ORLANDO, Fla. – Vitamins are a part of the daily lives of millions of people. The multi-billion dollar industry is more popular than ever, but do vitamins work?
We went to talk to FOX35 viewers and Dr. Chirag Panchal of Orlando Health. Chris LeBlanc is the manager of Evok Advertising in Lake Mary.
He takes his vitamins every day and firmly believes in them. “Neuroplasticity is a big thing and I have a creative brain, so I have to keep it strong,” LeBlanc said.
Chirag Panchal of Orlando Health Physicians Associates says his patients continually ask about supplements. He told people that there were 13 essential vitamins. We've broken them down for you:
Vitamin A for your vision, growth and development.
Vitamin C for your immune system.
Vitamin D helps absorb calcium for strong bones.
Vitamin E supports muscles and red blood cells.
Vitamin K is necessary for proper blood clotting.
And it contains 8 B vitamins, including folic acid, which is important for pregnant women to prevent birth defects. Dr. Panchal prefers his patients to rely on food, but recognizes that this is always a reality, especially for picky eaters.
We also ask for blood tests to see if you have any vitamin deficiencies. Dr. Panchal says blood tests capture a snapshot in time and don't tell you where you are from month to month or year to year.
“We have to be careful in interpreting him,” Panchal said.
We also asked doctors about recent Columbia University research showing that vitamins improve memory. This study included 3,500 people aged 60 and older who took a daily multivitamin versus those who took a placebo.
The researchers found that those who took multivitamins improved their cognitive health. Researchers say the increase is equivalent to about 3 years of age-related memory loss. Dr. Panchal was impressed.
"I thought it was very funny. I always tell people that science is always evolving, this is science. It's something you can't expect to survive," Panchal said.