Re: [at-l] vitamins

["Alice Kauzlarich" <kauzlar@madison.main.nc.us>]

Why do you take such a high dosage of Vitamin E? Just curious. My doctor
said to take 400 mg daily, but that was for menopause.<VBG>

Highlander
----------
> From: thornel@ibm.net
> To: hopefl@juno.com
> Cc: at-l@saffron.hack.net
> Subject: Re: [at-l] vitamins
> Date: Thursday, July 16, 1998 7:46 PM
> 
> At 06:44 PM 7/16/98 -0600, hopefl@juno.com wrote:
> >What are antioxidant vitamins and why should I care? I take a vitamin
> >supplement each day and I usually buy the store brand. The name brands
> >advertize that they have antioxidant vitamins but reading the labels, it
> >looks to me that the same things are in most brands. Some of the
percents
> >of the recommended allowances vary but all are over 100%. 
> 
> All the right questions, Hopeful. The Amway and GNC salespeople will tell
you
> of superiority of their particular brand, and imply disease prevention or
> curing properties. FDA interprets these vitamins as food supplements, not
a
> drug, and hence cannot enforce such claims or endorse their use beyond
> assuring
> that they are not immediately dangerous.
> 
> That said, the Antioxidants, chiefly Vitamin E, are rather valuable
items. We
> have strong evidence that high dosages (2000 to 3000 IU) may have benefit
for
> memory, high blood pressure, heart disease, immune function, and other
issues.
> There is some belief that aging can be slowed, but no consensus given the
> difficulty in making such a study. I believe that most psychiatrists now
add
> Vitamin E along with their daily Aspirin as a daily ritual.
> 
> The brand is marketing. All natural still has to go through the same
> purification and packaging processes that the "unnatural" cheaper brands
> require. I use Vitamin E 1000 IU gelcaps from Walmart @ $18 for 250 in a
> bottle. I have seen bottles of 30 400 IU gelcaps sold on TV for over $40.
I
> know the studies in JAMA and other journals use generic, hence I just
can't
> see
> the point in extra expense, unless I were selling the product or trading
the
> stock.
> 
> Now does this mean anything for hiking? Who knows? Nutrition is a problem
on a
> distance hike, but protein and calories are the most import issues for
most.
> Most people carry at least a multiple vitamin, but I doubt efficacy or
> benefit.
> 
> 
> OrangeBug
> Atlanta, GA 
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