FYI

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Thanks, but I'll stick to vitamin W

Posted: 10/15/2011 3:21 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

WHEN I was younger, I was told that if I took vitamin E every day, it would make me more vigorous and manly. I didn't pay much attention because at that time I was busy searching out vigorous and manly pursuits, although, sadly, without a great deal of success.

Now, at an age where I am less vigorously mannish, and I could perhaps use some help in that department in the event that I might become so again, I am told that vitamin E doesn't work that way.

And now that I am starting to need all the benefits that all the vitamins promised when I was young. I am told that they are all lies. Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, X, Y and Z (X is a largely unexamined vitamin) are as likely to kill me as they are to cure me of any infliction I might imagine I might have.

A recent study reports that taking multivitamins actually increases the risk of dying prematurely among women in their 50s and 60s by 2.4 per cent. Women aren't much different than men, except in the obvious ways, and there are all kinds of different ways that both sexes can die without any help from vitamins, so a 2.4 per cent increase -- that's more than two people out every 100 that live around you and with whom you work -- are basically goners if they are taking vitamins. I got lucky. I married young, which eliminated any need for the promised benefits of vitamin E, and I am still here. Others were not so fortunate, one assumes, although they may have died happy.

Other studies, however, suggest that vitamins actually are good for you as dietary supplements. Frankly, I don't care anymore. The best dietary advice I've ever heard comes from an old country song: "Whisky, rye whisky, rye whisky I cry, if whisky don't kill me, I'll live till I die." And that's pretty well true of anything we like to do -- we'll always live till we die, no matter what the banes or the benefits of vitamin E might B.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 15, 2011 J2

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

More FYI

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.