You may have seen the recent study that claims taking vitamins is bad for your health. Or puts you at a higher risk for death. Or will cause you to grow a second head. Depends on what media outlet you caught the story on.

Here are a few facts on the study:

It spanned 19 years and the subjects self-reported 3 times in that period. Yep, 3 times in 19 years.

There were 38,772 subjects, all women, age 55 and up.

According to researchers, there was a 2.4% increase in death risk with multivitamin use, and a 4-6% (varies) increase in death risk with B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium and zinc. Here’s the abstract: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/171/18/1625

2.4%? Was that even worth reporting?

Media coverage on the study ignores a very basic tenet of scientific research:

Correlation does not imply causation. Even in the case of this relatively incredibly tiny (2.4%!) number, correlation STILL does not imply causation.

There is absolutely no way of attributing age of death of 38,000+ random women to vitamin usage (whose minimum age at the end of the study was 74). Some basics not taken into account were genetics, stress, and the fact that all the information from the subjects was self-reported. That means if a subject said she took a multivitamin every day, or did not, then that was accepted as fact.

What I am about to say is not scientific, but rather my experience from working with clients for 15 years: Few people report their daily health habits correctly the first time they are asked. It’s our nature to want to make a good first impression, and we tend to report our “best” habits, or maybe our hoped-for-habits, as our daily experiences. We’re human. It’s ok. However, it is not ok to accept that sort of subjective information from people, toss it into an Excel spreadsheet, and call it “science”.

Two more fun facts:

There have been NO deaths from vitamin use in 27 years.
http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v07n05.shtml

It is approximated that 100,000 people die yearly from side effects of prescription drugs. Not misuse of prescription drugs, or mistakes in taking prescription drugs, but from the SIDE EFFECTS of the drugs prescribed to them by their doctors.

I am not interested in posting a diatribe against prescription drugs. Nor do I hold vitamins holy. There are situations in which Western medicine (including drugs) is very appropriate; situations in which acupuncture and natural methods (including vitamins) are very well-suited; and situations in which a combination of natural and Western styles (integrative medicine) is the best choice.

My point with this post is really about the media, and it’s habit of spoon-feeding us reductionist, over-simplified crap that is meaningless, to promote an agenda.

And a special note to Time Magazine, who misrepresented the data and “risk factors” by 250-300%: Seriously?

This is an interesting article, according to one study 76% of health care workers use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM, although I much prefer the term “natural medicine” myself) for themselves. CAM includes acupuncture, chiropractic, supplements, dietary changes, yoga, etc.

healthcare-workers-use-CAM

I can personally attest to treating far more Western medicine healthcare workers in the last few years, then I did in ’99 when I first started. This is exciting, if nurses and docs and pt’s are using acupuncture and natural methods, then they’re probably suggesting their clients do the same…

(And please notice my correct usage of “they’re” and “their”. I am awesome.)

better-blocks-one-of-many-urban-acupuncture-needles

Check out this article on reinvigorating cities with small-scale, pro-community and budget friendly changes.

I LOVE the way they connect a simple, inexpensive, effective, and caring (to the community) mode of revitalization to acupuncture. It is a spot on metaphor.