpected/unintended and deleterious effects. Denmark is right.
Steve,
How impressive.
You get your research information from Wikipedia.
Chinese club moss has had some good studies done – not here in the U.S…..Alzheimers Association has some board members with ties to Pharma – what a surprise huh, Steve?….that “medicine” might have some poltics involved in it….believer of all things “scientific” – reader of “Wikipedia”…..
I put about 5,000 hours of study into the blog – spend some time on it….hardly a “single case” approach…..Although, with your intensive work reading Wikipedia articles – and a crash course in chemistry – you’re probably set…..