Are vitamin tablets good for you?

Question

Any drawbacks?

I have even heard some people say they can be BAD for you, anyone else heard simlar things?

Answer 1

Vitamins are obtained from your food. A tablet can help to make up for a deficiency in your diet, but it is a 'second-best' source.

Because of industrial production methods (including farming), some vitamins are difficult to get from the foods that would naturally contain them. Organic food is better in this repect.

Some vitamins are also useless without enough of the 'co-factors' that allow you to use them effectively.

Most vitamins are not stored in your body in toxic quantities, but fat-soluble vitamins can build up in your 'adipose' (fat storing) tissues, and may occasionally reach toxic levels.

For example, large amounts of Vitamin A (Retinol) can be dangerous if you are pregnant. (Beta-Carotene is a good substitute; your body makes it into retinol if it's needed)

The short answer is: THE RIGHT AMOUNT of any vitamin is good for you, whether you get it from foods or out of a bottle.

Too little will cause a deficiency; too much of some vitamins can poison you.

Answer 2

The biggest drawback is that they are expensive. And, like everything else, in massive quantities are toxic (but overdosing is pretty difficult).

Vitamin C tablets are good to have in the house - especially when there is a cold going round - but there's no need spending extra on a higher concentration of vit. C because the body can't store it - you just pee it out.

Many vitamins work a lot better in conjunction with other compounds found in food, so in the end it's better to get your vitamins from fruit and vegetables, which is cheaper anyway.

If you are really set on buying vitamins, get a probiotic vitamin (like Multibionta) which is great if you need an immune system boost. Otherwise, save your money and fill a bowl with fruit! ;o]

Answer 3

I watch a TV show once (discovery channel or tlc) about which vitamins you take are absorbed into the body and which ones pass right through. They found that most multi-vitamins (centrium, etc) pass straight through the body without even having a chance to break down. They actually went digging into the contents of a porta-potty to find this out...yuck...so their suggestion is that if you want to get the most out of your vitamins, take each vitamin component individually...it may cost more, but why would you pay for a multi-vitamin that does nothing really for you?

Answer 4

YES, HOWEVER, Say you were taking vitamin C, it discourages you to eat oranges and other foods high in that vitamin, and if you are taking omega 3, or drinking that omega 3 milk, this makes people think they do not need to eat fish. So, kind of, but you still need to eat a balanced diet.

Also, I do not see how they could be bad for you because even if you eat 12 of the same vitamin in one day, the stuff you do not need just goes straight through, so its not even like you could make yourself ill by eating too many!

So, take as many as you want in conjunction with a balanced diet and they will do no harm.

Answer 5

You should only take vitamins if you have a deficiency and even then you shouldn't take more than the recommended daily intake. It is true that some vitamins can be harmful if you take too much of it.

Answer 6

You can cause damage to yourself by overdosing on some vitamins, but you have to seriously overconsume them to run any real risks.

It is always better to get vitamins from a healthy diet, but vitamin supplements can be used usefully to cover the gaps that your diet is not providing you with.

Answer 7

I take vitamin supplements and cannot imagine life without them. For more information read Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition by Marilyn M. Shannon, available from http://ccli.org/store/onlineshopping.php?criteria=category&f_cat=nutrition&catpr=30&order_by=name

Answer 8

they are just like anything else,you can overdo it. your body only absorbs so much of each vitamin& the rest just doesn't help . some,like Pottasium,if over done is noy good. a regular good multi-pul vitamin is best

Answer 9

WELL MY FRIENDS AUNT LIVES ON VITAMIN PILLS AND TOMATOES AND SHE LOOKS GOOD FOR IT!!