Are Supplements Beneficial for You?

Vitamins are essential to our body. Most people obtain them from eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.

There are various types of vitamins, and each performs different functions that allow an individual’s body to be healthy and strong.

According to Scientific American, humans require thirteen vitamins for survival. They include vitamins A, D, E, K, which are fat soluble and can build up in your body if heavily consumed. Vitamins C and B are water soluble, which are easily excreted from your body if  excessive amounts are consumed.

When entering a pharmacy or a health section of a store, individuals are exposed to an abundant amount of supplements that are available to be purchased. There are not just vitamins, but other types of supplements such as iron, melatonin, fish oil pills, etc.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons.

Susan Mayne, Professor at the Yale School of Public Health’s Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, states that food is the best way to obtain all the nutrients for your body.

Consuming fruits and vegetables not only provide an individual with the right vitamins, but Mayne says that they come with phytochemicals that may not be essential for life, but contribute to fighting various diseases.

The best way to obtain all the necessary vitamins or other nutrients is through food. Though deficiency occurs when individuals rely on supplements to keep themselves healthy, many doctors recommend taking a multivitamin every day to fulfill anything that your body did not get from eating food.

“Supplements can be beneficial for those that lack something in their body, but my recommendation would be to take a multivitamin every day,” said Annie Gandhi, a recent medical school graduate. “A well-balanced diet is the key to keeping your body healthy.”

Professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, Meir Stampfer, recommends that healthy individuals supplement their bodies with a multivitamin and extra vitamin D if their exposure to the sun is not sufficient enough.

“Taking more than the Institute of Medicine’s recommended daily allowance of certain vitamins may lower one’s risk for certain chronic diseases,” Stampfer said.

“I take iron supplements,” said Angelica Pinatarro, sophomore waste management major, after asking if she thinks supplements are beneficial or needed for our body. “I started taking them after I passed out in Chemistry lab so I can regulate my body heat.”

Supplements may be beneficial to some individuals and not necessary for others. Doing research and speaking with professionals is the best way to obtain more information about supplements.

To make the best individual decision, be sure to talk with your physician and follow the directions that they provide.

Riddhi Gandhi

Reporter

Rgand912@uwsp.edu