Originally published May 11 2005
Dermatologists claim health and beauty supplements may be waste of money
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
While it is true that skin is an external representation of internal health, the sudden craze of health supplements taking up space next to moisturizing creams may just be one more waste of money, say dermatoligists -- the same people who insist that we all buy sunscreen to protect ourselves from "dangerous" sunshine. Cosmetic companies claim their antioxidant supplements may help slow aging, but Dr. David R. Bickers discounts the tests because they are performed on animals or skin cultures. Nutritionists and doctors agree: Foods are still the best way to get the vitamins and antioxidants the body needs.
THE beauty aisle has become crowded - and more confusing - as bottles of vitamin supplements have taken up shelf space alongside jars of moisturizer, eye cream and cleanser.
The new pills, made by companies like Olay and Avon and doctors like Howard Murad and Nicholas Perricone, claim to add moisture to skin, smooth away wrinkles and even make hair shinier and thicker.
Cosmetics companies suggest their new products are an inside-out strategy, a literal reflection of the adage that beauty comes from within.
Among the first signs of a vitamin A deficiency, for example, are dry skin, dry hair and broken fingernails.
But some dermatologists - at least those not peddling their own supplements - consider the pills a waste of money, even harmful if taken in large amounts.
Some studies have indicated, for example, the antioxidant vitamins C and E may protect against sun damage.
And Kristopher Trust, the product manager for Olay, says that his company's formulations are based on 130 studies looking at various cosmetic effects of vitamins and nutrients.
"The claims of the cosmetics companies are really just an exercise in hypothetical thinking," Dr. Bickers said.
The ingredients in beauty supplements are not that different from those in a standard multivitamin, except that they tend to have especially large amounts of vitamins A, C and E, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and copper.
The vitamins are believed to help prevent oxidative damage to skin cells, while the fatty acids are said to help support blood flow to the skin.
Beauty companies are marketing their vitamins to women in their 20's and 30's, a group that rarely takes multivitamins, said Annette Dickinson, the president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition in Washington.
Nutritionists and doctors alike say foods provide the best sources of antioxidants and vitamins.
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