Every year we spend £300 million on vitamin supplements, but do they actually do us any good? Some believe they offer the promise of preventing or even curing some of the world's biggest killers, such as heart disease and cancer. Others claim that taking large doses of some vitamins may in certain cases be harmful. So what are the facts? Nearly 40 years ago, one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century and double Nobel Prize winner, Linus Pauling, revolutionised the way people thought about vitamins. He claimed that by taking huge doses of vitamin C you could prevent or even cure the common cold. He predicted that if everybody followed his advice, the common cold could even be eradicated. Many scientists dismissed his theory as quackery, but the public loved it and it helped launch a huge industry. But the latest evidence shows the great man was mistaken. Vitamin C can help you once have got a cold, but for most people it does nothing to prevent you from catching one in the first place. Even if large doses of vitamin C do not prevent the common cold, some claim that it can still offer a more profound benefit. It is one of a group of vitamins called anti-oxidants that some believe can prevent illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease. In 2004, scientists in the United States claimed that people could be missing any of the potential benefits of taking one of the world's most popular anti-oxidant vitamin supplements, vitamin E, because their bodies might not be absorbing it. But our own investigation suggested that the American scientists' conclusion could be mistaken. While most safety experts believe that vitamins C and E can be taken safely even in quite large doses, there is worrying evidence that one form of another common vitamin, vitamin A, could be linked to osteoporosis, a debilitating bone disease. If the theory is right it means that a person's diet, or some supplements that they take every day to improve their health, could actually be slowly and silently weakening their bones.
| Title | Horizon - Season 41 Episode 11 : The Truth About Vitamins |
|---|---|
| Alternative Titles | BBC Horizon |
| Subtitle Available |
 ETC.
|
| First Air Date | 1964-02-04 |
| Last Air Date | 2024-07-22 |
| Number of Episodes | 1169 |
| Number of Seasons | 60 |
| Genres | Documentary, |
| Networks | BBC Two, |
| Casts | |
| Plot Keywords | , |
Episodes List
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 1 The Demonic Ape The Demonic Ape
2004-01-08Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 2 The Moscow Theatre Siege The Moscow Theatre Siege
2004-01-15Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 3 The Atkins Diet The Atkins Diet
2004-01-22Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 4 Secrets of the Star Disc Secrets of the Star Disc
2004-01-29Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 5 The Dark Secret of Hendrik Schön The Dark Secret of Hendrik Schön
2004-02-05Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 6 Thalidomide - A Second Chance? Thalidomide - A Second Chance?
2004-02-12Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 7 Diamond Labs Diamond Labs
2004-03-04Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 8 T-Rex - Warrior or Wimp? T-Rex - Warrior or Wimp?
2004-03-11Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 9 Project Poltergeist Project Poltergeist
2004-03-18Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 10 The Truth of Troy The Truth of Troy
2004-03-25Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 11 The Truth About Vitamins The Truth About Vitamins
2004-09-16Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 12 King Solomon's Tablet of Stone King Solomon's Tablet of Stone
2004-09-23Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 13 Derek Tastes of Earwax Derek Tastes of Earwax
2004-09-30Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 14 What Really Killed the Dinosaurs? What Really Killed the Dinosaurs?
2004-10-07Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 15 Making Millions the Easy Way Making Millions the Easy Way
2004-10-14Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 16 Saturn - Lord of the Rings Saturn - Lord of the Rings
2004-10-21Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 17 The Hunt for the Supertwister The Hunt for the Supertwister
2004-10-28Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
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Horizon Season 41 :Episode 18 Dr Money and the Boy with No Penis Dr Money and the Boy with No Penis
2004-11-04Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
