Headline news and USA Today stated that vitamins and supplements might actually increase mortality in elderly women. Are vitamins and nutrients really safe? Can natural products such as vitamins minerals and nutrients actually cause harm?

After reviewing the article that USA Today is referring to, the only supplement that was found increased mortality was that of iron. The other nutrients studied included calcium and it was actually shown to reduce the risk of mortality. It has been well documented that elevated levels of iron and ferritin can in fact increase cardiovascular disease. This is one of the reasons why nutrients have to be carefully monitored by your physician to make sure dosing is adequate and appropriate. The remaining vitamins that were studied did not show an increase in mortality, but were shown to be beneficial. These include calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, and B- complex vitamins.

In practicing nutritional and metabolic medicine, nutritional deficiencies are core to the intervention in patient’s underlying metabolic derangements. Our body is made up of multiple enzymatic pathways which require coenzymes and cofactors. Multiple vitamins and nutrients are needed in order for the process to work effectively. While I try to have my patients obtain this through natural organic dietary measures, supplementation is often required. This article is actually encouraging to me because it shows that nutrients have powerful and effective measures. Nutrient deficiencies can certainly cause a breakdown in multiple metabolic processes which relate to end-stage disease, morbidity, and mortality. Utilizing functional and integrative testing such as nutritional and vitamin analysis, the correct formulation can be prescribed in a safe and effective manner.

It is often quoted you are what you eat. I certainly agree with this statement. What we ingest in the form of nutrition has a great affect on how our body functions and how our body can also repair. With our processed food today, nutritional deficiencies are certainly common; and nutritional supplementation is highly effective and very safe if monitored appropriately and prescribed under the correct guidelines. Make sure that if you’re taking nutritional supplementation, you are guided by someone with knowledge in that field and you take high quality nutritional products. Your life may depend upon it.