The production and trade of vitamins at all times has been, is and is likely to be a very profitable business. Only in the US is sold about 3,5 thousand different food additives with polyvitamins and minerals. According to opinion polls, seven Americans out of ten, at least sometimes resort to the help of multivitamins, and four out of ten do it purposefully and often, as the Internet publication for girls and women from 14 to 35 years Pannochka. Net Similar data for our country yet, but a kind of "vitamin boom" is observed in our country. And if you listen to the supporters of "universal vitaminization," it turns out that vitamins in the form of tablets are much more useful than their own colleagues who are in fruits and vegetables.

However, there is still reason to doubt the arguments of the apologists for vitamins (often funded by the producers of vitamins).

For example, in the French journal "Energy Impacts and Health" an article was published, presenting a literature review for 1980-1996. , Summarizing the results of 59 research programs on the effect of vitamins on the incidence of malignant tumors.

The authors of the article note that in 1996 a lot of works appeared that speak of the beneficial effect of vegetable and fruit diets on reducing the incidence of cancer. Based on many studies, it has been established that vitamin E (tocopherol) inhibits prostate cancer, and a complex consisting of provitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin A, zinc, vitamin E and selenium, is active against stomach cancer. Selenium besides and in itself interferes with occurrence of a cancer of a lung and a cancer of a prostate. Less convincing data on the dependence of the incidence of colon cancer and bladder on the use of vitamin E and C, but still noted some inverse relationship.

However, all of the above is true ... for vitamins found in fruits and vegetables. As for the "tablet" vitamins, the authors of the article evaluate as "modest" arguments in favor of their protective effect against tumors and emphasize the need for their further study. According to the authors of the article, eating vegetables is more effective than adding vitamin supplements to the daily ration.

In early 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alarming warning: "As long as there is no additional information about how beta-carotene and other carotenoids affect the processes leading to cancer, none of these substances should be spread among the population as a means, Preventive development of tumors ». However, immediately there was a clarification: "Preventing cancer with fresh fruits and vegetables remains more effective than taking one or more such substances in the form of food supplements".

Cooperates with WHO and the American Dietetic Association (ADA), an influential public organization. American nutritionists suggest the following approach: it is better to satisfy the nutritional requirement for vitamins with a variety of foods, which is quite realistic. And about the additional intake of vitamins ADA gives the following advice: "Recommendations for the use of multivitamins in moderate doses and mineral supplements should depend on an individualized nutritional assessment".

Often from the pages of newspapers you can read that only from vegetables and fruits it is impossible to get all the complex of vitamins and minerals necessary for our organism, and therefore it is necessary to take tablets. Let us dare to doubt these statements, and you, dear readers, also advise you not to take for granted the arguments behind which there is a lot of money (it is no secret that after the "oil barons", the most wealthy people are "pharmaceutical barons"),.

Medicus. En.