III. Independent Work: What You Should Know about Vitamins

Exercise 1. Read the texts.

• What should you know about vitamins?

Their sales are increasing, but do we really need them?

We spend millions of dollars a year on vitamin pills, powders and potions. The vitamin is now second only to aspirin as today's universal panacea. But how good are vitamins? A panel of GPs answer some of your most popular questions on the subject.

• How necessary are vitamins?

Vital. Without them, the body cannot function properly. It develops deficiency diseases such as pernicious anemia, rickets and scurvy.

Most of us would get all the vitamins we need from a balanced diet. But there are times when vitamin supplements are necessary. Pregnant women, young babies and elderly people. who are possibly not eating properly, often need a vitamin top-up. Crash dieters may require a daily dose of vitamins.

• Will swallowing megadoses of vitamins delay ageing?

Sadly, there is no proof that vitamins can put the hands of the clock back. It is also unwise to overdose on any vitamin. В and C are easily passed into the urine if too many are taken but A, D and E are stored in the body and can be harmful if taken in excess.

• Is there a sex vitamin?

Vitamin E has been called the "sex vitamin", but there is no evidence that it ennances desire or improves performance.

• Do vitamin skin creams work?

Various proponents swear they do. But scientists are sceptical that a vitamin rubbed into the face can penetrate the skin and revitalise the underlying tissue cells.

• What do vitamins do?

They act like spark plugs to the body's engine. They play a vital role in regulating our body chemistry (metabolism).

• Which vitamins are healthy for the hair?

The B-complex vitamins are especially important for hair health. A deficiency may cause a dry, falling hair, poor hair growth and premature graying.

• Can large doses of vitamin C prevent colds?

In 1971, Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Linus Pauling argued that very large doses of vitamin C would prevent colds and possibly reduce the symptoms. But most medical scientists say there is no real evidence to support this theory.

• Can vitamins help prevent spina bifida in babies?

Yes, it is believed so. That's why pregnant women are now given multivitamins as part of their regular diet.

• Do vitamins help in the prevention of cataracts?

Research carried out in the U.S. and Canada suggests regular doses of vitamin E may prevent certain types of cataracts in diabetics. High blood sugar levels draw excess fluid into the lens of the eye and the theory is that vitamin E helps to reduce the damage. The vitamin is second to aspirin as today's universal panacea.

• Do vitamins help in the battle against cancer?

There has been a great deal of scientific interest recently in the possibility that vitamins A and E may protect against cancer.

Lack of vitamin E may be associated with breast cancer. A research team at Edinburgh University is being funded to investigate a possible link between vitamin A and prostate cancer.

Early signs from a U.S. study are that deficiencies in vitamin A and carotene increase the chances of lung cancer.