Wonder ingredients on the nose
Written on May 6, 2010 at 4:26 pm
GlaxoSmithKline PLC has pulled its trials of the miracle ingredient, Resveratrol (the 11 secret herbs and spices in red wine) over safety concerns. A Swedish study of over 35,000 women found that taking a multivitamin might GIVE you breast cancer, not prevent it. Another study found that taking B vitamin supplements, the stuff in cure-all tonics, like Berocca ages you kidneys.
I know you’re thinking that I’m a doctor and that however apparently young and blonde I look on the outside, at the core of every health professional is a die-hard cynic awaiting an opportunity to stick the knives into ‘alternative therapies’. Nothing could be further from the truth.
But here’s your reality; We know people who eat lots of vitamins and minerals, via their diet are just healthier in every way you can name - heart disease, cancer, arthritis, mental health. But that logic does not extend to extracting the good stuff out of the red wine, fruit and veg and whacking it into a pill. Especially when you take a pill but continue to lead a high carb, highly processed, low activity lifestyle. In fact, as we’re starting to see, they can do more harm than good.
I’m not panning the vitamins. I’m just saying that you’re better off getting them the way nature intended rather than hitting up the local health food store to expunge your salary in the purchase of supplements.
