No truce has been declared. No victories claimed. But the vitamin wars are virtually over.
A few years ago Congress was deluged with letters from people who feared the Food and Drug Administration was going to restrict access to supplements. Visions of commando squads bursting in on stores selling vitamins had health food entrepreneurs up in arms.
On one side nutritional nihilists maintained that supplements were silly, a waste of money leading to expensive urine. Their battle cry was straightforward: "Eat a well-balanced diet!"
The revolutionaries marched under the banner of luminaries like Linus Pauling and Adele Davis. They downed mega-doses of vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants such as beta carotene became household names.
These days the FDA has pretty much backed off attempts to suppress supplements. There is even talk of fortifying foods with folic acid.
Over the last two decades researchers have proven that when this B vitamin is taken during early pregnancy it can substantially reduce the risk of certain birth defects. Spina bifida (a problem with the spinal cord) and perhaps even cleft palate may be diminished if women of childbearing age get extra amounts of folic acid.
There is other evidence that this vitamin may be beneficial for the heart. Investigators have found that people with low levels of folic acid (a common problem) may be at greater risk of coronary artery disease.
Vitamin E is also gaining favor with many researchers. The antioxidant action of this nutrient may be beneficial against atherosclerosis, cancer and even premature aging.
Oxidation can be a destructive chemical process. It causes iron to rust and fat to go rancid. LDL cholesterol is a blood fat that is easily oxidized and is thought to be a major contributor to heart disease.
New studies demonstrate that 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin E daily can decrease oxidation of LDL cholesterol. An article in the June 21 Journal of the American Medical Association has confirmed that vitamin E intake appears correlated with less heart disease.
Cardiologists at the University of Southern California followed men with existing heart problems for two years. Those who took supplemental vitamin E (at least 100 IU per day) slowed the buildup of plaque in their coronary arteries.
Investigators are actively studying the potential of vitamin E to improve circulation, slow some of the cardiovascular damage due to diabetes, and enhance immunological reactions.
