Five Vitamins and Supplements That Are Actually Worth Taking

...the researchers found that adults who took vitamin D supplements daily lived longer than those who didn't.

...they're useful in very specific circumstances, but it's not necessary to continually take them on a daily basis.

...the mineral significantly reduced the duration of the cold, and also made symptoms less severe.

...Also known as vitamin B3, niacin is talked up as a cure for all sorts of conditions (including high cholesterol, Alzheimer's, diabetes and headaches) but in most of these cases, a prescription-strength dose of niacin has been needed to show a clear result.

At over-the-counter strength, niacin supplements have only been proven to be effective in helping one group of people: those who have heart disease.

In studying solid state chemistry, it became clear to me that Linus Pauling had the characteristic of suppressing or stifling scientific opinion that conflicted with his claims, not through logical argumentation, but by relying on his influential connections.

One area of hindering scientific progress was through promoting his "valence bond theory" while undercutting the work of Mulliken and others in the development of precise understanding in behavior of solids offered by the "molecular orbital" model, which showed the fatal deficiencies of Pauling's model.

It could be said that Pauling did not suffer from over-use of humility or self-deprecation. Thus I kind of understand how your impression of his role in the use of megadosage of vitamin C, which he vaunted in the 1960s and 1970s, came to give you (and others) the impression that he "discovered" vitamin C, a flawed perception. The advantages of antiscorbutic foods became recognized in the mid-1700s, not by Linus Pauling.

According to the Wiki summary on his accomplishments:

". . . his promotion of orthomolecular medicine, megavitamin therapy, dietary supplements, and vitamin C have been criticized, with a pediatrician Paul Offit stating that Pauling "was arguably the world's greatest quack" for his assertions about dietary supplements, and the medical establishment concluding that his claims that vitamin C could prevent colds or treat cancer were quackery. Recently, a 2009 review suggested that Pauling's views on high dose vitamin C as an effective anticancer agent might have some merit, but only when it is administered intravenously, so as to achieve high enough plasma saturation levels."

My comment was not to deny his exceptional brilliant intelligence, but his tendency to overstate it to the point of his use of it to the harm it could do others not accounted for in his generalizations. I think you might have missed that facet of my previous post.

I hope I haven't offended you. I have a bit of the effect that diminished Linus Pauling's acceptance in my own style, and that might put you off. It's a quality that I do not like, either.

Here are my five top vitamins

Vitamin C in the form of magnesium ascorbate powder
Lugols iodine
Niacin -- the kind you get a flush from
B50 complex
Vitamin D 5000 units

Niacin---Rugby brand about $21 / 500mg --- buy at Swansons
Vit C --Now Foods --- buy at Swansons
Vit D---Now Foods --- buy at Swansons
B 50 complex----Swansons house brand---- --- buy at Swansons
Lugols -- from ebay seller http://www.ebay.com/sch/the_full_orchestra/m.html

Niacin-—Rugby brand about $21 / 500mg -— buy at Swansons
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/rugby-niacin-500-mg-1000-tabs?SourceCode=INTL405&CAWELAID=502904680&mkwid=lIIvXO2o&pcrid=45563020687&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CKz3xoSL1rwCFURk7AodHy8AMw

Full strength niacin in 500mg tablet form. Tablet can be split in half if you want 250mg. I prefer tablets over capsules. Not flush free which is what you want.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFN0cv5cpZQ
Andrew Saul is today’s niacin and vitamin C guru
http://www.doctoryourself.com/niacinreviews.html

The authors should have made it clear. Good catch.

We don't know who's paying for this research. If it's ultimately drug companies, they have a vested interest in making niacin look bad. If everybody tried replacing their cholesterol lowering meds with cheap, regular old niacin, think of the huge hit the drug companies would take. Personally, I think regular flush inducing niacin should be tried before going on a statin, which can cause memory and sleep issues.

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