Mainstream press trashes vitamins

[GreenGuy]

I was shocked yesterday to see a number of mainstream stories in the media declaring that multivitamins have been proven worthless. A little digging shows that the source of this disinformation is Big Pharma (of course). While it's true that there are any number of nearly-worthless analog vitamin products on the shelves, that's not what the stories say. They say that all vitamin products are ineffective at improving health - and that is a bald-faced lie.

This article from Natural News (http://www.naturalnews.com/043254_mainstream_media_multivitamins_quack_science.html) is a good summary on yet another scurrilous attack of quality nutrition products - and shows once again that we do not have real health care in the United States. What we have instead is disease promotion and management for profit.

When corporations are allowed to take over the reins of government, you have a nation that cannot stand. When no values other than money and enrichment of the few are guiding the nation's leaders, that nation will implode. Don't be fooled! If you take a multivitamin, get a good one from a health food store, one that is based on natural sources not laboratory analogs.

If nothing else, this attack on health by the pharmaceutical companies and their whores in the press should make it easier to demonstrate to your neighbors and your kids that you can't trust the press.

[DeDukshyn]

Here's a full analysis into this phenomenon perpetrated by big Pharma and the media we should never trust anyway - exactly because there is no "journalism" any more - media is all about who has the biggest bucks to pay for the propagation of their filth.

Excellent article here called "The Making of Killer E" -- it goes into exactly how these types of headlines are artificially created by people getting paid to say certain things, and taking studies completely out of context.

Enjoy! Worth the read! (2 pg article)

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2005/mar2005_report_killer_e_01.htm

[LivioRazlo]

I wonder what brands of multivitamins are the best to consume. I currently use a Walmart brand and another called Theragran-M every other day. I can say I feel like they are working, but if there was concrete evidence that they weren't the best, I'd look for the best to consume.

[transiten]

I always buy supplements and vitamis in a health store. F.i your body cannot "take up" magnezium bought in an ordinairy pharmacy.

[carriellbee]

My interpretation is that vitamins are good and we should all be taking them.

The mainstream media has been nothing more than a propaganda machine for a long time now, but it has been become even worse. As of last year, only SIX companies owned 90% of the media. And I'm reasonably confident that there are several connections between the big pharma corps and these corps. I don't believe anything they say!

http://cdn.storyleak.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/mainstream-media-infographic.jpg

[risveglio]

http://www.lef.org, same site as the link posted above by DeDukshyn offers some high quality vitamins. Membership is also pretty cheap and comes with a very informative magazine and they are currently running a yearly 25% off sale.

[Violet]

You know, I was thinking about these vitamins just this week as some other - probably more truthful - news sources keep warning for pesticides in our food. And I was wondering if concentrated vitamin supplements would not prove better for us in the long run than "tainted" original food sources...

But if you take totally organic food (pesticide-free) and a vitamin cocktail matching it best. Would you still say that the cocktail was better for your health?

[Tesla_WTC_Solution]

The HFCS that's in most foods depletes the body of naturally obtained vitamins, especially B vitamins.
My most recent medicating physician said that vitamin B deficiency is behind much mental illness and can run in families.

He gave a prescription strength vitamin B (deplin, L-methylfolate) as a first blow against my depression.

Once people start getting better and thinking clearly, they will reject the products that cause the illness and the MSM will be holding the conspiracy bag.

[Nick Matkin]

Does anyone actually KNOW what's in the vitamins they're taking? Where the chemicals come from and how they are refined, and from what?

I thought if you had a balanced diet vitamins are unnecessary - our grandparents didn't take any and all mine lived into their 80s.

If you want/must graze on junk food month after month then perhaps a few vitamins won't do any harm. But hey, how about buying an apple or eating some fresh veg once in a while?

Nick

[Blacklight43]

WHAT ARE MOST VITAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS ACTUALLY MADE FROM?



WHAT IS VITAMIN B-12 MADE FROM?

Vitamin B-12 comes from one of two sources – ground up cow’s liver which has been overloaded with steroids, antibiotics and the herbicides/pesticides in the feed the cow eats. The second source is activated sewage sludge – fecal matter. It’s high in B-12 and inexpensive to obtain. All such manufacturers and their lab people consider that a vitamin is a vitamin – where it comes from is irrelevant as long as the public doesn’t know and form an “emotional aversion” to it. The rest of the B vitamins are processed from coal tar and petroleum chemicals.

I always make sure my vitamins are made from whole(not previously eaten)food and preferably organic. Nature's Way Alive is my current daily.

[DeDukshyn]

http://www.lef.org, same site as the link posted above by DeDukshyn offers some high quality vitamins. Membership is also pretty cheap and comes with a very informative magazine and they are currently running a yearly 25% off sale.

I just checked over some of their LEF brand formulas and these products look very well made. I speaking to forms and ratios in the formulations - for example the B formula contains the methylcobalamin form of B12 and the P5P form of B6 -- both of which are considered superior forms of these vitamins for utilization in the body; the methylcobalamin b12 has neuro-protective effects, unlike any other form of B12, and requires less processing by the body than say a cyanocobalamin form -- which during processing into it's biological form releases a cyanide molecule into your body.

I work for science based supplement company from Canada, I know a little about how to spot good supplements, and the forms and dosages are two quite important factors.

I'll give another example of how pharma even takes advantage of the different forms of vitamins. If I am not mistaken, it is in the article on "Killer E" that there is an E molecule associated with potential heart issues when taken in isolation (for those who don't know vit E are actually eaight molecules - each distinct and each important - a deficiency in one or a few is still a deficiency, even though we may only supplement with one).

the molecule DL-alpha-tocopherol is a purely synthetic form of one of these molecules (the "L" is the indicator for the synthetic form), and there has been some evidence of this molecule when taken in isolation as a supplement may cause heart issues (if it's not in the article I posted earlier I'll try to dig it up). When I was visiting my mom earlier this summer, I checked out her "Woman's 50plus" or whatever it was called vitmin supplement and looked on the label - a single DL-alpha tocopheral for its vitamin E source. I was rather disappointed to see that - especially in a formula developed for seniors! So then I looked for the manufacturer -- non other than Bayer! The company that with the product #1 prescribed for patients after having a heart issue! (Aspirin) Makes perfect sense now, doesn't it?

[DeDukshyn]

You know, I was thinking about these vitamins just this week as some other - probably more truthful - news sources keep warning for pesticides in our food. And I was wondering if concentrated vitamin supplements would not prove better for us in the long run than "tainted" original food sources...

But if you take totally organic food (pesticide-free) and a vitamin cocktail matching it best. Would you still say that the cocktail was better for your health?

My 2 cents is that if you eat really well -- and by this I mainly mean a very large weekly variety of nutritious foods, then you probably don't need to take vitamins. Keep in mind our food as it gets more and more GMOd and processed is becoming nutritionally bankrupt. I don't think really cheap vitamins are a good bet either, as you'll likely just pee them out -- often these contain the least biologically active forms. It depends on the vitamin in question.

Even though I get discount on high quality vitamins, I only take them when I know my diet hasn't been great - just to make sure my body isn't taking any steps backwards.

[DeDukshyn]

WHAT ARE MOST VITAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS ACTUALLY MADE FROM?



WHAT IS VITAMIN B-12 MADE FROM?

Vitamin B-12 comes from one of two sources – ground up cow’s liver which has been overloaded with steroids, antibiotics and the herbicides/pesticides in the feed the cow eats. The second source is activated sewage sludge – fecal matter. It’s high in B-12 and inexpensive to obtain. All such manufacturers and their lab people consider that a vitamin is a vitamin – where it comes from is irrelevant as long as the public doesn’t know and form an “emotional aversion” to it. The rest of the B vitamins are processed from coal tar and petroleum chemicals.

I always make sure my vitamins are made from whole(not previously eaten)food and preferably organic. Nature's Way Alive is my current daily.

While I am not contesting that B12 can't be made from fecal matter (I'd say from urine would be more believable), unless your vitamin brand is buying their b12 raw material from a shady looking Italian guy :spy:, it's most likely made through pharmaceutical synthesis.

[DeDukshyn]

....

If you want/must graze on junk food month after month then perhaps a few vitamins won't do any harm. But hey, how about buying an apple or eating some fresh veg once in a while?

Nick :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOyebcrVWb4

[DeDukshyn]

I wonder what brands of multivitamins are the best to consume. I currently use a Walmart brand and another called Theragran-M every other day. I can say I feel like they are working, but if there was concrete evidence that they weren't the best, I'd look for the best to consume.


Looks like a staged post ... does anyone get high quality "anything" from Wal-Mart? :P :P :P

[GreenGuy]

I wonder what brands of multivitamins are the best to consume.

I use Garden Of Life's Vitamin Code for men. All natural, no fillers or binders, contains probiotics and digestive enzymes. A good product though not the only good one.

To answer some other questions from various posters...


vitamin B deficiency is behind much mental illness and can run in families.

This is true...laboratory analogs are pretty much useless. A lot of people, older folks especially, can benefit from B12 (cobalamin) supplements. The most common ingredient used is cyanocobalamin, which once again is mostly useless as it is not well absorbed by the body. It's also a cyanide based synthetic - the cyanide is not at a harmful level but the body still has to get rid of it. Find a B12 that's methylcobalamin (http://www.dadamo.com/B2blogs/blogs/index.php/2004/02/07/cyanocobalamin-versus-methylcobalamin?blog=27). Costs more, but you won't be wasting your money.


Does anyone actually KNOW what's in the vitamins they're taking?

Most vitamins are laboratory analogs - "chemically equivalent" synthetics. These are the vitamins that are useless. Get a natural vitamin that your body can use.


Vitamin B-12 comes from one of two sources – ground up cow’s liver which has been overloaded with steroids, antibiotics and the herbicides/pesticides in the feed the cow eats. The second source is activated sewage sludge – fecal matter.

Methylcobalamin is produced in the liver by bacteria. It is not produced by the liver. The better manufacturers use cultures of liver-derived bacteria to produce natural methylcobalamin. It is not polluted. As for making it from fecal matter, I wouldn't put it past them but I have never heard of that.

The Alive! line of natural vitamins from Nature's Way are very good. So are Garden of Life, Source Naturals, and several other manufacturers. A good health food store can advise you....stay away from the corporate so-called health food stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods etc. These companies select employees based on how little they're willing to work for, not what they know. Your smaller stores are more likely to give you good advice. If you live in San Diego County, Jimbo's is a very good place to shop.

Good vitamins are expensive, and worth it. Cheap vitamins are a waste of money that simply make you feel like you're doing yourself some good. And in some cases they can actually be harmful. No, you can't get anything worthwhile at MalWart - and even if you could, you'd be harming your local economy and further enriching a ruthless family that already has more money than most countries.

[RunningDeer]

Vitamin Study: A Certified Hoax!

Alex begin show on vitamins and minerals, then then goes off topic. Below are a several quick links.


Vitamins and minerals do nothing and the case is closed @ 7:13 (http://youtu.be/xxPrmDZtyWc?t=7m13s)
Let’s move to the big announcement @ 9:48 (http://youtu.be/xxPrmDZtyWc?t=9m48s)
The Journal of Pediatrics says that mercury is good for your brain aired nationwide @ 11:19 (http://youtu.be/xxPrmDZtyWc?t=11m19s)
Here’s the bottom line & “Father of Statistical Lies” @ 21:50 (http://youtu.be/xxPrmDZtyWc?t=21m50s)

Other information referenced in this video:

Many Vitamin Studies are Absolutely Worthless (http://naturalsociety.com/why-many-vitamin-studies-are-absolutely-worthless/)
Top Pharma-Brand of Children's Vitamins Contains Aspartame, GMOs, & Other Hazardous Chemicals. (see below)


xxPrmDZtyWc
Published on Dec 17, 2013

Alex is joined by Anthony Gucciardi to discuss headlines discussing vitamins having no effect on health they can prove and the falsification of medical studies on a regular basis to discredit natural medicines.

http://www.storyleak.com/



"Top Pharma-Brand of Children's Vitamins Contains Aspartame, GMOs, & Other Hazardous Chemicals"

This article is referenced in “Vitamin Study: A Certified Hoax!”

[complete article & resource links here (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/top-us-brand-childrens-vitamins-contains-aspartame-gmos-other-hazardous-chemicals)]


Bayer's Flintstone's vitamin brand is far from a natural product, and the consumer should be aware
of the unintended, adverse health effects that may occur as a result of using it. 


The #1 Children's Vitamin Brand in the US contains ingredients that most parents would never intentionally expose their children to, so why aren't more opting for healthier alternatives?


http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/Foods/vitamins_zps01b4455a.JPG

Kids vitamins are supposed to be healthy, right? Well then, what's going on with Flintstones Vitamins, which proudly claims to be "Pediatricians' #1 Choice"?  Produced by the global pharmaceutical corporation Bayer, this wildly successful brand features a shocking list of unhealthy ingredients, including:

Aspartame
Cupric Oxide
Coal tar artificial coloring agents (FD&C Blue #2, Red #40, Yellow #6)
Zinc Oxide
Sorbitol
Ferrous Fumarate
Hydrogenated Oil (Soybean)
GMO Corn starch

On Bayer Health Science's Flintstones product page designed for healthcare professionals they lead into the product description with the following tidbit of information:

82% of kids aren't eating all of their veggies1. Without enough vegetables, kids may not be getting all of the nutrients they need.
References: 1. Lorson BA, Melgar-Quinonez HR, Taylor CA. Correlates of fruit and vegetable intakes in US children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(3):474-478.
The implication? That Flintstones vitamins somehow fill this nutritional void. But let's look a little closer at some of these presumably healthy ingredients....

ASPARTAME

Aspartame is a synthetic combination of the amino acids aspartic acid and l-phenylalanine, and is known to convert into highly toxic methanol and formaldehyde in the body.  Aspartame has been linked to over 40 adverse health effects in the biomedical literature, and has been shown to exhibit both neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity [1]  What business does a chemical like this have doing in a children's vitamin, especially when non-toxic, non-synthetic non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia already exist?

CUPRIC OXIDE

Next, let's look closer at Cupric Oxide, 2mg of which is included in each serving of Flinstone's Complete chewable vitamins as a presumably  'nutritional' source of 'copper,' supplying "100% of the Daily Value  (Ages 4+), according to Flintstones Vitamins Web site's Nutritional Info.[2]
But what is Cupric Oxide? A nutrient or a chemical?

According to the European Union's Dangerous Substance Directive, one of the main EU laws concerning chemical safety, Cupric Oxide is listed as a Hazardous substance, classified as both  "Harmful (XN)" and "Dangerous for the environment" (N).  Consider that it has industrial applications as a pigment in ceramics, and as a chemical in the production of rayon fabric and dry cell batteries. In may be technically correct to call it a mineral, but should it be listed as a nutrient in a children's vitamin? We think not.

COAL TAR ARTIFICIAL COLORING AGENTS

A well-known side effect of using synthetic dyes is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. For direct access to study abstracts on this topic view our Food Coloring research page.  There is also indication that the neurotoxicity of artificial food coloring agents increase when combined with aspartame,[3] making the combination of ingredients in Flintstones even more concerning.

ZINC OXIDE

Each serving of Flinstones Complete Chewable vitamins contain 12 mg of zinc oxide, which the manufacturer claims delivers 75% of the Daily Value to children 2  & 3 years of age.  Widely used as a sun protection factor (SPF) in sunscreens, The EU's Dangerous Substance Directive classifies it as an environmental Hazard, "Dangerous for the environment (N)."  How it can be dangerous to the environment, but not for humans ingesting it, escapes me.  One thing is for sure, if one is to ingest supplemental zinc, or market it for use by children, it makes much more sense using a form that is organically bound (i.e. 'chelated') to an amino acid like glycine, as it will be more bioavailable and less toxic.

SORBITOL

Sorbitol is a synthetic sugar substitute which is classified as a sugar alcohol. It can be argued that it has no place in the human diet, much less in a child's. The ingestion of higher amounts have been linked to gastrointestinal disturbances from abdominal pain to more serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.[4]

FERROUS FUMARATE

The one clear warning on the Flinstone's Web site concerns this chemical. While it is impossible to die from consuming iron from food, e.g. spinach, ferrous fumarate is an industrial mineral and not found in nature as food. In fact, ferrous fumarate is so toxic that accidental overdose of products containing this form is "a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6." The manufacturer further warns:
Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL

Finding hydrogenated oil in anything marketed to children is absolutely unacceptable. These semi-synthetic fatty acids incorporate into our tissues and have been linked to over a dozen adverse health effects, from coronary artery disease to cancer, violent behavior to fatty liver disease.[5]

GMO CORN STARCH

While it can be argued that the amount of GMO corn starch in this product is negligible, even irrelevant, we disagree. It is important to hold accountable brands that refuse to label their products honestly, especially when they contain ingredients that have been produced through genetic modification. The 'vitamin C' listed as ascorbic acid in Flintstones is likely also produced from GMO corn. Let's remember that Bayer's Ag-biotech division, Bayer CropScience, poured $381,600 of cash into defeating the proposition 37 GMO labeling bill in California. Parents have a right to protect their children against the well-known dangers of genetically modified foods and the agrichemicals that contaminate them, don't they? GMO corn starch is GMO, plain and simple. We'd appreciate it if Bayer would label their "vitamins" accordingly.  

In summary, Bayer's Flintstone's vitamin brand is far from a natural product, and the consumer should be aware of the unintended, adverse health effects that may occur as a result of using it. 

[complete article & resource links here (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/top-us-brand-childrens-vitamins-contains-aspartame-gmos-other-hazardous-chemicals)]

[Blacklight43]

I used to work next door to a waste water treatment plant. The men who worked there would come into the little store for their coffee break for snacks and one day I saw truck loads of stuff being hauled away so I asked the manager of the plant what it was and where it was going. He told me it was the dried sludge and it was being sent to the valley for fertilizing potato farms and to be turned into vitamins. I found it hard to believe (or didn't want to). I have since done the research and found it to be true!

I guess being a manager of such a plant he would know where his end product was going.

[risveglio]

A response to the study from Life Extension.



Headline news stories yesterday parroted an editorial that advised consumers to "stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements."

As it relates to products like Centrum® Silver Adults 50+ and One-A-Day® that most people today rely on, we at Life Extension agree.

Be it the miniscule doses of nutrients in commercial multivitamins, or improper form of nutrients like synthetic vitamin E, these research findings do not support disease-prevention effects.

For example, the tiny potencies found in Centrum® Silver Adults 50+ include:
Vitamin B1 1.5 mg
Vitamin B2 1.7 mg
Vitamin B6 3.0 mg
Vitamin B12 0.025 mg
Lutein 0.250 mg
Magnesium 50 mg

These minute potencies are unlikely to provide a reduction in degenerative disease risk. Yet the government has spent tens of millions of dollars on human studies to prove low potency nutrients provide little or no health benefits.

Even with greatly increased-potency formulas like Life Extension's twice a day multivitamin, if one takes no other supplements (like CoQ10, fish oil and curcumin) and neglects their overall health (as most Americans do), there should not be an expectation of overwhelming benefit.

When it comes to protecting against pathological aging processes like heart failure, cancer and dementia, broad-spectrum nutrient, hormone, and healthy lifestyle choices are essential.

There are at least 20 pathological mechanisms of aging and disease that maturing individuals need to guard against. Taking just a Centrum® Silver Adults 50+ or One-A-Day® will do little to prevent disease, yet that is what the majority of the American public use.

View the preliminary rebuttal to the headline news reports that blared across the world yesterday. Our report exposes flaws in these studies that were used to discredit multivitamins and call into question their relevance. We also describe studies where even low potency nutrients have shown a benefit, though we don't think these favorable studies should form a basis to ignore healthy living habits and rely solely on low-potency formulas like Centrum®.

The opinion and analysis of inadequate nutrient studies parroted by the media have nothing to do with the aggressive multi-modal program Life Extension members follow to stave off disease and premature aging.

For longer life,

William Faloon



And here is the link to the rebuttal.
http://www.lef.org/featured-articles/Flawed-Research-Used-to-Attack-Multivitamin-Supplements.htm?sourcecode=INL303E&utm_source=ConsumerAlert_1217&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ConsumerAlert_1217&utm_content=text_link&utm_campaign=INL303E

[DeDukshyn]

Oddly enough, if a pharma company makes your vitamins, such as Bayer, or most of your "popular" store brands -- it'll be garbage -- poorest forms and wrong dosages.

There are companies out there that seek out only the best or most applicable forms, and you get dosage amounts that reflect actual scientific peer reviewed studies on therapeutic results based on those dosages. Anything you buy from a big chain store like Safeway or Walmart or whatever equivalent, will be hardly worth your money.

If anyone is to supplement with vitamins - it is worth seeking out a proper brand, and pony up a few extra bucks. Research will be required.

[conk]

If your vitamins are not raw, unheated, whole food form, toss them out! The Standard Process brand is THE premium supplement maker in the world. There are a few others, but none stand up to Standard Process.

Just imagine the processes that produce a cheap synthetic vitamin and then ask yourself if you should consume it.

[carriellbee]

Just imagine the processes that produce a cheap synthetic vitamin and then ask yourself if you should consume it.

This is a very good point. Thanks, conk.

[DeDukshyn]

Vitamin Study: A Certified Hoax!

Alex begin show on vitamins and minerals, then then goes off topic. Below are a several quick links.


Vitamins and minerals do nothing and the case is closed @ 7:13 (http://youtu.be/xxPrmDZtyWc?t=7m13s)
Let’s move to the big announcement @ 9:48 (http://youtu.be/xxPrmDZtyWc?t=9m48s)
The Journal of Pediatrics says that mercury is good for your brain aired nationwide @ 11:19 (http://youtu.be/xxPrmDZtyWc?t=11m19s)
Here’s the bottom line & “Father of Statistical Lies” @ 21:50 (http://youtu.be/xxPrmDZtyWc?t=21m50s)

Other information referenced in this video:

Many Vitamin Studies are Absolutely Worthless (http://naturalsociety.com/why-many-vitamin-studies-are-absolutely-worthless/)
Top Pharma-Brand of Children's Vitamins Contains Aspartame, GMOs, & Other Hazardous Chemicals. (see below)


xxPrmDZtyWc
Published on Dec 17, 2013

Alex is joined by Anthony Gucciardi to discuss headlines discussing vitamins having no effect on health they can prove and the falsification of medical studies on a regular basis to discredit natural medicines.

http://www.storyleak.com/



"Top Pharma-Brand of Children's Vitamins Contains Aspartame, GMOs, & Other Hazardous Chemicals"

This article is referenced in “Vitamin Study: A Certified Hoax!”

[complete article & resource links here (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/top-us-brand-childrens-vitamins-contains-aspartame-gmos-other-hazardous-chemicals)]


Bayer's Flintstone's vitamin brand is far from a natural product, and the consumer should be aware
of the unintended, adverse health effects that may occur as a result of using it. 


The #1 Children's Vitamin Brand in the US contains ingredients that most parents would never intentionally expose their children to, so why aren't more opting for healthier alternatives?


http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/Foods/vitamins_zps01b4455a.JPG

Kids vitamins are supposed to be healthy, right? Well then, what's going on with Flintstones Vitamins, which proudly claims to be "Pediatricians' #1 Choice"?  Produced by the global pharmaceutical corporation Bayer, this wildly successful brand features a shocking list of unhealthy ingredients, including:

Aspartame
Cupric Oxide
Coal tar artificial coloring agents (FD&C Blue #2, Red #40, Yellow #6)
Zinc Oxide
Sorbitol
Ferrous Fumarate
Hydrogenated Oil (Soybean)
GMO Corn starch

On Bayer Health Science's Flintstones product page designed for healthcare professionals they lead into the product description with the following tidbit of information:

82% of kids aren't eating all of their veggies1. Without enough vegetables, kids may not be getting all of the nutrients they need.
References: 1. Lorson BA, Melgar-Quinonez HR, Taylor CA. Correlates of fruit and vegetable intakes in US children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(3):474-478.
The implication? That Flintstones vitamins somehow fill this nutritional void. But let's look a little closer at some of these presumably healthy ingredients....

ASPARTAME

Aspartame is a synthetic combination of the amino acids aspartic acid and l-phenylalanine, and is known to convert into highly toxic methanol and formaldehyde in the body.  Aspartame has been linked to over 40 adverse health effects in the biomedical literature, and has been shown to exhibit both neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity [1]  What business does a chemical like this have doing in a children's vitamin, especially when non-toxic, non-synthetic non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia already exist?

CUPRIC OXIDE

Next, let's look closer at Cupric Oxide, 2mg of which is included in each serving of Flinstone's Complete chewable vitamins as a presumably  'nutritional' source of 'copper,' supplying "100% of the Daily Value  (Ages 4+), according to Flintstones Vitamins Web site's Nutritional Info.[2]
But what is Cupric Oxide? A nutrient or a chemical?

According to the European Union's Dangerous Substance Directive, one of the main EU laws concerning chemical safety, Cupric Oxide is listed as a Hazardous substance, classified as both  "Harmful (XN)" and "Dangerous for the environment" (N).  Consider that it has industrial applications as a pigment in ceramics, and as a chemical in the production of rayon fabric and dry cell batteries. In may be technically correct to call it a mineral, but should it be listed as a nutrient in a children's vitamin? We think not.

COAL TAR ARTIFICIAL COLORING AGENTS

A well-known side effect of using synthetic dyes is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. For direct access to study abstracts on this topic view our Food Coloring research page.  There is also indication that the neurotoxicity of artificial food coloring agents increase when combined with aspartame,[3] making the combination of ingredients in Flintstones even more concerning.

ZINC OXIDE

Each serving of Flinstones Complete Chewable vitamins contain 12 mg of zinc oxide, which the manufacturer claims delivers 75% of the Daily Value to children 2  & 3 years of age.  Widely used as a sun protection factor (SPF) in sunscreens, The EU's Dangerous Substance Directive classifies it as an environmental Hazard, "Dangerous for the environment (N)."  How it can be dangerous to the environment, but not for humans ingesting it, escapes me.  One thing is for sure, if one is to ingest supplemental zinc, or market it for use by children, it makes much more sense using a form that is organically bound (i.e. 'chelated') to an amino acid like glycine, as it will be more bioavailable and less toxic.

SORBITOL

Sorbitol is a synthetic sugar substitute which is classified as a sugar alcohol. It can be argued that it has no place in the human diet, much less in a child's. The ingestion of higher amounts have been linked to gastrointestinal disturbances from abdominal pain to more serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.[4]

FERROUS FUMARATE

The one clear warning on the Flinstone's Web site concerns this chemical. While it is impossible to die from consuming iron from food, e.g. spinach, ferrous fumarate is an industrial mineral and not found in nature as food. In fact, ferrous fumarate is so toxic that accidental overdose of products containing this form is "a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6." The manufacturer further warns:
Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL

Finding hydrogenated oil in anything marketed to children is absolutely unacceptable. These semi-synthetic fatty acids incorporate into our tissues and have been linked to over a dozen adverse health effects, from coronary artery disease to cancer, violent behavior to fatty liver disease.[5]

GMO CORN STARCH

While it can be argued that the amount of GMO corn starch in this product is negligible, even irrelevant, we disagree. It is important to hold accountable brands that refuse to label their products honestly, especially when they contain ingredients that have been produced through genetic modification. The 'vitamin C' listed as ascorbic acid in Flintstones is likely also produced from GMO corn. Let's remember that Bayer's Ag-biotech division, Bayer CropScience, poured $381,600 of cash into defeating the proposition 37 GMO labeling bill in California. Parents have a right to protect their children against the well-known dangers of genetically modified foods and the agrichemicals that contaminate them, don't they? GMO corn starch is GMO, plain and simple. We'd appreciate it if Bayer would label their "vitamins" accordingly.  

In summary, Bayer's Flintstone's vitamin brand is far from a natural product, and the consumer should be aware of the unintended, adverse health effects that may occur as a result of using it. 

[complete article & resource links here (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/top-us-brand-childrens-vitamins-contains-aspartame-gmos-other-hazardous-chemicals)]

Excellent post Paula. My kid's mother bought them flintstone vitamins and I threw them out right after I saw that Bayer made them (I didn't even have to look at the horrific crap in them). I can guarantee that any "vitamin's" produced by Bayer, will do you harm -- they are trying to promote disease, to keep their business alive - as I pointed out about the DL-Alpha-Tocopherol in their seniors multi's as the sole vitamin E source -- Seriously, they should just put skull and crossbones on it. They only care about their profits from drugs, as their recent fight with the Indian government fully reveals.

I am on a personal boycott of Bayer, since they are trying so hard to get into the vitamin business and making possibly even harmful formulas, they only have one of two reasons for this 1) Make garbage vitamins to keep people sick so they buy more drugs or 2) make garbage vitamins so that the masses lose faith and stop taking them -- and increase their chances of sickness (considering the now nutritionally defunct GMO foods) -- either way a win for big Pharma and a lose for the consumer. Let's not allow these lowlife tactics to succeed.

I'll bet that the studies such as in the OP are all based on the people who take vitamin brands that Big Pharma manufactures. ;)

[DeDukshyn]

If your vitamins are not raw, unheated, whole food form, toss them out! The Standard Process brand is THE premium supplement maker in the world. There are a few others, but none stand up to Standard Process.

Just imagine the processes that produce a cheap synthetic vitamin and then ask yourself if you should consume it.

I'll be 100% honest with you Conk -- I work for a very advanced nutritional supplement company, and in some cases synthetic molecules are actually superior, and in other cases they are less effective.

Here are the arguments.

For whole plants sources as a source of vitamins: Our supplier of some Ayurvedic materials makes the whole plant (or source) argument to us quite often. The argument is that since we don't know what we don't know, there may well be supporting molecules to the main active ones available in a whole source, where just specifically isolating the one or two molecule known to create the greatest mechanism of action in it's therapy, may actually be crippling the effectiveness. There is some truth to this. It is well known that vitamin C does far more for you body when taken in a complex of bioflavonoids - as would be found in natures fruit. This is perfectly valid. The supplement company owned by Amway -- Nutra-lite -- completely adheres to this concept. They actually have some of the highest end vitamins I have seen (and they are a competitor to the company I work for - so that say something that I can say that)

For isolated therapeutic molecules (usually have to synthesized):
On the other argument, it is also possible that the whole or full natural source contains a bunch of junk or harmful substances that we want filtered out of our vitamins. This is also true in many cases of whole sourced materials. You may end up with GMO based vitamins, pesticide vitamins, fertalizer vitamins, and / or put up with whatever crap might be in the soil as a toxin. For example, green tea readily absorbs and concentrates fluoride out of the soil, yes -- fluoride - the stuff we all abhor and want less of. Many plants also readily absorb cyanide from the soil. Do you think that tobacco companies put cyanide in tobacco to kill you? No. It comes naturally in the tobacco leaves because the plants absorb it from the soil and concentrate it into the leaves. (They DO add arsenic though -- keeps the "ash" together - less mess ;))

Through extraction process, in order to concentrate some of the natural ingredients from plants, heavy solvents are needed, that always leave trace residues in the product. So you may end up with a fully "natural" product, but it may be full of crap you don't really want or need. Some natural sources are far more susceptible to this than others. so for some, it makes sense to just collect and concentrate the nutrients from a whole natural source, in other cases, this can be also undesired.

This is where pharmaceutical synthesis comes in. How many here know what this actually means? It is still in many cases, a natural way of making molecules. Usually a bacteria or fungus that has certain processing abilities, will be given an input material and as it is processed, produces the desired molecules as output. Think of it like a ferment process. It is called "pharmaceutical synthesis" because of the very strict and rigorous control conditions that must be present to get the molecule that you want. For therapies that work better as isolated molecules - this process is perfect, and you never have to worry about GMO's pesticides, or any thing else -- the result is pure, extraction never gives you a pure result, and of course whole source doesn't either.

All that said, there are a few molecules that the body does not treat the same if they are synthetic. Lipoic Acid is one of these molecules. it comes in an R(+) form and an S(-) form (often just called lipoic acid). For some reason the synthesized lipoic acid molecule is a mirror image of it's natural counter part -- meaning it's structure is reversed -- exactly the same, but reversed in physical form. You body can still use it, but it behaves slightly differently in the body than the r(+) form, and somewhat less effective as well. In this case, we would want to avoid the synthetic form and choose the natural form.

There is no black and white until you get down to the nitty gritty details, and when you get there, you often find that generalizations become less accurate or useful.

[DeDukshyn]

If your vitamins are not raw, unheated, whole food form, toss them out! The Standard Process brand is THE premium supplement maker in the world. There are a few others, but none stand up to Standard Process.

Just imagine the processes that produce a cheap synthetic vitamin and then ask yourself if you should consume it.

I'll be 100% honest with you Conk -- I work for a very advanced nutritional supplement company, and in some cases synthetic molecules are actually superior, and in other cases they are less effective.

Here are the arguments.

For whole plants sources as a source of vitamins: Our supplier of some Ayurvedic materials makes the whole plant (or source) argument to us quite often. The argument is that since we don't know what we don't know, there may well be supporting molecules to the main active ones available in a whole source, where just specifically isolating the one or two molecule known to create the greatest mechanism of action in it's therapy, may actually be crippling the effectiveness. There is some truth to this. It is well known that vitamin C does far more for you body when taken in a complex of bioflavonoids - as would be found in natures fruit. This is perfectly valid. The supplement company owned by Amway -- Nutra-lite -- completely adheres to this concept. They actually have some of the highest end vitamins I have seen (and they are a competitor to the company I work for - so that say something that I can say that)

For isolated therapeutic molecules (usually have to synthesized):
On the other argument, it is also possible that the whole or full natural source contains a bunch of junk or harmful substances that we want filtered out of our vitamins. This is also true in many cases of whole sourced materials. You may end up with GMO based vitamins, pesticide vitamins, fertalizer vitamins, and / or put up with whatever crap might be in the soil as a toxin. For example, green tea readily absorbs and concentrates fluoride out of the soil, yes -- fluoride - the stuff we all abhor and want less of. Many plants also readily absorb cyanide from the soil. Do you think that tobacco companies put cyanide in tobacco to kill you? No. It comes naturally in the tobacco leaves because the plants absorb it from the soil and concentrate it into the leaves. (They DO add arsenic though -- keeps the "ash" together - less mess ;))

Through extraction process, in order to concentrate some of the natural ingredients from plants, heavy solvents are needed, that always leave trace residues in the product. So you may end up with a fully "natural" product, but it may be full of crap you don't really want or need. Some natural sources are far more susceptible to this than others. so for some, it makes sense to just collect and concentrate the nutrients from a whole natural source, in other cases, this can be also undesired.

This is where pharmaceutical synthesis comes in. How many here know what this actually means? It is still in many cases, a natural way of making molecules. Usually a bacteria or fungus that has certain processing abilities, will be given an input material and as it is processed, produces the desired molecules as output. Think of it like a ferment process. It is called "pharmaceutical synthesis" because of the very strict and rigorous control conditions that must be present to get the molecule that you want. For therapies that work better as isolated molecules - this process is perfect, and you never have to worry about GMO's pesticides, or any thing else -- the result is pure, extraction never gives you a pure result, and of course whole source doesn't either.

All that said, there are a few molecules that the body does not treat the same if they are synthetic. Lipoic Acid is one of these molecules. it comes in an R(+) form and an S(-) form (often just called lipoic acid). For some reason the synthesized lipoic acid molecule is a mirror image of it's natural counter part -- meaning it's structure is reversed -- exactly the same, but reversed in physical form. You body can still use it, but it behaves slightly differently in the body than the r(+) form, and somewhat less effective as well. In this case, we would want to avoid the synthetic form and choose the natural form.

There is no black and white until you get down to the nitty gritty details, and when you get there, you often find that generalizations become less accurate or useful.



All that said, Standard Process looks pretty good, except I'm not sure why so many of their "complex's" contain calcium. Most people are already overdosing on poor forms of calcium, which causes calcification of soft tissue. I would want to monitor the amount of calcium I would be getting from some of their products. Good find though, I never have heard of them before. They seem to have some decent formulas.

Ooops, that was supposed to be an edit .. not a reply, damnit Jim!

[conk]

If your vitamins are not raw, unheated, whole food form, toss them out! The Standard Process brand is THE premium supplement maker in the world. There are a few others, but none stand up to Standard Process.

Just imagine the processes that produce a cheap synthetic vitamin and then ask yourself if you should consume it..The calcium in SP products is balanced with other ingredients to ensure proper absorption and utilization. The company is aware of the risk of calcification of tissues and joints, and other issues related to excess calcium intake. Good point.

As for toxins, GMOs, etc. go to the SP website and read about their extraordinary precautions. Their products are CLEAN. ;)

[Mike]

it's true: many multi-vitamins *don't* work. or have very little value. the problem is, the general public, who know very little about nutritional supplements, associate multi-vitamin supplements with the entire "alternative health" movement. they are totally unaware of amino acids, essential fatty acids, enzymes and co-enzymes etc. i.e. supplements that *work*. "vitamins", to them , is an umbrella term that encompasses everything. so when the ignorant see a headline like this, it totally discredits, in their mind, the whole "alternative" movement. they see a health food store and they think "vitamins". and now they will make the association that vitamins=worthless. the average mind utilizes very little nuance.

I use nutritional supplements. they work. I don't need to see the studies. there's one particularly funny commercial I see here n there, for 'Centrum' I think, and at the end of it a narrator comes on and says: studies have shown that cell health plays a vital part in the daily functioning of your body..." REALLY? wow! well thank you Centrum scientists! maintaining cell health is good thing?!? whew! groundbreaking!

sure, maybe the average person doesn't need supplements, but the very ill do. people who need isolated nutrients for example, would have to eat 10 steaks a day to get 100mg of coq10. a pill is much easier. and I agree with Duk - many times isolated nutrients are more effective than "whole-food" formulas. Ive tried every "green superfood" powder on the planet. apparently it's loaded with nutritional goodies. and I don't doubt it! many people report astounding benefits. but all it does for me is make my sh!t green. one 100mg capsule of coq10 will do 100x what a ten scoops of the green stuff will. it all depends on your health issue of course. but sometimes 1 or 2 isolated nutrients will work wonders that every "combo" supplement in the health food store cannot.

ive taken tons of supplements, and my motto is this: if I cant feel it working after a few weeks, I stop. and to be totally honest, ive never really "felt" a multivitamin doing anything for me. ive no doubt it's helping maintain my systems, but there's no tangible result. but that's not really the point of this so-called study, is it? they are trying to, by using a few key words, like "vitamin", discredit everything in the health food store. they know how the average mind works and so this is how they proceed. it's pretty smart, actually.

of course the "study" is pure sh!t. what we never find out is what kind of multi is being used, what quantities are being taken, how often are they being taken etc.

p.s. thanks Duk for some really informative info in this thread.

[GreenGuy]

...a narrator comes on and says: studies have shown that cell health plays a vital part in the daily functioning of your body..." REALLY? wow! well thank you Centrum scientists! maintaining cell health is good thing?!? whew! groundbreaking!

Nah. My cells are all dead, and I'm still fine. Off to get another Big Mac....

[carriellbee]

...a narrator comes on and says: studies have shown that cell health plays a vital part in the daily functioning of your body..." REALLY? wow! well thank you Centrum scientists! maintaining cell health is good thing?!? whew! groundbreaking!

Nah. My cells are all dead, and I'm still fine. Off to get another Big Mac....

Can you pick one up for me? :hungry:

Something I heard a while back and which deeply resonated with me was that if you express gratitude, or say a prayer or blessing over whatever it is that you are putting into your body, then that thing, even if it is poison, cannot harm you.

What I distilled from that information was that it is very important to live in gratitude. And maybe, if you live in gratitude, you don't even need to say a blessing. This is something that has been rattling around in my brain for awhile now...

P.S. I wasn't joking about that thing... Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. ;)

[778 neighbour of some guy]

I was wondering DeDuk, what is in your opinion the verdict of NOW vitamins, I am sorta curious about them but just like most other brands the information isn't as clear and cut as it should be imo, prolly the thrashing the competition but NOW has been on the market for many years, so, could you give me an indication or your opinion on them quality wise. Thanks in advance man.

Edgar