Vitamins Worth It?

[jbran248]

I know that vitamins are meant to plug holes in a healthy diet.  For years, my parents have taken them and never told me that they could tell a difference.  Does the body even use the vitamins or does it just get lost during urination, etc.? If they are effective, is there a certain type of pill that works better for maximum absorption? Thanks!  

[caregiver222]

All of the above posters have provided excellent information.

The best thing to do is to find a friendly physician who will give you a blood test to determine certain vitamin levels.

The most common deficiency is that of vitamin D3, and there are far reaching consequences to deficiency. You want to keep your blood levels over 30. Some physicians recommend a much higher level.

Vitamin C is not stored well and not produced in the human body and a daily supplement (you need not go overboard) will be very helpful. Get the crystaline kind.

[GrimJack]

If you eat a varied, healthy diet, you probably do not need vitamins; I take vitamins to cover any of ones I am not getting with my food. The non-water soluble vitamins are fat soluble and are stored in liver and fat. This only becomes an issue if you are taking mega-doses of those vitamins and lose a lot of weight - suddenly, your body could be overdosed - there is an LD50 listing for vitamin A of 2000 mg/kg - LD = lethal dose, LD50 = 50% of the population will die at that dose, 2000  milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

Anyone who tells you that herbs will not hurt you is just wrong. First, there are no standards for over the counter supplements so no matter what it says on the label, there is no way to verify what is in the product unless it has been tested by a reputable lab. Second, you can overdose on herbs just like you can overdose on medicine. After many deaths over many years certain herbs have been banned for sale in the US - it takes forever to such a ban to be put in place. Just because something is natural does not mean it is not dangerous.

[SassyLassie]

Well, I believe that vitamins, minerals, herbs, are ALL important,  they need to be taken on a daily basis for them to really be effective however. You need good, reliable, name brands, the ones from most drug stores like Centrum are basically useless and do not have much of the so-called product in them, they are mainly fillers. I take  mine from companies such as "Solar ray" "Thorne" "Blue Bonnet" Eclectic Institute" "Standard Processing Labs"  etc. I have studied this field extensively, plus, my doctor back in the states is one of the best going and is a teacher at the acclaimed "Bastry Naturpathic College" in Seattle.  She has taught me so much. Believe me, there are so many out there, and sadly, many which claim to be the "real thing" and they are far from it. A company that sells good, reputable brands is called "I-herb" it is online and they have excellent products and shipping is very low, even here to me in New Zealand. Also, a good health food is a good source for your supplements. I use to work in one for a time, I loved it.

The water soluble ones with be excreted in your urine, that is, if your body does not need the full amount, such as vitamin C, B. The fat soluble ones stay in your system much longer, such as A, D, E, and K.  As to over-dosing, in all honesty, I have never read or heard of such a thing, a vitamin will not kill you, if you are allergic to some, or the ingredients it is made with, you may get sick to your tummy, but that is usually all. What more than likely causes these reactions is an allergy to the fillers that are in the vitamin, etc.

Regarding herbs, these are a step away from the drugs, many drugs are derived from them, but then are chemically restructured which in turn, causes the original herb to change and become unsafe. I like to use herbs for when I am sick, when I take Echinacea, along with propolis and zinc and extra Vitamin C if I feel a cold starting, I have actually stopped it in its tracks. Regarding the Propolis, this is made from Bee products, so make sure you are not allergic to stings, etc.

So, bottom, line, yes, you do need them, and it is not all in a person's head of they say they feel better, most do.  I hope I have helped some, this is a large area of interest to me and I love to help others.

Blessings to you and may you prosper in good health for many years.

[TeeteePharmD]

Dear jbran248,
Vitamins as you probably know are essential for the body to grow and stay healthy. Vitamin deficiencies can cause serious diseases. If your are healthy with no medical problems, and well-fed. Then i don't think you need to take vitamins, it's just a waste of money! Studies didn't prove them to be beneficial in protecting from colds, or improving memory, etc. Exceptions from this are pregnant women and children ofcourse.
However, if you had a deficiency in a certain vitamin and wanted to take a pill to treat that deficiency, that would be beneficial.

To answer your second question: There are two types of vitamins water-soluble, and non-water-soluble. Water soluble vitamins such as Vit.B and Vit.C are not stored in the body any excess will be excreted out of the body. Non water soluble vitamins such as, A, D, E, and K are stored in the liver and fat tissue so any excess ingested could cause toxic effects. Make sure and check the max allowed amounts of any vitamins you take.

[CP3kids]

For elderly folks, the best one to take is Centrum Silver.  Most people who claim they can tell a difference in how they feel, in my opinion, would say the same thing if they were on a placebo of a vitamin.  If you think you are going to feel "better" with something, chances are that you will.  Mind and body connection.  Yes the body does use the vitamins that it needs, and while some are passed out in urination if in abundance, others do not, and can quite possible lead to problems.