On Thu, 20 Feb 2003 08:32:38 +1000, Phosphor <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

 >but in that case we would not do anything.

In my view, what's happening right now is this. The extremely careful ones,
including me, do not consume supplements in any amounts, at least in normal
situations, until it is completely understood how these supplements affect
the human organism. This could take years. I may be dead the day there's a
truly safe nourishing artificial combination of biochemical substances on
the market. Another part of the mankind act as experimental subjects i.e.
they use supplements in different amounts and circumstances and reveal
their effects, which increases our knowledge of the human body. These
peoples choises of these suppl
ements are governed by massmedia, doctors,
different studies etc. Then there's a third group, the manufacturers. All
this has been going on ever since the day first supplements were introduced
on the market. It's a giant chemical experiment.

 >the risk is very acceptable
 >considering the amount of studies done [from Linus Pauling onwards].

It's your choise. What disturbs me is that vitamin C is a billion dollar
business initiated by the dubious character Linus Pauling. The fact that he
injected himself with coupious amounts of vitamin C during the last 20
years of his life and reached the age of 93 doesn't impress me.

 >there are also some high natural sources of vitamin c..acerola and
 >malphigia, surinam cherries, amla in india. you could get 2-3 grams of
 >ascorbate from these.

Yes, but the vitamin C in for example acerola fruit (the other sources are
unknown to m
e) is part of a system (the fruit) and comes with other
substances that perhaps are necessary for the proper management of this
high dosage in the human body.

 >it depends whether you want to follow pure paleo as an ideology, or whether
 >you want to achieve the best health status you can get.

Paleo for me is imitating hunter-gatherers. Todays fruits, vegetables and
animals maybe aren't as nutrient dense as they were in the past but I
believe they are better than supplements. I also believe that ecologic
growning will expand and make things better.

 >the day i can eat liver without having to swallow a litre of vodka to kill
 >the taste i will cut back on supplements.

What kind of supplements are you using? How often do you use them and in
what dosages? Why do you use them?

/Fredrik