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Vitamins are nutrients required in very small amounts for essential metabolic reactions in the body. The term vitamin does not include other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids, nor does it encompass the large number of other nutrients that promote health but that are not strictly essential. Until the 1900s, vitamins were obtained solely through food intake. Each individual fruit or vegetable contains different ratios of vitamins. So, prior to the development of vitamins and the growth of mass transportation, people had to eat what was in season and available in their region. Then changes in diet would alter the types and amounts of vitamins ingested. Short-term deficiencies could occur during a particular season when some fruits and vegetables are not available. But this short term decrease in some vitamins usually does not cause diseases.

Even though vitamins have been produced and made widely available as inexpensive pills for several decades, fruits and vegetables should be the main source of your vitamin intake. Did Adam and Eve take vitamin and mineral supplements? I dont think so. The value of eating certain foods to maintain health was recognized long before vitamins were identified. In 1897, Christian Eijkman discovered that eating unpolished rice instead of polished rice helped to prevent the disease beriberi. The following year, Frederick Hopkins discovered some foods contained "accessory factors" in addition to proteins, carbohydrates, fats and other valuable nutrients that were necessary for the functions of the human body. Hopkins was awarded the 1929 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Christian Eijkman for their discovery of several vitamins. Vitamin supplementation is a new belief man adopted. Part of the problem with the American diet is we over process grains and another part of the problem is our over indulgence in high fat animal based foods. Well if Adam and Eve did not need vitamins then we should not either.

In humans there are thirteen vitamins, divided into two groups: four fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), and nine water-soluble vitamins (eight B vitamins and vitamin C). Because we do not store most vitamins in our bodies, we must consume them regularly. The American population can buy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to meet their nutritional needs in their local grocery store. Plus we can also buy out of season fruits and vegetables in the frozen food section.

In large doses some vitamins have documented side effects. Vitamin side effects tend to increase in severity with an increase in the dosage. The likelihood of consuming too much of any vitamin from food is remote, but overdosing from vitamin supplementation does occur. At a high enough dosages some vitamins can cause nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Unlike some of the side effects caused by drugs, vitamin side effects rarely cause any permanent harm. The symptoms of vitamin over dose occurs, reducing the vitamin intake will reduce the ill effect accordingly. In the United States, overdose exposure to all formulations of vitamins was reported by 62,562 individuals in 2004 (nearly 80 Percent of these exposures were in children under the age of 6). It is for these reasons that physicians and scientists carefully review the clinical data on supplement use in order to determine upper dosage thresholds for each vitamin that can be tolerated as a daily dose by the entire population without side effects.

Dietary supplements should be used to ensure that an adequate amount of nutrients are obtained on a daily basis, only if optimal amounts of the nutrients cannot be obtained through a varied diet. Supplements are, as required by law, not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure diseases. In some cases, dietary supplements may have unwanted effects, especially if taken before surgery, with other dietary supplements or medicines, or if the person taking them has certain health conditions. Before taking a supplement, it is important to check with a knowledgeable health care provider, especially when combining or substituting supplements with other foods or medicine. For example Vitamin K thins the blood and should not be taken of you are on a blood thinning drug. There maybe times when a certain vitamin, mineral or even herbal remedy is recommended, but you should also take a close look at your diet. Eat fruits and vegetables in as whole a form as you can. The more processed natural foods are the less benefit they are to you.

Most countries place dietary supplements in a special category under the general umbrella of "foods," not drugs. This makes the manufacturer, and not the government, responsible for ensuring that the dietary supplement products are safe before they are marketed. Unlike drugs, that must be proven safe and effective for their intended use before marketing, there are often no provisions to "approve" dietary supplements are safety or effective before they are marketed to the consumer. Also unlike drug products, manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements are not generally required to report any claims of injuries or illnesses that may be related to the use of their products. Just because advertisements say you should take vitamins does not mean you really need them. Be responsible for your health by being well educated before you choose to consume vitamin and mineral supplements and maybe most importantly, fashion you diet around whole fruits and vegetables and not around processed foods, restaurants and supplements.

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Reference: Wikipedia