Do I need to take vitamins?

in #health7 years ago (edited)

Vitamins are among the most popular drugs. I am sure every person has  heard about the benefits of vitamins took those or other vitamins at least once-in-a-life-time. Many believe that the more vitamins you take, the better. Is this really the case and should we take them at all? We will try to understand this question in more detail when, how and what vitamins should be taken, and when they should be discarded. Should I take vitamins?

A healthy way of life is being propagated all over the world. The reception of vitamin complexes is one of the methods of propaganda. According to statistics, around the world, millions of dollars are spent annually on the purchase of vitamins and food supplements, sometimes comparable to the budget of some countries.

Such a situation could not interest scientists and doctors. And now you can hear or read that not always the reception of such products is justified and can even do more harm than good in some situations. Many people argue that it is necessary to take vitamins when human nutrition is below scientifically justified levels of requirements.

But there is a difference between what science says and when it's about the health of a particular person. Yes, ideally everyone should receive all the nutrients, including the necessary vitamins, with food. After all, in any product, be it vegetables or fruits, there are all the necessary substances. But all this is feasible with a correct and balanced diet. Unfortunately, in practice this happens not at all and not always. In this case, people can fill the missing elements by taking vitamin complexes or vitamin supplements.

In the twentieth century, it was suggested that to get the necessary amount of vitamins from food is impossible. Therefore, people should take additional food supplements and vitamin complexes to prevent vitamin deficiency. Many scientists assumed that a deficiency of vitamins is a constant companion of modern man, which in turn leads to a weakening of the immune system and the development of many diseases.

This idea was warmly supported by pharmaceutical companies, and after a while a rapid march of vitamin complexes around the planet began.

After a few years it became clear that people instead of problems with beriberi, got a new one - hypervitaminosis. Many people believed that vitamins could help, but they could never hurt. As few studies have shown lately - the excess, for example, of vitamins A, E, C can promote the development of cancer cells. Vitamin boom fortunately allowed to accumulate in this area some experience and knowledge. And now most doctors are inclined to assert that an additional intake of vitamins to enhance health is not needed.

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Of course we should take vitamins from fruits, vegetables. Vitamins supplements is no need.

To the question in your title, my Magic 8-Ball says:

Very doubtful

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I liked your article.
I take only the vitamin that my blood test indicates that is below the average for my age.
Thanks for sharing.

A, E, C can promote the development of cancer cells.

It is clear about A, E, but extra intake of C vitamin was associated with curing cancer too. Probably, the vitamin's origin and cooperation with other nutrients may play a role as our bodies are used to get C with other antioxidants.

You are right that vitamins are quite popular because of outdated science and excessive propagation. Despite that, there are some I would recommend to take at least to some groups. If you live in temperate climate areas or further north, it is likely the clouds will carry on hiding sun for several days. The angle also matters. Vitamin D3 will not be produced in a sufficient amount at this point.

Then, B12 is must have for vegans if the don't eat chlorela. EPA and DHA is good for people who don't eat fish, but these are not vitamins.

I would be quite interested in remake of some old studies if they were wrong and if they are still today. The facts speak that we take less vitamins every year.

From my recent article:

Soil is getting depleted. After about 70 years of "new age agriculture", the minerals including copper, zinc, iron, magnesium and others got lost. Industrial fertilizers don't replenish them and natural ones are not used as much today. From 1941 till 1991, the amount of copper in food was reduced to 1/5, the amount of zinc to 2/5, iron to 1/2, and magnesium to 7/10 just for example.

https://steemit.com/health/@greenmask9/38-apples-a-day-depletion-of-minerals-in-soil

It is controversial subject