Thinking About: Vitamins

I’ve been taking a multi-vitamin tablet practically every day for the last 20 years or more. It started out as a test and as part of a legitimate concern that I wasn’t eating as healthily as I should or could be. It wasn’t long before I started taking more pills. I introduced what I called a ‘guest’ vitamin – basically whatever was on ‘special offer’ at my local health food store. Not being one to turn down a bargain I inevitably started to accumulate bottles of pills to use later. I think they call this sort of thing function creep.

Being the person I am – you should know where this is leading – I started reading about vitamins and other supplements. What I discovered – once you get past the hype and the scare mongering – was that I could improve my health and (maybe, just maybe) increase my longevity by adding a cocktail of vitamins, minerals and other more exotic substances to my diet. This I proceeded to do as an experiment on myself. I have yet to regret my decision. It appears that I am ill less often and for shorter periods than previously. I also remain healthy despite my age, questionable diet (and not just because I’m a vegetarian) and my less than active lifestyle. Various medical tests over the years appear to confirm my feelings on the subject. My blood pressure has been remarked on as ‘text book’ and I have been asked what sport I play – to which (when I stopped laughing) I remarked that I don’t even watch sport! Recently my optician told me that she was very surprised that my distance vision had not deteriorated in the seven years since my last eye-test and this was ‘very unusual’. It appears that I am doing something right. Of course I can’t help but wonder what I’d be like if I ate healthily and exercised a bit too!

Needless to say I have been laughed at and criticised for taking the vitamins that I do. But then again I have been laughed at and criticised about many things over the years. I am however a rather stubborn person and the more you tell me not to do something that I want to do the more I will continue doing it. I certainly have no intention of stopping taking the ten or so pills I take each day. All of the data I have on their efficacy is subjective I know but I believe that they are doing me more good than harm. I have read enough on the dangers of mega-dosing and I am aware that some vitamins are more dangerous than others in the quantities I take. I may be, in some ways, odd or even a little mad, but I am rarely stupid. I do not overdose on fat soluble vitamins such as E which can cause real harm but I’m quite happy to piss out pure Vitamin C if my intake exceeds what my body can use on a daily basis. As with most things, only time will tell. I don’t expect to live much beyond the average life expectancy – despite the fact that I’ve never smoked and hardly drink – but I do hope that I will remain in fairly good health up to the moment of my death. At least that’s the plan. If I’m still writing this Blog in 50 years time you’ll know that I was right all along. Here’s to the next 50 years…..