deepstash
Beta
Brianna R.
@brianna_rr795
Not a miracle cure
The idea that antioxidant supplementation is a miracle cure is entirely redundant.
For instance, excess Vitamin C can become, in itself, a free radical by accepting an electron and in turn, damage cell membranes, proteins, and DNA.
86 SAVES
178 READS
IDEA EXTRACTED FROM:
TOPICS IN THIS IDEA
RELATED ARTICLES & IDEAS
Brianna R.
@brianna_rr795
The problem with taking too many vitamins
Individual Supplement Studies
Looking at individual studies won't determine if vitamin supplementation is good for you. They're scientifically dense and the conflicts of interest can be very hard to spot.
"Systematic revi...
Research Reviews’ Results
- If you are healthy, and have a modern balanced diet, taking multi-vitamins and high-dose antioxidants may shorten your life.
- There’s no evidence to support antioxidant supplements for primary or secondary prevention of diseases.
- Beta-carotene and vitamin E seem to increase mortality, and so may higher doses of vitamin A.
- Antioxidant supplements need to be considered as medicinal products and should undergo sufficient evaluation before marketing.
- The functions of minerals and vitamins are understood largely by their deficiency diseases so there’s no certainty what they all do or how they interact.
- Antioxidants soak up toxic, chemically-reactive by-products of metabolism called free radicals. These free radicals, left unchecked, can cause damage to DNA and may be linked to cancer.
- Your body's immune system fights infections by using free radicals to kill bugs. Several of the minerals and vitamins in excess can cause damage.
Supplement Usage Recommendations
- Folic acid for the women thinking of having a baby and pregnant women up to week 12 of the pregnancy.
- Vitamin D for all pregnant and breastfeeding women, those aged six months to five years or over 65 and for people who are not exposed to much sun.
- Vitamins A, C and D supplementation are recommended for all children aged six months to four years, especially those not eating a varied diet.
- If they are prescribed to you for a medical condition.
Noelle H.
@noe_vhh41
Can 'boosting' your immune system protect you?
False Remedies
Much like a hundred years ago when Spanish Flu killed millions, questionable medicinal concoctions and folk remedies have surfaced across the world, claiming to boost the immune system.
S...
Immunity-Boosting Is A Myth
Pills, superfoods, and other wellness habits do not boost our immunity as the 'symptoms' which we get when infected are in fact measures taken by our immune system to respond to the foreign pathogen.
Many allergies that people have are a misguided response from the immune system that treat harmless foreign bodies as harmful pathogens.
The Symptomatic Treatment
While over-the-counter medicines provide us with a so-called ‘relief’ by suppressing our fever, runny nose and other ‘symptoms’, these are in fact necessary for the body to get well. The symptoms we want to be stopped are not our enemy:
- The mucus is helping flush out the pathogen.
- The fever(heat) makes the body impalpable for it to survive and replicate.
- The body pain is actually the inflammatory chemicals in your veins, guiding the immune cells like an air traffic controller.
- The brain is provided with a signal to slow down and let the body recover.
Elaina Y.
@elaina_y61
Fraud Advertisements
To cash in on the global craze for boosting immunity, many people are selling fraudulent products promising to cure, treat or prevent viral infection.
There is no evidence that the adve...
Shorter Cold
Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling had some studies published which were claiming that large doses of Vitamin C can cure illnesses like cancer and heart disease, along with the flu, but so far the claims have been largely inaccurate, though a few studies reported a shorter duration of the illness in some people.
Vitamin C is Good For You
Vitamin C activates key enzymes in our bodies and acts as an antioxidant. It protects the organs (like lungs) from pathogens. This Vitamin is crucial for the body to launch an effective immune response. All the more reason to consume citrus fruits, and vegetables like the Indian Gooseberry.
Supplements don’t work as effectively and extremely large doses have side effects like nausea, diarrhea and stomach ache.
deepstash
helps you become inspired, wiser and productive, through bite-sized ideas from the best articles, books and videos out there.
Over 2M Installs
4.75 App Score
Deepstash is better on the app. Discover new ideas and get inspired daily.