Jorgen Schlundt, executive director of the WHO Food Safety Department, made these unsubstantiated claims in the face of numerous scientific reports that show billions of people across the globe face vitamin and mineral deficiencies that cannot be remedied thru dietary measures.
"There simply is no way a person, especially a dark-skinned individual living in a northern climate, can obtain sufficient amounts of vitamin D from sunlight exposure or the best diet to prevent common vitamin D-related deficiency diseases such as osteoporosis, rickets, hyperthyroid, cancer, autoimmunity or high blood pressure," says health advocate Bill Sardi, president of Knowledge of Health, Inc., San Dimas, CA. "Nor can fertile females consume sufficient amounts of folic acid, even from fortified foods, to optimally reduce the risk for birth defects in their offspring."
Virtually all 6 billion humans on the planet are vitamin C deficient if compared to most animals that synthesize their own vitamin C. For comparison, a goat, which is about the same weight as a human, produces up to 13,000 milligrams a day. Humans produce no vitamin C internally and must totally rely upon foods for this essential nutrient. Americans consume only about 110 milligrams of vitamin C per day. Due to a genetic mutation that occurred long ago, humans do not synthesize vitamin C as animals do.
A few years ago the American Medical Association, in recognition of widespread nutrient shortages among Americans even when consuming fortified foods, recommended multivitamins for all adults. The WHO recommendation runs contrary to the best scientific studies conducted over the past 50 years.
Various flawed research studies, published in peer reviewed journals, mistakenly claim high-dose vitamin C, beta carotene and folic acid could induce gene mutations or cause cancer. Unfortunately, factitious reports like these are never withdrawn or corrected, are often cited by health authorities and will likely be used to establish upper limits in vitamin pills.
A review of eight years of data produced by the Poison Control Centers of America reveals no deaths from the use of multivitamins. Minor side effects such as temporary diarrhea from excessive vitamin C, loose stool from high-dose magnesium, finger-tingling from mega-dose vitamin B6, and flushing from niacin, are reversible and should not be characterized as toxic reactions, says Sardi.