Beginning with Linus Pauling’s publications on the consumption of vitamin C as a means to increase health, Americans have used this along with several other vitamins and supplements daily. According to a Gallup Poll, “half of Americans report regularly taking vitamins or other mineral supplements … Vitamin sales total nearly $12 billion annually” (page 1). People believe that taking several vitamins or supplements a day could help their health. Although several research reports have been published showing solid evidence that takes apart this claim, Americans continue to buy into one of the largest industries in our nation. As we can see in the graph below, vitamin use increases proportionately to the highest degree of education and household income. One would think that the higher the level of education, the smarter the person is, and the more they would read and trust the many reports against daily vitamin use. These Americans cannot blame their ignorance on lack of data because several accredited sources such as New York Times, Gallup News, and Harvard Medical School have published articles against daily vitamin intake.
Paul Offit addressed this issue in our country as the result of the spread of a major myth by a major scientist, Linus Pauling. He was one of the most known scientists of the twentieth century for his findings that merged the fields of quantum physics and chemistry by his discoveries on chemical bonds. The author states that even Albert Einstein believed his work was too complicated for him. Linus Pauling also created a new field of science, molecular biology because of his discovery of different electrical charges in the hemoglobin of people with sickle-cell anemia. Two years after this revolutionary find, he published a paper on a new kind protein configuration. The alpha helix was a secondary structure where the protein folded on itself. Scientists later used his discovery to explain the structure of DNA. At 30 years old, Pauling was elected onto the National Academy of Sciences, received a Langmuir Prize, became a full-time professor at Caltech, and won a Nobel Prize in chemistry. It is safe to say, he was highly respected by everyone even at a young age. Later on in his life he won the Nobel Peace Prize because of his efforts against World War II, strongly using his platform to create a wave of opposition against war and the use of nuclear weapons. In 1948 and 1974 he won the Medal for Merit presented by the president and the National Medal of Science, respectively.
In this article, Paul Offit concentrates his argument on the downfall of Linus Pauling which came in 1966 and led to the vitamin crisis we deal with now more than fifty years later. In the last paragraph of page 3 of his article, Offit explains how it all began. A young biochemist named Irwin Stone with a false PhD and only two years of college chemistry suggested that Pauling should take 3,000 mg of vitamin C to extend his life by more than 25 years. Eventually, he was taking up to 18,000 mg per day because he believed it made him feel healthier and took away his colds. Later on, he published a book trying to prove that a daily dose of 3,000 mg of vitamin C could completely prevent the common cold in everyone. In 1976, Pauling followed up on his previous best-seller by saying that vitamin C could stop a predicted swine flu epidemic. After this, sales of vitamin C multiplied and over fifty million Americans were following his advice. This shows that people automatically trust people in power and authority figures, like Linus Pauling who lied to us all. The video below simplifies the conversation of the vitamin crisis our nation is going through.
Luckily, Science has proven that all this is false and the people should definitely not consume vitamins or supplements as Pauling recommends because it will have a negative effect on their health instead of the positive effect they seek. Offit lists several sources and research reports where accredited scientists prove that the overall health of people who take vitamins or supplements is the same as a person who does not. These same scientists also disprove Pauling’s assumptions that vitamin C can help reduce cancer and other health risks with many experiments. In the end, no supplement nor vitamin can surpass the advantage of a simple healthy diet.
It’s incredible to see someone throw away their career like Pauling did. Through a simple mistake of not having sufficient scientific data his legacy will forever be stained.
Perdomo Journal of Science 