Thanks for the info folks. Yes, my pre-med was a very long time ago, but I do recall a thing or two about bio-chem. And of course, psychological health impacts physical health, which is why people who are ignorant of vitamin deficiency are so healthy. Don't know, don't care.

As for research, I'm not close enough to the industry to know what to believe. A major university may run an observational study of a sample of people, but that is hardly conclusive to the degree which many of us demand. The companies that profit off of supplementals make sure that all this information is available to the public, but I don't believe them due to their motives.

What I would really like to know is how much of these vitamins/supplementals do I already get from the food I eat? For instance, if I drink a protein shake with strawberries added, I'm pretty sure that I get enough protein and vitamin C for the day. So taking an extra vitamin C pill would be a waste. What about all the other food I eat?


[This message has been edited by stimpy (edited Nov 26, 2003).]