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Taking Vitamins, Is
it Necessary?
Randa N.
Madrigal
Kaplan University
HW499
Multivitamins
Many people in our society take a daily
multivitamin, but is it necessary or safe?



Dieticians say that eating a variety of healthy
foods is all you need to get the necessary
vitamins and nutrients your body needs.
Taking “mega” doses of certain vitamins can
cause problematic side-effects and may
often pose severe health risks when taken
with other medicines.
Consult a physician before taking any
supplements of any kind if possible to avoid
possible health risks or complications (NIH,
2013b).
Nutrition Insurance Policy
 Eat
a healthy diet from foods
recommended from the USDA guidelines
(USDA, 2010).
 Take
a multivitamin to cover any
nutritional deficiencies.

As recommended by a physician.
Information Is Key

Rely on primary and secondary reputable sources
rather than “popular” sources for current and
reliable medical information such as The American
Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and The
Medical Letter.
The American Academy of Family Physicians:
The objectives of AAFP is the advocacy, practice
enhancement, education and health of the public.
http://www.aafp.org/patient-care.html
o
o
The Medical Letter: Trusted prescription drug
information and facts since 1959.
http://secure.medicalletter.org/
Don’t Go Overboard
 Do
not take more than recommended
daily allowance.
 Limit fortified foods such as protein bars,
cereals, and other foods that contain folic
acid.
 Always consult with your physician before
taking any supplements to learn any
potential side effects or risks that they
may pose to your health (NIH, 2013).
Vitamin Quality
 FDA
or Food and Drug Association
regulates vitamins as a food not a drug
(NIH, 2011).


The FDA does not evaluate the quality of
supplements or assess their effects on the
body.
Manufacturers are responsible for a
supplements purity/quality.
 If
a supplement is found to be unsafe, the FDA
can restrict or ban its use.
Getting the Right Amount
 Eat
a healthy diet.
 Choose a daily multivitamin.
 Consider a D supplement.
 Just say NO to “mega” dose vitamins.
 Avoid “Super” supplements (Harvard
School of Public Health, 2015).
Common Mistakes
o
o
People often take large amounts of
supplements, often hundreds to a
thousands of times more than
recommended to treat illnesses and
disease(Stressing, 2015).
Taking supplements without the proper
research and a physician’s guidance
often leads to potential harm and
sometimes an increased risk of death
(Harvard School of Public Health, 2015).
New Evidence
 According
o
to (NIH), scientists are still
discovering new information about
common vitamins (NIH, 2013).
A recent study found that Vitamin E raised
the risk of heart disease rather than
lowering it as once thought (NIH, 2013).
Good to Know

Almost everyone can benefit from a calcium
supplement (Stresing, 2015).

1,000 mg’s for adults, and 1,200 mg’s for adults
over 50.




Calcium can interact with certain medications
by limiting their absorption making them less
effective.
B complex (600 units per day) for aging
individuals.
Folate or folic acid is an essential supplement
for pregnant or nursing women.
High doses of vitamin B3 or Niacin can harm
the liver (Stresing, 2015).
Supplement Facts Links

Links to reliable dietary supplement facts:
o
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Fact sheets on dietary supplements.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/
o
National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Dietary Supplement Label
Database. This link provides the user with a free database
that allows them to look up the ingredients of thousands of
dietary supplements. It includes information from the label on
dosage, health claims and cautions.
http://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/
o
NIH’s free personalized on-the-go app for smart phones and
tablets called MyDs (My Dietary Supplements). This app
provides the user with personalized, on-the-go information
about dietary supplements
http://myds.nih.gov
References
National Institutes for Health. (2013). Dietary
supplement data base. Retrieved from
http://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/
National Institutes for Health. (2013b). Should you take
dietary supplements? Retrieved from
http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/aug2013/feature1
National Institutes for Health. (2011). Dietary
supplements: What you need to know. Retrieved from
http://ods.od.nih.gov/pubs/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow
.pdf
Harvard School of Public Health. (2015).Vitamins. Retrieved
from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritio
nsource/what-should-you-eat/vitamins/
References Continued
Stresing, D. (2015).
Everything You Need to Know About Vitamins.
Retrieved from
http://www.everydayhealth.com/dietnutrition/vitamins-meds.aspx
The Medical Letter. (2015) Retrieved from
http://secure.medicalletter.org/
United States Department of Agriculture (2010).
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved
from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DietaryG
uidelines