That Vitamin Movie

There's a documentary about vitamins and health, made by an Irish film maker, that's available for viewing free of charge until the 14th of January. That Vitamin Movie talks to a number of doctors (of various kinds) and others involved in the subject, and in 90 minutes covers a fair amount of ground.


The main message is that vitamins, sometimes in massive doses, can be very good for you both as a preventative and as a cure. Some of what is presented is surprising, the effects that some of these molecules can have.


It is frustrating that our world doesn't support the detailed testing that many would like to see before following this route, but it should also be recognised that there are years, decades, of results from clinical practice demonstrating both safety and efficacity.


One thing I see people saying in comments about the film is that ascorbic acid is not the same as vitamin C and it is actually toxic. I can't believe this is true given what I have read in the past, but the people saying this still make me curious to understand why they should have this viewpoint.


Makes for an interesting film in any case.

…it certainly does Ian my thyroid community. have been promoting having Vit B12 blood tests, along with folate and ferritin, and the better Thyroid tests that don’t just rely on TSH testing only for the thyroid. Whatever the problem most seem to affect the endocrine system somewhere! My doc prescribes me a once only, monthly lquid slow release Vit D3 dose.

I read it all, a fascinating story. Just shows you how good we are at forgetting things.

Sorry Ian, I don’t get full links, probably through lack of space on this iPad and in discussion forums! But yes it is the correct link.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, the link didn't work, seems to be incomplete. I think this is what you meant.

:-). …Thanks Ivan.

In conjunction with this Vit C discussion, check out the following link also.

it was posted on Thyroid UK…

www.idlewords.com/2010/03/scott



A long but also v interesting and informative read!



PS, re the fresh meat,something my pharmacist has also recommended I also eat…but NOT pork,so think about what they are fed and where they forage - it’s all absorbed by the pigs system,then we eat it!

Hi Shirley, Good your interested in biology so do I very much!

Often it is mentioned that there are correlations between certain food groups and the suppression of thyroid excretion, its hormones.

They are called 'inhibitors' or goitrogens.

Soy, some nuts, cabbage (cruciferoux), millet

http://www.livestrong.com/article/317239-what-foods-inhibit-thyroid...

And there are some recommendations you can find here:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread48803.html

I would watch out to cut down on a specific foods (and increase others).

This are some tests I would suggest you to look into.

yes I’m looking at a lot from several angles Ivan, it’s proving extremely interesting, I always enjoyed human biology at school!

both probably Shirely.

For Thyroid health however you should look into doing a few other things too.

Hi John, a superfood is generally described as a food that contains all essential enzymes making it a 'complete food' ie. meaning complete protein.

http://www.davidwolfe.com/my-new-superfoods-book/

The goji berries indeed can be put in the superfood category. I have always bags of superfoods. The main issue with the health movement is a) you have to know where to shop in order to save your money b) don't go for hypes and make your research

I favour fresh foods, local foods, For instance Goji Berries are imported from China/Mongolia/Taiwan but they can grow here in Europe too.

Goji is just another berrie, it has a very potent nutritional profile, but there are plenty of similar berries with maybe less nutritional load, that can however, cover our nutritional needs locally.

Think at all european berries: blueberries, raspberry, gooseberrie, blackcurrents, rosehips, acerola.

You can find a list here http://allnutriments.blogspot.fr/2010/01/vitamin-c-fruits-richest-sources.html

It all again depends on availability and practicability.

I second that Ian.

The advantage of getting still vitamins from whole foods that have a) been chosen well b) stored well is that they come with the whole package of 'co-factors'. Enzymes etc.etc. this co-factors are often critical in the same absorption of the main vitamin they carry.

As far as blenders the problem with Vitamin C is more related to oxidisation when in contact with metal and high speed and air (from the vortex).

Normally a blender does not raise the temperature much, but what is generally suggested is to blend using the 1) Pulse button to initially break down the fibre , do this for 10-20 second until you have a mash 2) when you enter the next phase of permanent blending be careful that there is not too much air entering in the vortex, preferably blend not too fast 3) not blend for too long but just the strict necessary.

This all varies from the machine we use. I personally own a very strong blender called Blendtec). I can break down the finest fibres in 20-30 seconds including seeds like flax etc.

On a tighter budget however even the Nutribullet does wonders ! Also Vitamix is very famous.

The main difference between having a blender vs juicer is that juices have the advantage to enter in our bloodstream immediately, especially when taken at empty stomach. Our blood vessels will absorb minerals, vitamins so fast that it can be generally seen as a 'interior injection'.

Smoothies on the other hand have other advantages: one they carry good fibres which generally cleanse and help us in detoxification as they move trough the intestine, colon.

They also provide more steady energy rather than 'spikes' as the fibre tends to slow down a bit the absorption of sugars.

I personally do both, lately more opting for juices but the good thing is to have possibly the best of both worlds.

Cheers - Ivan

I don't really know what's best in your case. It's frustrating that the people who should be best placed to answer such questions, namely our GPs, typically aren't trained in these treatments.

However, if you've been looking at B12 for specific benefits then I'd be inclined to continue with that. I see vitamin C as more of a general thing, with benefits all over the place, but it can't replace the specific actions of B12 if you have a need for more of that.

Ian, you e got my Thyroid group talking about it also. They also have for ages advocated the benefits of Vit B 12 and suggested it is blood tested. Now I don’t know whether to concentrate on B12 or Vit C intake!

Ivan, what is a superfood? I noticed from your chart and my own looking around that the goji berry doesn't get a mention as it was a trend that helped a particular supply chain get rich but did little else.

Ian, please be careful not to get too into the info, whilst a blender may raise the temp by as much as a degree it soon hits a system running at 37 deg so a moot point from where I stand.

Having owned and now given away to a charity shop many juicers etc the high speed nutribullet and others doesn't waste the fibre like a juicer does but breaks it down into a form where more nutrients can be assimilated and I have to say it seems to work

Yep, good points Ivan. Naturally obtained vit C is the best because of all the bioflavinoids and so on that come along with it, but you're right that these molecules are very sensitive to heat. Apparently it even makes a difference that a blender tends to raise the temperature locally more than a juicer.

I beg to add in a few points IAN.

Importance of having raw foods is mainly because vitamin C is very prone to damage by heat, oxygen, and storage over time. In fact, the relative instability of vitamin C in foods presents a compelling argument in favor of fresh food dietary approaches.

Some people claim we can't get high doses of vitamin C in our diet by food alone? Well there is "food and food"

  • The vitamin C content of food will start to decline as soon as it is picked,
  • even though this decline can be slowed down and minimized by cooling and retention of the food in its whole form.
  • But a fresh, vitamin C-rich vegetable like broccoli—if allowed to sit at room temperature for 6 days—can lose almost 80% of its vitamin C.
  • Same goes for oranges, limes and almost any food.
  • Long-term storage of vegetables can cost a significant amount of vitamin C. Kept frozen for a year, kale can lose half its vitamin C or more.
  • Canning is even more detrimental, with 85% of the original vitamin C lost over the same year.

While cooking will lower the amount of vitamin C in most foods, but the amount of vitamin C lost will vary widely by cooking method. For example, basket-steaming broccoli for 15 minutes will reduce the vitamin C content by nearly one quarter.

The DRI/DailyValue of some fresh, whole vegetables currently estimated between 96 milligrams per day for man, and for women in the U.S. twenty years and older, it is 82 milligrams per day.

As you can see they reach very high percentages with relative few calories.

Here are again some numbers and portions.

Supplements do play a beneficial but NOT and NEVER exclusive role.

It again boils down to the quality of the manufacturer making the supplements.

For instance 'superfoods' which have become a relative trendy hype do indeed provide higher doses of Vitamin C (assuming they are very qualitative). We can choose to supplement for a different vary of reasons. Maybe time/easiness and for prevention or cure.

The high doses you describe can be reached with a mix of superfoods, well-chosen and well-stored foods and some supplementation.

We must also mention: that certain foods and other factors can inhibit the same absorption: may it be coffee, alcohol, stress factors, gluten, pollution, soy-derived foods, processed transfats, etc.etc.

Key again is to think holistically rather than treating the symptom in a separated way only.

We can throw as many vitamin c in our body, if we don't complete "the protocol" with a proper lifestyle design and change, no amount will and can be completely helpful in the recovery.

I agree that juicing is an excellent way to get better nutrition from fruit and veg, but in terms of the amount of vitamin C, they just cannot come close to what the body needs. When the RDA is expressed in tens of miligrams, then food giving us 20% or something aren't going to have any effect on the body other than preventing scurvy.

Here's a typical statement on the benefits and effects of vitamin C:

Vitamin C is one of the most important of all vitamins. It plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. Antioxidants act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body's metabolism. Free radicals can cause cell damage that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vitamin C has also been found by scientists to be an effective antiviral agent.

It's all true, but there's no way an intake of 70mg of vitamin C is going to have any decent anti-oxidant or anti viral effect. For that you don't need 100mg, you need 10,000mg. So really the relative amounts found in different foods, as far as vitamin C goes, mean nothing. Eating these things, particularly raw if possible, will give you all kinds of essential micro-nutrients. That's not in question. But it can't give you the vitamin C that you need, that must come from supplements.

Don't leave out other veg like green and red peppers and chillies, also very high in Vit C.

For Christmas I got OH a Nutribullet and we have both been taking the fresh nutriblast drinks every day with a spinach and Kale some fruits like Kiwi or berries and a few nuts and linseed or variations on that theme with a banana etc.

I can honestly say I feel better and more alert.

VIT C in high doses is a popular anticancer taken in combination with zinc (immune system) and oxygen or o3 (ozone) therapy (literally injected in the body).

I juice my own greens (wheatgrass, sunflower sprouts) and have daily oranges and lemons.

VIT C cannot be produced by the body so its essential to take it in from external food.

What many people are unaware of is that greens have a high amount of vitamin C !

Especially DARK GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES.

Also cabbage interestingly. That's why in the mountains cabbage (or also its fermented version "SAUERKRAUT") is used as a staple food.

Other Dark Green Leafy Vegetables High in Vitamin C (%DV per cup, chopped): Turnip Greens (55%), Swiss Chard (18%), and Spinach (14%)

The key is to make a juice and have them raw as possible. A little drop of lemon (even 1 drop) can help additional in assimilating other important minerals.

Nutrition is a fascinating topic.
Thanks for sharing the link to the movie.