Originally Posted By: ecotourist
If you do a bit of research I think you'll find that consuming vitamins is associated with less good health outcomes. Though I suspect that may be because people who don't consume vitamins are more likely to eat a well balanced diet and are taking care of other risk factors.
I think you'll find that those people who are dedicated and informed enough to eat a healthful diet tend to be the ones who do supplement, especially as you get on up into early middle age (40-45 yrs). 100 yrs ago I'd agree with you that you could get everything from food. But, not likely today with the weak soil we now grow our crops in and raise our animals on. Minerals were far more prevalent in the old soil than today. And that shows up in foods having far less nutrients. Then processing them or overcooking them (boiling, microwave, etc.) removes even more nutrients. To get everything you need from food alone you cannot screw up on even one meal per day....every calorie of 2000-2500 per day has to be optimized. You can't skip a meal or cheat. Each one has to jammed pack with the best available foods. And unless you drink a couple dozen glasses of milk, or a pound of fish every day, you aren't getting near enough Vit D3 for optimum health during the Oct-March period over approx 90% of the USA. Unless you eat a large brazil nut every day, you are probably falling well short on selenium, one of those nutrients that used to be quite dense in the "old soils" when our great grandparents farmed.
If you want a review of what will help you based on thousands of case studies as of 2010 read Guy Daniel's book on Nutrition (Reduce Your Healthcare Costs Through Natural Medicine). He reviewed thousands of studies and came up with seems to work, what hurts, and what levels can't hurt or are safe. My synopsis of his work is that a multi-vitamin (not even necessarily every day), supplemental Vit A, D, K are probably beneficial. The D3 is almost a slam dunk. Most people don't get enough K/K1/K2 from greens...especially if you aren't eating kale or fermented soy products (ie most of us). The synergy of A, D, K is both complex and still not fully understood. Together they play key roles in vascular and bone health. If one of them is too low or too high, that's a problem. In most people, they all tend to be too low. Daniels concludes most everyone needs at least supplemental Vit D and K, if solely for proper bone health. Fish/fish oil (unoxidized), probiotics, and CoQ10 are other supplements that are likely beneficial. As we age we manufacture less CoQ10 and many middle aged adults don't make enough. On iron, for adult men or middle age, he leans toward blood donations to keep iron levels from accumulating. Similar to mercury (from fish and dental fillings), Iron is an excellent oxidant that helps you "rust" inside.
Daniels recommends consumerlab.com ($30/yr) if you want access to accurate lab testing info as the quality of supplements is all over the map. One thing he is pretty clear on, you can't supplement one thing with most vitamins. A proper balance is the key. Too much D3 without proper A and K can actually calcify your tissues and weaken your bones. It's simply a lot of work, a lot of research, and quite an expense to eat very healthy. Few have the time or have done any research.
Another excellent book for anyone looking for the basics of health and nutrition for aging adults is Prime Time Health by Dr. William Sears.