1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: I'm Kristin Conger and I'm Caroline Irvan, and we're hosts 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: of the podcast Stuff Mom never told you That gets 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: down to the business of being women from every imaginable angle. 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: That's right. Kristen and I skillfully decode the biology, psychology, 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: and sociology of ladies and gents from their evolutionary past 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: a millennial present to better understand all of that stuff 7 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: Mom never told you. No offense moms, Now be sure 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to brain 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: Stuff from How Stuff Works. I'm Christian Seger and welcome 10 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,319 Speaker 1: to brain Stuff. If you're like me, you grew up 11 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: being taught that taking your vitamins was an important part 12 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: of a balanced healthy life. The alternative is to eat 13 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: exactly the right amount of foods to supply your body 14 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: with the recommended daily value of nutrients. And who wants 15 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: to do all that work when you can just swallow 16 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: a pill, or even better, chew on a block of 17 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: sugar shaped like your favorite cartoon character. But our supplemental 18 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: vitamins actually helpful? Does a vitamin a day truly keep 19 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 1: you healthy to play well? First, let's get a simple 20 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: understanding of how vitamins work. They're really just small molecules 21 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: that our bodies need to carry out certain reactions. Unfortunately, 22 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: our bodies don't make vitamins themselves, so we need to 23 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,199 Speaker 1: eat food that contains these important molecules. There's two types 24 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: of vitamins. Water soluble vitamins need to be replenished every day, 25 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: and fat soluble vitamins need to dissolve before they enter 26 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,199 Speaker 1: our bodies. Our bile acids do this for us, breaking 27 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: the vitamins down and storing them in our livers or 28 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: body fat. The downside is that these vitamins can build 29 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: up in our systems, surpassing their necessary value. Sixty years ago, 30 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: the first multi vitamin became available on the American market. Basically, 31 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: this is a pill that contains at least ten vitamins 32 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: and ten minerals to supplement our diet. Now, millions of 33 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: adults and children devour these pills every day, spending twelve 34 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: billion dollars a year on them. If you don't have 35 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: the time to gather fresh fruit, vegetables, and grains every day, 36 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: then you're probably taking a multi vitamin. But several recent 37 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: studies have shown that there are some negative effects to 38 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: be aware of when taking multi vitamins. For instance, less 39 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: than half the multi vitamins sold in the US and 40 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: Canada actually contain what their labels say. Sometimes they'll have 41 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: too much of a supplement, like a children's vitamin that 42 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: had two hundred and sixteen percent the amount of vitamin 43 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: A listed. You think kids just p out all that 44 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: extra vitamin A. No, it weakens their bones and potentially 45 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: causes abnormalities and their livers. Other multi vitamins can contain 46 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: substances that don't even belong in them, like lead, for instance, 47 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: and unless you really need to foil Superman's X ray vision, 48 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: you probably shouldn't ingest that much lead. That, my friends, 49 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 1: are just the multi vitamins that are mislabeled. Some experts 50 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: believe that we don't always gain benefits from vitamins unless 51 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: they are absorbed into our body along with the other 52 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: compounds found in their natural form. So maybe vitamin C 53 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: doesn't work unless you digest it with an orange. Also, 54 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: supplement research is really difficult to gauge because each of 55 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 1: us eats an incredibly broad variety of foods that could 56 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: help or hinder the absorption of vitamins. Not to mention 57 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: that the Food and Drug Administration doesn't require these supplements 58 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: to go through the same scrutiny for safety and efficacy 59 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: that it does for say, medicine or drugs. The more 60 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: we look into it, it seems that multi vitamins either 61 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: have no substantial health benefits or their benefits are too 62 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: small to make much of a difference. Let's look at 63 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: a few examples of how this plays out, Starting with 64 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: folic acid. This is one of those supplements originally thought 65 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: to protect the heart and prevent cancer. Based on a 66 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: two thousand eight sty the out of Harvard, it turns 67 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: out that too much folic acid may instead promote prostate 68 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: and colorectal cancer, and because food companies add it to 69 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: grain products, most of us are already getting our daily 70 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: values worth What about vitamin C, the one we're supposed 71 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: to take when we get sick. Well, if you eat 72 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: foods that are rich in vitamin C, it can lower 73 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: your risk of heart disease and cancer, But if you 74 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: simply take it in pillform, it seems to have no benefits. Also, 75 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: vitamin C can enhance your iron absorption, so be careful 76 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: if you have hemochromatosis or you'll end up with too 77 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: much iron in your system. Another vitamin that supposedly prevented 78 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: heart disease and cancer is vitamin E. But again that's 79 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: only in its natural form in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils, 80 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: where it can also strengthen the immune system. As a supplement, 81 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: there's no evidence vitamin E provides any of its natural benefits. 82 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,239 Speaker 1: In fact, some research shows that doses over four hundred 83 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: international units a day can actually increase your mortality. Let 84 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: me spell that out for you. That means you'll die 85 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: faster if you have too much vitamin E. Vitamin A 86 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: is very similar in that it doesn't actually prevent lung 87 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: cancer as it's advertised. In fact, large doses actually increase 88 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Most of us 89 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: are already getting plenty of vitamin A anyway, in eggs, 90 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: whole milk, dark leafy veggies, and orange or yellow fruits. 91 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: And remember those kids I mentioned who got too much 92 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: vitamin A from their multi vitamin Both their bones and 93 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: livers were weakened. But if you're pregnant adult, too much 94 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: vitamin A can lead to birth defects. B vitamins were 95 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: originally thought to help people with Alzheimer's disease or even 96 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: raise your energy levels, but the trial results have been disappointing, 97 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: with no evidence that it does either. But B twelve 98 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: is one of the vitamins that can help supplement an 99 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: unbalanced diet. It's good good for strict vegetarians who aren't 100 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: getting everything they need from animal derived food, but otherwise 101 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: you don't really need it unless you're pregnant or facing 102 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: macular degeneration from old age, two things I'm not currently 103 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: worried about. Finally, let's look at vitamin D, you know, 104 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,679 Speaker 1: the one we get from the sun. There's still hope 105 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 1: that it can help with osteoporosis, but the data is 106 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: inconclusive since everyone gets different amounts of sun exposure. If 107 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: you're already getting a decent amount of midday sun exposure 108 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: and regularly consume foods like fatty fish, eggs, and fortified 109 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: dairy products, you probably don't need a d supplement. Perhaps 110 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: in the future will be able to just pop a 111 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: pill personally tailored to our nutrition, but as it stands today, 112 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 1: your best bet is to still eat a balanced diet 113 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: from good old fashioned hold foods. However, this doesn't mean 114 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: you should run home and pour all your multi vitamins 115 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: down the toilet. Just do a little research on what 116 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: your body needs and whether the pill you're taking is 117 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: actually necessary. Check out the brainstuff channel on YouTube, and 118 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: for more on this and thousands of other topics, visit 119 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com.