Rochelle Hanson

By Rochelle Hanson

There’s been a lot of buzz about vitamins in the media this week. Apparently there is a new study that was published on Monday suggesting that vitamin and mineral supplements may be doing more harm to your body than good. I’m glad you’re reading this column today. I don’t want you to be confused about vitamins. If you’ve been reading a lot of conflicting studies and hearing confusing ideas, you can relax over here. Let’s discuss the truth about vitamins.

When you hear people in mainstream media talking about vitamin and mineral supplements, there is one thing you need to keep in mind. All vitamin supplements are NOT created equal. To keep things simple, you can put them into two basic groups: whole food vitamin supplements and synthetic vitamin supplements. Supplements that use whole foods as the source are recognized by the body in a totally different way than supplements that were created by science in a laboratory.  Mainstream reporters are not likely to discuss the difference.

When you see an article or a study that says vitamin E and selenium increases the risk of developing prostate cancer among men, before you jump to conclusions ask yourself some questions.

“Is this study referring to whole food supplements or synthetic supplements?”

“What or who is the source of this study and could they possibly have a bias?”

“Could there be any variables in this study that have not been discussed in the article that I am currently reading?”

More often than not, these studies that report on the inefficiency or efficiency of vitamins and minerals are not using whole food supplements. Researchers typically use the synthetic vitamins in their studies because they can be accurately measured and controlled. If you are eating a diet rich in whole foods and are taking whole food supplements, take the studies in the main stream media like a simple grain of salt.

Last week in this column, we talked about Cancer Prevention and how important it is to establish balance in the body in order to maintain ultimate health. You will not find the answers on how to achieve balance by overloading your brain with conflicting studies and confusing information. I do encourage you to stay informed, it’s important to know what’s going on in the world of health. But ask yourself questions as you read, don’t just take everything at face value.

If you’re looking for natural ideas on how to use food and lifestyle to reach your goals in health and wellness, join my group on Facebook. We talk about these ideas all the time and you’re always welcome to join us.

So as you continue your journey to ultimate health and wellness, don’t be discouraged. Take it slow, be balanced, and remember that the truth is never one sided. All vitamins are simply not created equal.

Rochelle Hanson is a freelance writer and natural health enthusiast who is studying to become a health coach. She offers practical tips on natural health and wellness both in this column and on her blog Simply Natural Ideas. You can also connect with Rochelle on Facebook.

Related Articles:

• Simply Natural Ideas: Cancer prevention
• Simply Natural Ideas: How to Stay Active
• Simply Natural Ideas: Stop stressing
• Simply Natural Ideas: Have your health and your happiness too
• Simply Natural Ideas: Stay Focused