Another hard day at work has ended and you are feeling tired. Your energy levels are low and you read an advert about the benefits of taking vitamins or other supplements to tone up and get stronger again. Sure it is a scenario that you heard before, but what is the truth? Do we really need vitamin supplements or is it just another marketing trick?
Confused… Most of us are …as we see most of the people taking and talking about supplements..
Vitamins are essential to life. They are required daily for the normal functioning of the body but because the body cannot produce them, we must get them from outside sources. People who follow a healthy balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, are less likely to need vitamin supplements. Certainly in some cases and after doctor’s approval even these people can take them for a limited period of time..
Is taking big doses of vitamins on a daily basis healthy?
This perception, which unfortunately still exists in many, is false. Taking big doses of vitamins is dangerous. The fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K, are stored in the body when taken in high doses and are not used. Their accumulation can lead to toxic effects. Also taking big doses of water-soluble vitamins B and C is not recommended.
What are the best sources of vitamins?
Vitamins in fruits and vegetables act in synergy with other valuable phytochemicals. This synergistic action is beneficial for our health. For this reason the best vitamins are those obtained from a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, whole grains, dairy, meat and olive oil, always according to the daily referred quantities.
Supplements And Pills: A necessity or just a Mind Game.
Multivitamin/mineral pills are the most commonly used supplements in the United States. A multi can be a good way to make up for nutritional shortfalls. But many people expect too much from their multivitamins, which are purported to help prevent a wide range of diseases. Over the years, various observational studies have indeed suggested that people who take a multi have a lower risk of various diseases.
But the results of clinical trials, however, have been largely disappointing.
What the studies show
A few years ago, a panel of advisors at the National Institutes of Health concluded that the evidence concerning the effectiveness and safety of multivitamins(MVM) is limited and inconclusive.
According to an Article by Farin Kamangar et.al (march 2012 edition): in international journal of Preventive mediciene.(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3309636/)
This article reviews the results of randomized studies of MVM supplements and individual vitamins/mineral supplements in relation to overall mortality and incidence of chronic diseases, particularly cancer and ischemic heart disease. The results of large-scale randomized trials show that, for the majority of the population, there is no overall benefit from taking MVM supplements.
This article reviews the results of randomized studies of MVM supplements and individual vitamins/mineral supplements in relation to overall mortality and incidence of chronic diseases, particularly cancer and ischemic heart disease. The results of large-scale randomized trials show that, for the majority of the population, there is no overall benefit from taking MVM supplements.
In 2013, an Australian meta-analysis of 21 randomised controlled trials, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that multivitamin use has no effect on all-cause mortality rates.(http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/97/2/437.long)
Multivitamins are generally assumed to be safe, but some contain excessive doses of nutrients—10 or more times the recommended daily intakes. For instance, large doses of copper can interfere with the absorption of zinc, and vice versa.
Candidates for Multivitamins
- You are over 60. Most older people don’t get the nutrients they need, for various reasons. Major problem nutrients for older people are vitamin D, certain B vitamins and magnesium.
• You are a woman of childbearing age. Women capable of becoming pregnant need at least 400 micrograms daily of folate (the form in supplements is called folic acid). This B vitamin helps prevent neural tube birth defects. In addition, premenopausal women can benefit from the iron in a basic multi.
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding. You should probably take a multi, but discuss your special needs with your doctor.
• You are a strict vegetarian. If you eat no animal products, you may not get enough vitamin B12, zinc, iron and calcium.
But Always keep in mind
If you take a multivitamin/mineral pill, it cannot substitute for a healthy, balanced diet. Foods—particularly fruits, vegetables and whole grains—provide fiber as well as many potentially beneficial compounds not found in any pill.