Everybody Needs A Good Multivitamin

Sunday August 18, 2002
By Suzy Cohen, R.Ph
Tribune Media Services

August 18, 2002

Q. I know you think everyone should take vitamins, but I don't feel any better on them. Should I keep taking them?

--S.I., Elkhart, Ind.

A. Do you wait for your car to break down before you change the oil or give it a tune-up? Vitamins are not a quick fix. They work on a deeper cellular level to bring balance into enzyme systems that contribute to wellness in the long run. It's not just vitamins. Other natural substances have made it into the medical mainstream.

Oncologists who are on the ball know that the amino acid L-carnitine can help fight fatigue caused by chemotherapy.

Vinpocetine, an herb similar to ginkgo, might help some people with that nerve-racking disorder tinnitus, a condition where you hear constant buzzing in their ears.

Folic acid and vitamin E improve outlooks for people with heart disease. Indole-3-carbinol reduces risk for breast cancer. Vitamin A supports the thyroid. Zinc helps the prostate. The B vitamins and tyrosine are needed in depression. Potassium is needed for the heart. Calcium and D for the bones. C for the skin. And everything for the immune system.

The body doesn't make nutrients for the fun of it. They are essential for life because they are required for every single chemical reaction in the body. When we run out of specific nutrients, we get sick. Period.

But if you can't commit to taking a high-potency, quality product, then don't bother taking vitamins at all.

The cheaper brands don't provide vitamins in a form that's usable to the body.

Or worse, they clog up your pipes or contribute to kidney stones.

Some fillers and binders are a problem as well. So don't compromise quality just for the sake of taking something.

Look for pharmaceutical-grade vitamins that are manufactured in labs that are FDA regulated, just like drugs.

Good brands don't mind providing certificates authenticating purity or potency upon a consumer's request.

Did you know?

There is a disorder known as Sjogren's syndrome that causes the body to dry up.

People who suffer from it experience dry eyes, dry mouth and painful joint inflammation.