Need for Vitamin Supplements

Our body needs vitamins in small amounts that provide energy to our body and help it to carry out its routine functions. The best source of vitamins is a balanced diet composed of various foods that contains small amounts of necessary vitamins. However, some people do not get the required amount of vitamins from food and need vitamin supplements to make up the deficiency for that particular nutrient.

Who Needs Vitamin Supplements?

Although all of us need vitamin supplements, yet there are some who need them more than others. These people may include:

• Pregnant women
• Women who are breastfeeding
• People who drink alcohol above the recommended safe amount (two standard drinks per day for women and four for men)
• Cigarette smokers
• Illegal drug users
• Crash dieters or people on chronic low-calorie diets
• Elderly people who disabled or chronically ill
• Vegetarians
• Women who bleed excessive during menstruation
• People with allergies to particular foods
• People with malabsorption problems such as diarrhea, coeliac disease or pancreatitis.

Vitamins supplements act like medicines to cure or prevent certain ailments. E.g. are vitamin C that cures cold and flu and vitamin E that is a beneficial antioxidant and helps prevent heart diseases.

Due to the increased demands of their body for nutrition, these people benefit from vitamin supplements that help them to reduce the risk of various defects or problems in the body.

Choosing Vitamin Supplements

Different people with different health conditions need vitamins depending upon their health and vitamin deficiency and to make it up. Some people need a supplement of multivitamins to provide them a complete vitamin solution.

Women who are planning pregnancy should take folate supplements or foods with folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defect in the baby. The vitamin supplements should contain at least 200 – 400 micrograms of folate.

Vitamin A

Take about 1000 RE or 3,330 IU of vitamin A palmitate or acetate. Taking more than 10,000 of this fat soluble vitamin increases the risk of birth defects.

Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene is converted in vitamin A by the body. Although beta-carotene does not cause birth defects, yet it may cause risk of cancer in smokers. The best sources of beta-carotene are green and orange fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene should not be taken more than 15,000 IU.

Folic Acid

It should not be taken more than 0.4 mg or 400 ug to avoid birth defects like spina bifida and cleft palate. Folic acid is also helpful for reducing risk of heart disease and colon cancer.

Vitamin D

For people over 50 years, a multivitamin with 400 IU is recommended. Milk, fish and sun are also good sources of vitamin D.

Phosphorus

It should be restricted to less than 500 mg in a multivitamin dosage as it can be derived from food sources more than what is needed by the body.

Iron

For an individual with normal activities, 0-10 mg of iron is enough. Children and pre-menopausal women need less iron so 10-14 is sufficient for them while men and post-menopausal women need more iron.  However too much iron can cause constipation and it should be taken only as prescribed.

Copper and Zinc

Both these vitamins should be present in small quantity in your multivitamin or diet. Get 9mg zinc and 2 mg copper.

Other vitamins include Iodine, Manganese, Chloride, Molybdenum, Boron, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid that are not needed in a supplemental form. They can be derived from the food sources. Tin, silicon and nickel and vanadium are not even needed by the human body.

 It is necessary to consult your doctor before choosing any kind of vitamin supplement. It is because vitamin and mineral supplements work in harmony with each other and excessive amount of any substance can cause further problems. Try choosing a multivitamin that contains all vitamins in one and provides you with a balanced vitamin supplement.

Also, it should be remembered that vitamin supplements are not a substitute for a balanced and nutritious diet that keeps you healthy. A balanced diet is most essential for health.