Should you be taking Vitamins daily?

THERE ARE VARYING opinions on if one should take vitamins regularly.

Most of the arguments in favour of regular or daily vitamin use, highlight the fact that most diets are not well balanced and people are consuming less vegetable and fruits – the natural sources of most vitamins.

Those who argue against daily multivitamin use argue that vitamins are contained in our food and so we do not need to pack our body with extra vitamins that will be, eventually, passed out and are a waste of money. Vitamins are the nutrients our body need in order to maintain functions, such as immunity and metabolism. There is very little in our bodies that can be done without a vitamin being needed.

There are two categories of vitamins; fat soluble and water soluble.

Fat soluble vitamin is the classification of vitamins that are stored in fat cells when excess is present. They have toxicity levels associated with them, as they are not gotten rid of by the body. They also need fat in order to be absorbed. Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. The body takes what it needs from food and then excretes what is not needed, as waste. They also are easily destroyed by cooking and care should be taken when cooking vegetables.

It might be hard to remember to take a vitamin pill every single morning, but it can possibly do you some serious good. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people don’t get all the nutrients they need on a daily basis. We’re not getting enough iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc., and that affects our performance, mood and overall health.

Multivitamins gives you everything you need in one pill, without having to count milligrams of anything for the rest of the day. Furthermore, taking the right multivitamin can give you more energy, healthier hair, nails, and a clearer mind.

If you do eat a really balanced diet and are getting all the nutrients you need, then taking a multivitamin might not be the best choice for you. In fact, it might even be harmful.

Overdosing on certain vitamins or nutrients, like the fat soluble vitamins, can cause damage to the body.

The fact is, most of us do not have a balanced diet with the right quantity and the right mix from the food groups. We do not get suffi cient sleep and exercise.

Thus, vitamin supplements may be beneficial for your body. Remember that it is more than just taking vitamins. You have to eat properly, sleep well, exercise and avoid smoking and the excessive use of alcohol.

Dr Rosmond Adams, MD is a medical doctor and a public health specialist with training in bioethics and ethical issues in medicine, the life sciences and research. He is a lecturer of medical ethics.

ase He is the Head of Health Information, Communicable Disease and Emergency Response at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).

He is also a member of the World Health Organization Global Coordination Mechanism l and Control of

NCDs. (The views expressed here are not written on behalf of CARPHA nor the WHO).You may contact him at adamsrosmond@ s-

gmail.com

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