A PERSPECTIVE
It’s difficult to say which side to believe when there is so much at risk. There are so many different types of vitamins that it’s strenuous to keep track of what you need and what you are getting as well as how much of it you are getting from your food. Multivitamins are convenient because they provide several of the vitamins that are needed on a daily basis. You feel reassured when you take supplemental vitamins because then you are reaching the daily amount you are supposed to get. Now, you think you can avoid diseases, sicknesses, and death and just be healthier overall. Then there are those scientists who have come out saying that vitamin supplements are too much of a good thing in idea. The idea of it is good, but in reality it doesn’t translate that way. People are getting too many vitamins that are in turn, attacking their bodies and putting them at higher risk for things like disease and cancer, and even death. It’s hard to know who to believe when there are authority figures tearing you to believe in one side. It is also hard to choose a side of the debate as both sides use fear as a rhetorical tool to recruit the public.
People can be swayed either way by fear; the rhetorics of fear are very powerful as they attack what people are weak and powerless to. Take my mother on one hand - everyday, she is telling my father, brothers, sister, and me to take our vitamins so we can be healthy in fear of dying from nutrition deficiency. Of course, when your mother pushes so hard for something, you don't listen. So naturally, I have become that person who doesn't regularly take vitamins and at the same time, I have always been in fear that I will become sick. But now with this new hysteria against vitamins, I feel that I may have avoided sickness and death going against my mother's constant push.
If the public stops taking vitamins, then corporations will lose millions of dollars and eventually go out of business. The notion of how to become healthy may change as fitness specialists and trainers will not recommend dietary supplements of any kind to aid a diet or an exercise. Pharmacists will have to divert their energy to selling other items, such as lotion, to make up for the loss in profit that they now get from vitamins. Many of those who gain a monetary profit from the supplemental vitamin industry have an incentive to spread the word about the beneficial effects of vitamins, even if it may not be true. Stores like GNC will likely close because their principal will be proven wrong. If this does become the new consensus, then unfortunately, many people will be out of a job. But, these things are not one should take into consideration when making this decision. One human life having the opportunity of being cancer-free is worth more than corporations making money.
In the end, it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are too many case studies that conclude that vitamins are not only ineffective in many situations, but can cause dangerous harm. Every body is different and digests vitamin supplements differently, so some may never become victim to supplemental vitamins. But, is it worth the chance? Frankly, there are too many trials that concluded the harmfulness of supplemental vitamins for my comfort. I don’t want to be just another number falling victim to the “church of vitamins and supplements”, I have other plans for my life. Don’t take vitamins on a daily basis if you are not suffering from any type of sickness, disease, or cancer. Eat a healthy balanced meal that would provide you with all the vitamins your body needs to function properly. If you do suffer from a sickness, then consult with your doctor to see if you should be taking one certain type of vitamin supplement to aid to your treatment. Supplemental vitamins should not be taken daily, as they show they can cause harm over a long period of time. In other words, do not overdose on vitamins because they are a good. Water is also a good thing, but too much water can kill.
People can be swayed either way by fear; the rhetorics of fear are very powerful as they attack what people are weak and powerless to. Take my mother on one hand - everyday, she is telling my father, brothers, sister, and me to take our vitamins so we can be healthy in fear of dying from nutrition deficiency. Of course, when your mother pushes so hard for something, you don't listen. So naturally, I have become that person who doesn't regularly take vitamins and at the same time, I have always been in fear that I will become sick. But now with this new hysteria against vitamins, I feel that I may have avoided sickness and death going against my mother's constant push.
If the public stops taking vitamins, then corporations will lose millions of dollars and eventually go out of business. The notion of how to become healthy may change as fitness specialists and trainers will not recommend dietary supplements of any kind to aid a diet or an exercise. Pharmacists will have to divert their energy to selling other items, such as lotion, to make up for the loss in profit that they now get from vitamins. Many of those who gain a monetary profit from the supplemental vitamin industry have an incentive to spread the word about the beneficial effects of vitamins, even if it may not be true. Stores like GNC will likely close because their principal will be proven wrong. If this does become the new consensus, then unfortunately, many people will be out of a job. But, these things are not one should take into consideration when making this decision. One human life having the opportunity of being cancer-free is worth more than corporations making money.
In the end, it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are too many case studies that conclude that vitamins are not only ineffective in many situations, but can cause dangerous harm. Every body is different and digests vitamin supplements differently, so some may never become victim to supplemental vitamins. But, is it worth the chance? Frankly, there are too many trials that concluded the harmfulness of supplemental vitamins for my comfort. I don’t want to be just another number falling victim to the “church of vitamins and supplements”, I have other plans for my life. Don’t take vitamins on a daily basis if you are not suffering from any type of sickness, disease, or cancer. Eat a healthy balanced meal that would provide you with all the vitamins your body needs to function properly. If you do suffer from a sickness, then consult with your doctor to see if you should be taking one certain type of vitamin supplement to aid to your treatment. Supplemental vitamins should not be taken daily, as they show they can cause harm over a long period of time. In other words, do not overdose on vitamins because they are a good. Water is also a good thing, but too much water can kill.