Do we need expensive suppliments?

     Although vitamin supplements are common, they might not be necessary.  It is better for a healthy person to obtain vitamins through whole foods instead of vitamin supplements. Whole foods have nutrient combinations that cannot be copied in supplement form. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, meat and beans. Eating a variety ensures you obtain different nutrients that could be in one type of vegetable, for instance, and not in another. Foods also provide more nutrition than just the vitamins, including fat, protein and carbohydrates your body needs for fuel, fiber and antioxidants. If you take a vitamin in place of whole food, you will miss all of these nutrients.  There are certain reasons where vitamin supplementation is recommended.  Aside from treatment of certain conditions, vitamins are recommended for prevention of specific diseases. For most people, vitamin/mineral supplements are the most frequently used nutritional supplements. Much of this use represents an expensive and wasted effort. Well-planned diets can meet most of the vitamin and mineral needs of people.  Obtain your daily quota of vitamins and minerals by eating a wide variety of foods. Relying only on vitamin supplements is dangerous – all the required nutrients may not be present in the supplement.  There is another risk associated with vitamin supplements. Since fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are stored in the body, toxic levels can easily be reached with careless supplementation.

     All nutrients, of which vitamins and minerals are two groups, are potentially toxic when ingested in sufficiently large amounts. Safe intake levels vary widely from nutrient to nutrient. They also depend on age and health.  High dosage vitamin and mineral supplements can interfere with the normal metabolism of other nutrients and with the therapeutic effects of certain drugs. Deficiency states of one particular nutrient can be brought about by an oversupply of another nutrient. Most of the vitamins and minerals work in balance with each other. If one is present in a greater-than-normal quantity, the others become less-than-normal.  The advantage of getting vitamins the natural way – by eating a variety of foods – is that they usually come in balanced proportions.
Of the water soluble vitamins, excess
B3 (niacin) leads to liver toxicity
C leads to red blood cell hemolysis
B6 (pyridoxine) leads to nervous system toxicity
      A simple multi-vitamin or mineral supplement that does not provide more than 100% of the daily value for any of the nutrients is unlikely to be harmful even if it isn’t actually helpful. However, “super” supplements, large doses or mega doses, are all likely to be harmful.
     
      Many people still believe vitamins can replace food. That is very simply NOT TRUE. All natural vitamins are only found in plants and animals and must be supplied through your diet or in dietary supplements when your body is not getting the adequate amount of nutrients it requires on a daily basis. Trying to follow all of the recommended daily dosages can make your head spin. Just remember too much of a good thing can also be harmful. Don't go overboard, stay within the recommended daily dosage and always check with your doctor before you add supplements. Eating smart can influence how you age and help you fight off disease. Here are three tips to a vitamin rich diet and a healthier you.

1. Eat a healthy diet.
2. Choose plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats.
3. Eat fish and poultry rather than red meat, potatoes, sugary drinks and salty snacks.

Who should take supplements?
Usage of nutritional supplements may be indicated in some circumstances including the following:

• Women with excessive menstrual bleeding may need to take iron supplements
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need more of certain nutrients, especially iron, folic acid and calcium
• People with very low calorie intakes usually have a diet that does not meet their nutrient needs
• Strict vegetarians (no eggs) or vegans (no eggs or dairy products) may not be getting adequate calcium, iron, zinc and Vitamin B12 through food
• Certain disorders or diseases and some medications may interfere with nutrient intake, digestion, absorption, metabolism or excretion, and thus change requirements
• Old people who cannot chew properly and have a problem consuming a balanced diet may need to take supplements to get all the nutrients

Source Nutri Health