Multivitamins: beware

Ned had occasion to read on his local "public affairs" TV channel that some bunch of experts has concluded, from a study, that older women are more likely to die if they are taking multivitamins that if not. Now, Ned has no way to assess the validity of the purported study but common sense dictates that it is foolish to take such pills, composed as they are of both lipophobic and lipophilic compounds. Moreover taking those damned things lulls the ignorant into a false sense of security, such that they probably think it no longer matters what they eat just as long as they take their pills. Finally, it is easy to take too much of some nutrients in pill form. For all these reasons Ned has long cautioned about taking anything in pill form unless absolutely necessary and thoroughly researched. For example, it is advisable to take a Vitamin D supplement (1,000 IU of D3) daily in most latitude zones outside the tropics during October-April, when sun angle is low and cloud cover is high. Also, smokers, especially cigar smokers would do well to take a Vitamin C supplement (always with food), because it is great for your mouth and throat. And vegetarians must be careful about Vitamin B12 deficiencies.