TV Horizon - Season 41 Episode 11 : The Truth About Vitamins Horizon - Season 41 Episode 11 : The Truth About Vitamins 7.516/10 by 32 users 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. Details Casts Posters Images Title Horizon - Season 41 Episode 11 : The Truth About Vitamins Alternative Titles BBC Horizon 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 Horizon Season 41 :Episode 1 The Demonic Ape The Demonic Ape 2004-01-08 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 2 The Moscow Theatre Siege The Moscow Theatre Siege 2004-01-15 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 3 The Atkins Diet The Atkins Diet 2004-01-22 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 4 Secrets of the Star Disc Secrets of the Star Disc 2004-01-29 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 5 The Dark Secret of Hendrik Schön The Dark Secret of Hendrik Schön 2004-02-05 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 6 Thalidomide - A Second Chance? Thalidomide - A Second Chance? 2004-02-12 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 7 Diamond Labs Diamond Labs 2004-03-04 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 8 T-Rex - Warrior or Wimp? T-Rex - Warrior or Wimp? 2004-03-11 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 9 Project Poltergeist Project Poltergeist 2004-03-18 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 10 The Truth of Troy The Truth of Troy 2004-03-25 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 11 The Truth About Vitamins The Truth About Vitamins 2004-09-16 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 12 King Solomon's Tablet of Stone King Solomon's Tablet of Stone 2004-09-23 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 13 Derek Tastes of Earwax Derek Tastes of Earwax 2004-09-30 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 14 What Really Killed the Dinosaurs? What Really Killed the Dinosaurs? 2004-10-07 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 15 Making Millions the Easy Way Making Millions the Easy Way 2004-10-14 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 16 Saturn - Lord of the Rings Saturn - Lord of the Rings 2004-10-21 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 17 The Hunt for the Supertwister The Hunt for the Supertwister 2004-10-28 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before. Horizon Season 41 :Episode 18 Dr Money and the Boy with No Penis Dr Money and the Boy with No Penis 2004-11-04 Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.