Doctors Say, Raise the RDAs Now

Orthomelecular.org ^

[djf]

(OMNS October 30, 2007) The US Recommended Daily Allowance/Daily Reference Intakes are too low and most should be raised immediately, says an independent panel of physicians, academics and researchers. In a statement this week, the Independent Vitamin Safety Review Panel said: “Government-sponsored nutrient recommendations, such as the US RDA/DRIs, are not keeping pace with recent progress in nutrition research. While current official recommendations for vitamin A, iron, calcium, and some other nutrients are generally adequate, the public has been asked to consume far too little of many other key nutrients. Inadequate intake, and inadequate standards to judge intake, have resulted in widespread nutrient inadequacy, chronic disease, and an undernourished but overweight population.” Citing a large number of physician reports and clinical studies, the IVSRP called for substantial increases in daily intake of the B-vitamins, vitamins C, D and E, and the minerals selenium, zinc, magnesium and chromium. “Raising the RDA/DRI will save lives and improve health,” the Panel said. “Clinical and sub-clinical nutrient deficiencies are among the main causes of our society’s greatest healthcare problems. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental illness, and other diseases are caused or aggravated by poor nutrient intake. The good news is that scientific evidence shows that adequately high consumption of nutrients helps prevent these diseases.”

Specifically, the IVSRP called for a new standard, an Optimum Health Requirement, recommending daily adult consumption of nutrients in the following higher quantities:

Vitamins

B-1 Thiamine: 25 mg B-2 Riboflavin: 25 mg B-3 Niacinamide: 300 mg B-6 Pyridoxine: 25 mg Folic acid: 2,000 mcg B-12 Cobalamin: 500 mcg C: 2,000 mg D3: 1,500 IU E as natural mixed tocopherols: 200 IU

Minerals

Zinc: 25 mg Magnesium: 500 mg Selenium: 200 mcg Chromium: 200 mcg

The Panel concluded by stating: "In the past, over-conservative government-sponsored standards have encouraged dietary complacency. People have been led to believe that they can get all the nutrients they need from a 'balanced diet' of processed foods. That is not true. For adequate vitamin and mineral intake, a diet of unprocessed, whole foods, along with the intelligent use of nutritional supplements, is more than just a good idea: it is essential."

Independent Vitamin Safety Review Panelists are:

Abram Hoffer, MD Michael Janson, MD Thomas Levy, MD, JD Erik Paterson, MD Woody R. McGinnis, MD Allan N. Spreen, MD Bo H. Jonsson, MD, PhD Chris M. Reading, MD Bradford Weeks, MD Karin Munsterhjelm-Ahumada, MD Jerry Green, MD Stephen Faulkner, MD Klaus Wenzel, MD Richard Huemer, MD Peter H. Lauda, M.D. Jonathan Prousky, ND Michael Friedman, ND William B. Grant, PhD Harold Foster, PhD H. H. Nehrlich, PhD Steve Hickey, PhD Gert E. Schuitemaker, PhD Andrew W. Saul, PhD, Chair

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine

Linus Pauling defined orthomolecular medicine as "the treatment of disease by the provision of the optimum molecular environment, especially the optimum concentrations of substances normally present in the human body." Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org

The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.

Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., Editor and contact person. Email: omns@orthomolecular.org

[djf]

It is becoming more and more widely accepted that the "eat a balanced diet" notion is simply insufficient. You could not possibly eat enough of a variety of foods to get what you need.

[Sgt_Schultze]

But, the current issue of Reader's Digest has a story here that says most vitamins should be avoided, in fact, some are downright dangerous.

[goodnesswins]

HA....I was just telling a friend of mine who had surgery last week that she needs to take MORE Vit D, C, E, etc.....I’ll have to send this to her. Thanks for posting.

[CarrotAndStick]

What’s the new RDA for vitamin A?

[heartwood]

I take some supplements myself, but if you google this “Independent Panel” they don’t show up anywhere but in association with this orthomolecular.org and megaVitamin C sites, and on something about “Magick.”

There was an NIH panel a year ago with a different name, and they said some people are taking too much. That was their most unqualified statement.

[djf]

Not sure. Of all of the vitamins though, I’d be most careful about A.

[CarrotAndStick]

Exactly. It has dangerous consequences when overdosed on, compounded by the fact that it is one of the more common vitamins, and this report mentions nothing about it.

[aimhigh]

I’d be most careful about A

Overdoses are rare, expecially if you take the real thing rather than synthetic. The RDAs were developed to make processed foods look good. The Army once put a group on the RDA for B1, and every person in the group displayed symptoms of B1 deficiency.

[SunkenCiv]

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