By Lubna Abdel-Aziz In constant pursuit of the Fountain of Youth, we landed on Vitamin shores. What will make our bones stronger, our eyes glitter, our hair shine, our skin glow, our wrinkles disappear? Pills of course ...round, square, oblong, rectangular, octagonal, red, yellow, blue or green pills. In fact, our lives are governed by pills. We need a pill for everything, a pill to sleep, a pill to wake, a pill to love, a pill to hate, a pill to digest the food we eat, a pill to supplement the food we don't eat. The pills pile up. Those obsessed with wellness gobble up mountains of pills daily and long for the day when scientists will come up with one tiny magic pill to cure all our ills. Until then, we just keep popping and popping, pill after pill, mostly non-prescription vitamin pills. Vitamin supplements have become a very lucrative business. The Nutrition Business Journal reports that Americans spent $9 billion on vitamin supplements in 2010. Those deceitful little poppers cured no ailments, prolonged no lives. So much for miracles, yet we secretly hope they will deliver. Do Vitamin pills deliver? Many of us are baffled by their functions or failings, but we cannot resist their allure. All common sense banishes at the sight of a pill, that secret weapon that will conquer the world. The scientific community is divided over the human need for vitamin supplements. Some believe that a balanced nutritious diet is the best way to obtain vitamins; others feel that given our modern, stressful lifestyles, vitamin supplements may be useful. We prefer to pursue this too-apparent absurdity and swallow a pill we hope contains a magic spell, than sit down and plan healthy meals for the family, including pets. Yes, pets take their share of vitamins too. It is pitiable to think that many pill- poppers have not the slightest idea what vitamins are. A vitamin is a chemical substance required in the diet to prevent a deficiency disease. Vitamins were only discovered in the 20th century, not because of their existence, but because of their absence. While searching for causes for such diseases as beriberi, pellagra, rickets and scurvy, scientists stumbled on vitamins. In 1906, British bio-chemist Frederick G. Hopkins, demonstrated that certain foods contain substances vital for the growth and development of the body. He called them, "accessory food factors" distinguishable from the basic food factors, proteins, fats, carbohydrates etc. Six years later in Poland, another biochemist, Casimir Funk tried to extract the substance in rice hulls to cure beriberi. He believed that substance belonged to a group of chemical compounds called 'amines', and named it 'vitamine'. Casimir and Hopkins dropped the "e" and together they developed the human vitamin theory of deficiencies. There are 13 vitamins in all. Vitamin A, also known as 'retinol', only occurs naturally in animals. We can get it from sweet potatoes, liver, milk, eggs and green leafy vegetables. If we do not include such foods, we need a supplement. Once thought to be 1, Vitamin B complex combines 8 nutrients.....Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, B12, Pantothenic acid, Biotin and Folic acid . A balanced diet of meats, breads, fish, milk, nuts and vegetables, will keep you covered. Once the darling of physicians and the elixir of twice Nobel Laureate Dr.Linus Pauling, Vitamin C is plentiful in citrus fruits, potatoes, tomatoes, berries and cantaloupe. Following our guru Pauling, many of us was down mega-doses of Vit C, but recent clinical research has been disappointing. It may prevent colds, but over 2000mg daily can cause kidney stones. Eating an orange is far better than popping a pill. Vitamin D is a gift of the sun. Also found in fish and liver oils, the sun's warm rays are its best source. Long neglected, Vitamin D has emerged as the luminous star in Vitamin heaven. According to Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, professor of Preventive Medicine at Harvard, most vitamin supplements are a waste of money, except for Vitamin D. It influences 500 genes, including those related to cancer and auto-immune diseases. Vitamin E and K are found in vegetable oils and leafy vegetables. The latter has emerged as a major nutrient found in lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower and kale. They contain lutein and zeaxanthin phytochemicals, and research has shown that they decrease the risk of macular degeneration. Declining vision may be a part of aging, but leafy green vegetables may actually prevent it. Yes, Mother was right...do eat your vegetables. Remember the craze over Beta-Carotenes, healer of all ills? Drop them immediately if you believe the American Cancer Institute report that it actually increases rates of lung cancer among smokers. Out with beta- carotenes, in with Omega 3, only found fish oil, and nuts. Our bodies are unable to manufacture Omega3, therefore not only should we eat fish twice a week, but we should also supplement it with a fish oil pill of at least 2000 mg daily. Is this not great news for those pill addicts? There is more. Women should get calcium supplements, especially if pregnant or menopausal. Before you rush to your pharmacy for more pills, do check with your doctor. Do not take a vitamin supplement if you have no deficiency. Even an innocent, harmless pill, with that secret magic ingredient, may interact adversely with a prescribed drug. The real secret is a well planned healthy diet...that is all the magic we need. The destiny of countries depends on the way they feed themselves -- Anthelme Brillat- Savarin(1755-1826)
