Headlines on the possible risks of vitamin and mineral supplements have bombarded mainstream media recently, and sparked controversy over whether doctors should recommend supplements to their patients. As responsible, quality supplementation is a large part of our practice's treatment philosophy, I felt it necessary to address these reports and explain why we feel confident in our recommendations.

 

There were two specific reports published in October which raised the majority of media concern. One concluded that many commonly used dietary supplements increase mortality in women and prompted headlines such as "your vitamins may be killing you". Another paper published in JAMA concluded that vitamin E supplements increase the risk of prostate cancer by 17%. However, critics of the first study emphasize that actual nutrient levels were never tested, and data was subjective at best, because vitamin levels were estimated from questionnaires. The second study's critics argue that the study was flawed because only one of the eight naturally-occurring forms of vitamin E was given to participants, causing an imbalance which is, ironically, linked to cancer.

 

In both reports, it was mentioned (but not emphasized), that the findings were not based on patients with pre-existing nutrient deficiencies...a factor ignored by most media stories. These studies were flawed, and for each one, there are hundreds which show vitamin supplements can contribute to protection against, and treatment of, disease. But they raise an undeniable issue...the importance of objective micronutrient testing. Regardless of the studies' outcomes and the negative spin they have put on supplementation, the fact is that blind supplementation can cause imbalances, which may actually induce deficiencies in other nutrients as a side effect, or even increase anti-oxidants to a level which damages cells rather than protects them.

 

This is why in our office, every single one of our comprehensive patients is required to undergo intracellular micronutrient testing. For the past 18 years, this testing has indicated that over 90% of patients have functional micronutrient deficiencies, which compromise immune function and cause disease (our patient population's findings correlate with this).

 

Testing nutritional status allows an appropriate, individualized repletion program based on actual deficiencies.

 

We are not simply pulling recommendations from thin air, with a desire to sell product, but basing them on specialized, scientific laboratory testing. The intracellular micronutrient testing we use directly measures the functional status of 33 nutrients, plus antioxidant capacity. Because the tests perform a "functional cellular analysis" specifically on cells that have a long lifespan, their results give a 4-6 month nutritional history, instead of just a snapshot, and are capable of indicating overall immune function as well.

 

We care deeply about each one of our patients and take pride in considering the "whole person" instead of simply offering treatments that may fix one symptom, but create a host of other issues. It is our goal first and foremost, to "Do No Harm", and we are dedicated to making sure we are aware of cutting-edge health news and research in order to keep your best interests at heart.

 

In Continued Service to You and Your Health,

Martin Plotkin, MD