Vitamin Supplements May Be Harmful to Your Health

Vitamin Supplements May Harm You Dr. Şeref Kamil Basmacıoğlu, Assistant Professor from the Internal Medicine Department at Yeni Yüzyıl University Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital, explained what should be considered regarding 'carelessly used vitamin supplements'.

Eating healthily should be the priority

Our primary responsibility is to maintain a healthy diet. If you really want to ensure your body is receiving the nutrients it needs, start with a healthy diet, meaning a diet based primarily on plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as moderate amounts of lean protein and dairy products. Eat real food instead of processed foods, and sugar and saturated fats should be kept to a minimum. If you have no absorption problems and are not a picky eater, it is possible to meet your nutritional needs through adequate seasonal fruits and vegetables in our country and by obtaining sufficient protein. The goal meanwhile is to meet the micronutrient requirements we need according to our target age and our age. We should follow a diversified nutrition program that contains sufficient iron, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. This does not mean not taking vitamin supplements. It means that a healthy diet is much more important and effective for your overall health. After all, these are vitamin supplements, not vitamin substitutes. The purpose is not to replace a healthy diet, but to support it. One of the most popular supplement options is multivitamins, and many people view it as the sole solution for nutrition. If you are not following and planning a healthy diet, you probably want to start with a multivitamin supplement. If you already eat a balanced diet, you will not see real health benefits from taking a multivitamin. Standard multivitamins contain 100 percent of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of various vitamins and minerals. However, because pills are physically incapable of doing this, few multivitamins contain all of your body's nutritional needs. Most exclude calcium, iron and magnesium. Of course, your body cannot absorb calcium and iron at the same time, so you will not benefit from a multivitamin containing these compounds together. Additionally, you may encounter experimental multivitamins, meaning supplements making dubious health claims, such as those claiming to contain antioxidants that reduce cancer risk. While some of these added ingredients have no real effect, some may provide benefits but it has not been proven how much and how much of these benefits are seen, and some are actually harmful. For example, most contain more than 400 IU of vitamin E, which is 18 times the recommended daily intake and potentially harmful. Beyond providing benefits, excessive vitamin E has been shown to increase prostate cancer risk in men.

If you want a multivitamin, take only the standard one

An important issue is also pastes, special honeys, special mixtures like these—combinations we don't know what and how much of each substance they contain—which you should always avoid. If a product you buy does not say which element it contains and how much, do not take it. As we age, particularly those aged 65 and over, a significant portion regularly takes a multivitamin or another vitamin or mineral supplement. This creates significant costs. According to nutrition experts, this money might be better spent on nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

Benefits of Individual Vitamin Supplements

Vitamins and minerals support your body in many different ways, and most of them work together. For example, while vitamin E helps repair DNA, vitamin B12 helps create it. Vitamin A, calcium and vitamin D support bone health. Your body gets most of these nutrients from food. However, some like B12 are harder to find. Because some nutrients your body needs come only from animal products, this is especially true for vegans and vegetarians. To maintain good health, people who choose these lifestyles need to take supplements. Laboratory work helps reveal deficiencies in your body, so it may be beneficial to talk with your healthcare provider about supplements. They can also guide you on best practices, as your body only absorbs some minerals if you take them in a certain way. Some must be absorbed with fats, others like calcium and iron counteract each other, and others cannot be absorbed by your body when in pill or capsule form.

Are There Risks to Vitamin Supplements?

No supplement can replace a healthy diet. If you are not sure what a healthy diet is, talk to your doctor. They will provide a list of foods to support if needed based on your health conditions. Vitamin D deficiency is a significant health problem in our country. Although it is commonly shown to be deficient, when taken carelessly it can cause poisoning. If you cannot get everything you need from your diet, such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12, you may need to take a supplement. On this matter as well, consult your doctor.