A well balanced diet will, in almost all instances, rule out the need for dietary supplements.
Before you stock up on dietary supplements, stop to consider
whether you could get similar benefits more cheaply by improving your diet.
Under normal circumstances, a well-balanced diet contains
all the necessary vitamins in sufficient quantities. Obviously, when you are
suffering from certain illnesses, are on a restricted diet, are pregnant, or
breast feeding, extra vitamins may be recommended by your doctor. Otherwise,
extra vitamins are unnecessary and can even be harmful, leading to poisonous
overdoses called – hypervitaminosis!
A Good Diet
Vitamin A is necessary for healthy skin, bones, and eyes;
you can get enough by eating moderate amounts of dairy products. Ox liver,
halibut and cod live oil are particularly rich sources, as are carrots,
tomatoes, spinach and watercress. Avoid taking vitamin A supplements as an
excess can cause fragile bones, liver and spleen enlargement and loss of
appetite and possibly even hair.
The B vitamins affect blood, skin, nerves and growth, and
the way your body uses foods. To get sufficient quantities, your diet should regularly
include lean meats and/or pulses, offal, fish, whole-wheat bread and wholegrain
vegetables like spinach. If you reel run down, nervous, or develop skin
ailments, your doctor may recommend a B complex supplement; some people take
brewer’s yeast, a rich source of several B vitamins, for extra energy.
Doses of pyridoxine (B6) are used to treat acne,
convulsions, premenstrual tension, and period pains; both B6 and B12 are
prescribed for anaemia. Generally, the body quickly excretes any excess vitamin
B, but undernourished people should not take vitamin B1 on its own, as this can
impair the body’s use of other vitamins.
You should ensure that your diet contains generous daily
amounts of vitamin C-rich foods, as the body cannot store it, and it is easily
destroyed by time, cooking and by cigarette smoking. It is essential for the
health of blood, bones, teeth, and the body’s connective tissue. Peppers, black
currants, parsley, oranges, broccoli and many other fresh fruits and vegetables
are good sources, especially when raw or lightly cooked. There is no conclusive
evidence that vitamin C presents colds, but a supplement cannot usually
harm.
Vitamin D is necessary for strong bones and teeth, and prevents rickets in children. It is found mainly in fish liver oils, egg yolk, liver, fatty sea-fish and milk. Supplements should be avoided as overdosing can cause vomiting, headaches, weight loss and calcium deposits in kidneys and arteries.
Vitamins E and K are both connected with the functioning of
the blood. Many claims are made for vitamin E – ranging from warding off heart
attacks to relieving menopausal symptoms – but none has been proven.
Vitamin E
occurs in many foods especially in oils of wheat germ, cottonseed, and corn,
and in oatmeal, margarine, eggs, meat, butter, and peas.
Vitamin K helps
prevent excessive bleeding. Ample quantities can be obtained by eating pig’s liver,
green leafy vegetables, eggs and milk; supplements are largely unnecessary as
the body makes up for any shortage by manufacturing it in the intestines.
If you think you are suffering from vitamin deficiency, or
that a supplement might help combat a particular ailment, you should consult
your doctor. You will also find it helpful to look at a nutrition manual for
the quantities required, how to achieve the correct balance and how best to
prepare food to make full use of the vitamins.
