What is the point in taking Vitamin supplements?

Most diets are missing some of the vitamins. Just don’t go overboard on the fat soluble vitamins, they can have side affects.
And, Welcome to fluther.

The point is to make up for deficiencies. Without supplements I am deficient in D, B12 and iron. Maybe others, but those are the ones I know about.

Unless you are eating very poorly or have a medical issue that creates certain deficiencies in your blood work, IMO there is very little reason for supplements. Too much of any vitamin and mineral definitely can have side effects…some serious and with long term effects. Just consult with a real doctor who knows you.

Oh, to add to @Adirondackwannabe comment about overdosing, I actually believe take huge doses of water soluble vitamins can also be bad. There have been studies regarding folic acid, and that mega dozing can have negative side effects. Also, my neighbor used to take B12 shots, and when she finally had her B12 checked it was off the charts high. I believe even if our body can rid itself od the water soluble vitamins, it still taxes the body to rid itself of the extra.

My best advice is get a blood test and see if you need any vitamins or minerals; if you don’t, why waste your money?

@Cruiser I have found there are a surprising amount of people deficient in B12, D, and iron, especially women. Even if they eat fairly well. It is almost impossible for people to get enough D in food it seems. If we accept the newer ranges for normal.

I agree with the D as people don’t get out as much and they are heaping on Sunscreen to boot! 10 minutes in the sun is all you need. B12….just drink wheat beer and problem solved!

Plus the wheat beer would help eliminate the excess water soluble vitamins. A win win.

To spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need???

Seriously, dietary or disease-related deficiencies would be the only real reason to use supplements. I have a condition called pernicious anemia, and my body can’t absorb B12 from my dietary intake; so I’ll always have to take D and B12. JLeslie and I must be sisters.

I still watch the many conflicting reports around all of this—very much like milk, alcohol and caffeine—are they good for you or bad for you ;-)

@Cruiser I really wonder about the 10 minutes? Have there actually been studies? Last summer I went ahead and let the sun shine on me, and was not near enough, even with some modest supplements, to keep my D in normal ranges. Maybe if someone is nude for 10 minutes daily? Thing is, most of America does not have much skin showing 6 months of the year, and even if they let their skin peak out in the cold the sun doesn’t throw off much D when it is low in the sky from what I understand.

Personally I don’t notice any difference when taking vitamins. If its something that’s going to assist me in getting from the age of 98 to the age of 99, I’m not really worried about taking them. I’d rather just eat foods that have the right vitamins in there without worrying about taking an extra pill.

Most research now debunks the need for vitamin supplements, except in specific cases of illness or disease. Save the money and spend it on high quality foodstuffs.

Thankyou everyone!

@JLeslie Answer Your body makes vitamin D when you are exposed to the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight. You probably need from 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to the skin on your face,”

You need to research your use of vitamins or supplements as if you were being prescribed a medication. You need to check out dosages, side effects, possible drug interactions.

You can have your doctor do a blood test to see if you’re deficient in anything. Then he can recommend supplements to balance you out. Personally, all I take on a daily basis (in the way of supplements) is my multi-vitamin and a B stress complex (or something like that).

I had weight loss surgery and need vitamins to supplement my diet, because I am eating way less than I would need to in order to get all of the vitamins. I had some multi-vitamins from Kirkland (Costco brand) that made me puke. I asked about it here on Fluther. I found out in googling the topic that there are some ingredients in certain vitamins that some people cannot tolerate. I think the ingredient was magnesium sulfate. Within about five minutes of taking the vitamin, I would throw up, even if I hadn’t eaten. I returned them to Costco and go my money back. Someone I work with works in a nursing home and got me some generic one-a-day multivitamins that work fine.

I try to get the nutrients I need from the food I eat; I may be kidding myself but so far so good.

10 minutes in the sun does not cut it for someone with S.A.D. @Cruiser. My son and husband need a supplement and full spectrum light therapy.

My son is on many supplements. So far, we’ve banished cyclical vomitting, diarhea and anemia with the use of supplements (he’s always had a healty diet).

Where I live, even in high summer, the sun does not produce sufficient D. Just had my blood work done and am taking, on Doc’s advice, 1400 IU D3 daily. I also take a B complex because I no longer eat meat. And to be on the safe side, some calcium/ magnesium for bone issues.

Additionally I take 1250 mg omega 3, Chinese Red yeast rice (and CoQ-10 enzyme) instead of a lab. made statin.

The doctor just added one 81 mg (baby) aspirin/daily for a healthy heart.

I do eat very well (an occasional piece of fish but no poultry or meat) and am on a regular exercise program, to which I adhere religiously.

The reason people take vitamin supplements is to make sure that they are getting adequate nutrition.

There are side effects to everything that we put into our bodies when you consider the dosage. Too much water can quickly kill you. Too much nutritious food can harm you. And too much vitamins can also harm you.

In general a healthy diet and life style would require no additional vitamin supplements. Sadly most folks fall far short from that so they may benefit from intelligent vitamin usage along with appropriate water intake.

People take vitamin supplements to get the vitamins that their body lacks from proper nutrition by not eating correctly.

I have a lousy diet right now so I take daily supplements. Plus I’m taking specific supplements for bones, I have osteopenia, and for high blood pressure.

@Cruiser I have read and heard that same thing over and over, just like the link your provided, but I have never seen the studies. I was just wondering if studies exist, or if it has just become a belief because it has been said so many times. Unless I missed it your link does not reference a study. I wonder if anyone has taken even 100 people, which would be a very small sample, and not a very valid study, who were low in D, had them expose themselves to sunlight for 10 minutes daily for 3 months say, and had their numbers increase drastically? I think when someone starts from a very deficient number it is really hard to get way back into normal ranges with that sort of minimum exposure, especially if they live in a coldish climate. I think maintaining normal levels maybe can be done with that type of exposure. But, I am just basing it on my own experience, and knowing my husband has very good D levels and how much sun he gets.

@gailcalled Was your dose of D enough to get you into normal ranges? Assuming you were below normal previously.

I have a new blood test in Nov., three months after I upped the dose. I’ll let you know. For the moment I am taking 2000 IU until I use up the bottle and switch to 1000 and 400.

@gailcalled I just switched my dose to D3 only. I was taking D2 prescription. I take a minimum 1400 daily. Sometimes I add in an extra couple hundred when I take my calcium plus D supplement, but I only take it about twice a week. I have my doubts it will be enough, but am interested to see how the expirement works out. Do you have a goal for your level? I want to get up to at least 50 in the summer to help carry me through winter months. I have never been higher than 39. Last test I was in the 20’s again, so we started this new experiment.

I’d be content with 40. And I get a little extra when I remember to take my calcium as well. I’ll report back if I remember. Perhaps you can remind me. My brain’s a sieve these days.

I hope I remember. LOL. Maybe the lack of D is affecting our memories. 40 during the winter would make me happy

@JLeslie The link did cite this source…Don’t have the time to find it though! ;)

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. “Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D.” Updated May 2008.

@Cruiser I’ll look at it again.

I managed to get my vitamin D level into the toxic range last summer. I had been told by an osteoporosis doctor to take 4000u per day and I was outside most days. This summer I’m not taking any so am looking forward to the blood test results. I find it difficult to know what I should take. Now I have read that taking calcium is pointless.

@Faye Had he been checking your D regularly? Did her recommend it after seeing you were low, or he just recommends that amount to all patients? Did he regularly check your calcium levels in your blood? Were you having symptoms of toxicity? Or, a regular blood test just came back high? How high was it?

She just said continue when I told her what I was taking and ordered blood tests. This was middle of July and I didn’t get the tests until Sept so my fault. I think Canada has different values for a lot of tests but I was >250 whatevers. No symptoms that jumped out. My doctor wasn’t too concerned but I went to Mexico first week in December kind of wondering if I was okay! I took 2000u a day through winter until sunny days outside and now I’ll get tested soon. My calcium level must be okay- I didn’t think of asking. I’m taking strontium citrate for bones which my doctor doesn’t totally approve.

@Faye it is not a matter of if you are taking calcium or not. Too much D in the system causes calcium to be high in the blood and then calcium deposits are made in arteries and organs and it is very bad. Calcifies the soft tissues. Anyone taking high doses of D should be checked for blood calcium levels regularly. I have mine tested every 3–6 months. My moms actually got high and she had to lower her prescription she was taking. But, my mom might also have some sort of malfunction genetically. She had a EBCT and it showed calcium all over her body.

First and foremost, nutritional needs should be met by eating a variety of foods as outlined in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In some cases, vitamin/mineral supplements or fortified foods may be useful for providing nutrients that may otherwise be eaten in less than recommended amounts. If you are already eating the recommended amount of a nutrient, you may not get any further health benefit from taking a supplement.

Myself, I do not want to eat 15 apples, 12 plums, 4 pounds of greens and a half a cow a day to make up for the nuterients I receive from vitamins/mineral caps, side effects or no.

^^Nonsense. Try lighting up. That will add to your well-being.