Vitamins and minerals are vital to the functioning of our bodies. Vitamin A helps produce retinol so you can see. Vitamin C helps produce collagen so you can have healthy bones and blood vessels.
The list goes on.
When Should Someone Take a Vitamin Supplement?
Health officials recommend food as the best source for daily vitamin and mineral requirements like A, E, C, zinc, etc. Sounds good in theory. In reality, even the healthiest diet can lack all the goodness our bodies need. Enter supplements, an excellent way to get needed nutrients when we fall short. More than 110 million people in the U.S.A. take vitamin supplements each year to fill diet gaps.
We Need Vitamins. How Can That be Bad?
Many people think, hmm, taking a daily vitamin supplement is right for me, so I’ll just take a little more. The problem occurs when people believe that more vitamins are better. Wrong. Just as you can be deficient in a vitamin, you can also take too many. The symptoms of taking too many vitamins can range from nausea or cramping from too much Vitamin C to hair loss from too much selenium. Taking much more than you need daily over an extended period of time can cause damage to nerves, organs, and disease. Not what you’re going for when taking a vitamin, right?
Vitamins can also interfere with some medications. For example, Vitamin K can interfere with blood thinners.
It’s very important to know first if you’re lacking and need the supplement, and secondly, how much of the % Daily Value (DV) you’re getting for each vitamin/nutrient. Take into consideration food, supplements, and fortified beverages.
Can Supplements Cure Disease?
Do not take a supplement expecting it to reverse chronic diseases; however, they may be helpful in the management of symptoms or the promotion of better health, as is the case with Omega-3 fish oil, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Again, whether or not vitamins and supplements work for or against you, depends on if you lacked in the first place! Always talk to your doctor before taking any vitamins and supplements, especially if you have existing health problems or take medication.