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The Contrasting Examples of Vitamins C and E

As an example of the difference between HSAIDS and truly natural nutrients, consider vitamins C and E. Food sources of naturally occurring vitamin C have biological effects, acting as antioxidants and protecting DNA from oxygen damage—something that occurs in endurance athletes often during training and especially when anaerobic. The dose of vitamin C contained in a high-quality meal of vegetables and fruits may be 100 mg or less. However, the synthetic counterpart (ascorbic acid and the various similar forms), found in almost all dietary supplements, may function differently. High doses of synthetic vitamin C, typically 500 to 1,000 mg tablets, can perform as an antioxidant but can also transform to a deadly pro-oxidant—which can cause excess free-radical activity and inflammation.

Another illustration of the difference between HSAIDS and truly natural nutrients is found in vitamin E. A natural dose of vitamin E is really quite small. For example, the amount of naturally occurring alpha-tocopherol in a loaf of whole-wheat bread made fresh from wheat berries—a relatively high source of natural vitamin E—may be only 2 to 4 IU. In contrast, vitamin E supplements typically come in extremely high doses of 400 to 800 IU. You’d have to eat 200 loaves to reach these supplement doses. This unnatural dose of vitamin E can interfere with other more effective antioxidants in the diet. And worse, these doses of vitamin E have been shown to significantly increase your risk of death!

Vitamins C and E are often sold under the “natural” label—as are most others, including all the synthetic vitamins. In nature these vitamins occur with other chemical components including a wide variety of phytonutrients. In addition, synthetic supplements have lower bioavailability. Synthetic vitamin C, for example, is not as biologically available and the body gets rid of it more quickly, in comparison to vitamin C in real foods. Studies have shown that vitamin C from food is 35 percent better absorbed, and excreted more slowly, than synthetic vitamin C.

There are also other potential side effects associated with HSAIDS, including the following:

 

 

Popular doses of vitamin C supplements can be toxic when they react with the iron in the body or iron in dietary supplements. This is because of the powerful free radicals produced by iron.Consuming popular doses of iron can result in excess ferritin (the body’s storage form of iron), which has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and liver stress. High iron intake can also produce damaging excess free radicals and intestinal distress.Common preparations of copper, zinc, or selenium supplements can be toxic and can even cause disease.Popular doses of vitamin K and B6 can be toxic.Consuming popular high doses of vitamin A can result in bone loss and increase the risk of hip fractures in the elderly.Consuming popular doses of beta-carotene has been shown to increase lung cancer risk.

Other important considerations:

 

 

None of the nutrients that can cause harm in the body from dietary supplements are harmful when consumed in real food.Taking a dietary supplement can promote a false sense of security that you’re getting all the nutrients needed for optimal endurance and health.While researchers have found for decades that consumption of vegetables and fruits significantly decrease the risk of many diseases, most studies have concluded that dietary supplements containing the same vitamins and minerals do not.The International Olympic Committee states that up to one in four dietary supplements can produce a positive test for banned substances.