Vitamins & Minerals
I pitched this story this morning along with one on the cervical cancer vaccine, the new Parkinsons drug, and a norovirus update. Considering just about everyone I know takes vitamin supplements, it wasn't surprising when my boss assigned it to me.
Estimates suggest as many of 1/3rd to 1/2 of all Americans take some kind of vitamin or supplement and the industry as a whole is worth billions of dollars annually.
Here is more information than you ever wanted on vitamins from the NIH website:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/may2006/od-17.htm
And, if you want even more then check this out:
I know not everyone will agree with the findings of the panel. It is also important to note it didn't recommend people stop taking vitamins... the panel just couldn't give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down saying we need better studies find out what works and what doesn't.
And finally, Sonja Connor at OHSU echoed something I had already read elsewhere. The people who might benefit the most from vitamins are those who can't afford them. If someone is juggling feeding a family and paying rent or buying medicine... a supplement is going to be on the very bottom of the "must have" list.
Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com
