Perhaps, almost all of us are aware that vitamins are good for our health and our body; however, too much of something is always bad enough. And vitamins are definitely one of those that when taken excessively, could eventually produce minor and major side effects. Almost all individuals in this world aspires to have optimum health and wellness, however, not all are able to eat the right food sources to supply their RDA of vitamins. Because of this, most of them resort to taking multivitamins or other individual vitamin supplements. Before taking any further action in taking dietary supplements, it is a good idea if one shall consult the advice of the doctor first.
Iowa State University advices that having a balanced solid food diet for a meal will be able to provide you with the necessary vitamins and minerals that you need in a day. However, according to the Linus Pauling Insitute at Oregon State University, the average American solid food diet is unable to meet the daily recommended nine serving of the fruits and vegetables that are supposed to provide them the vitamins and minerals that the human body needs. And with this, Linus Pauling states that “the next best thing and most cost-effective solution is to take a multivitamin”. Even the Harvard School of Public health would also consider taking multivitamins since they are a good insurance policy to ensure that you are getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals that the body requires. Even if a person eats a balanced meal, still a simple miss or a simple alteration from the daily selection of foods can cause deficiency. Vitamin supplements are not necessary; yet taking one based on the recommended dose won’t probably do anything bad.
Most of the time, taking individual vitamin supplements is only advised if the doctor has recommended taking the vitamin. According to Net Wellness, a service provided by the University of Cincinnati, taking individual vitamin supplements are discouraged because of the increased risk of toxicity. Unlike these individual vitamin supplements, multivitamins are less likely to cause toxicity if taken in together with a solid food diet, since it is almost complete and is composed of a combination of vitamins and minerals that will provide a person with the necessary nutrients he or she requires. There is also another form of multivitamins known as “mega-vitamins” which are also discouraged, since taking in artificial unnecessary vitamins are useless and won’t do any good.
Individual vitamin supplements are discouraged EXCEPT for the two essential ones, the VITAMIN D and CALCIUM, this information is given by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Linus Pauling Institute. According to Professor Jane Higdon, who is a research associate at the same school mentioned above, no OTC multivitamins can fulfill the recommended daily allowance for calcium. An extra 1,000 to 2,000 IU of Vitamin D a day will lower a person’s risk of developing colon and breast cancer. Vitamin D and Calcium vitamin supplements are needed by vegetarians and vegans who do not eat nor drink any dairy products.
Vitamin supplements are just like any other medicines in the market. They can cause side effects or adverse reactions to an individual if taken in improperly. The best move is to consult a doctor or a registered dietician first especially if you plan to take an individual vitamin supplement.
