Posted by Larry Hoover on February 23, 2007, at 8:30:11 [reposted on February 25, 2007, at 13:19:24 | original URL]
In reply to Re: can you really hurt yourself with high vitamin, posted by yxibow on February 23, 2007, at 0:54:28
> Yes -- read http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb6.asp#h7
>
> "It can cause neuropathic damage to the [body's peripherals] at doses even lower than 500 mg / day"
>
> Stay within the accepted margin.I'm a toxicologist. Well, I was one, once upon a time. Anyway. I read the literature quite closely. And I'm always struck by the distinct discrepancy between the way we treat therapeutic use of "vitamins" and therapeutic use of "drugs". I use quotation marks because those descriptors are quite arbitrary.
In the case of vitamins, prudent medical thought has it that all side effects must be rigorously excluded, no matter how rare or reversible they may be. Zero side effects is the only accepted outcome.
Compare that to e.g. acetylsalicylic acid, i.e. Aspirin/ASA. Every dose, even enteric coated, causes bleeding in the gut. Every platelet encountering this drug is deactivated permanently, as platelets have no DNA and cannot repair themselves. I could list ten other toxic effects, always present, but I shan't bother. Both B6 and ASA are available OTC.
The AMA rigged studies used to discredit Linus Pauling (one of only two? two-time recipients of the Nobel Prize) when he had the temerity to suggest that vitamin C was not toxic at gram doses. And yet, you will still see the misinformation produced at that time quoted as "proof" of the adverse reactions that no one has ever seen in humans, to this day.
That's why I included the book link to the actual science studied, and arguments used, to create the threshold value called the UL for vitamin B6. That source is the basis for the government's recommendations. The UL is a small fraction of the NOAEL (No Observeable Adverse Effects Level).
Ten years ago, vitamin D was considered to be toxic, but now they're using 100's of 1,000's of IU per dose in medical settings. Old ideas die hard, even when people aren't.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:736055
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20070201/msgs/736061.html