“WHY DO WE NEED VITAMINS?”

The word “Vitamin” means necessary for life. Vitamins are substances your body needs in small but regular amounts for normal growth, function and health.

Together, vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients. Your body can’t make most micronutrients, so you must get them from the foods you eat or, in some cases, from supplements.

Vitamins are needed for a variety of biological processes, among them growth, digestion, mental alertness and resistance to infection. They also aid your body in the use of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and they act as catalysts initiating or speeding up chemical reactions.

Though vitamins are involved in converting food into energy, they supply no calories.

Whole foods are your best sources of vitamins. They have three important advantages over supplements:

Whole foods are complex. They contain a variety of the micronutrients your body needs rather than one. An orange, for example, provides vitamin C but also beta carotene, calcium and other nutrients. A vitamin C supplement lacks these other micronutrients.

Whole foods also provide dietary fiber. Fiber is essential for digestion and can help prevent certain diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disorder. Adequate fiber intake can also aid in the prevention of constipation.

Whole foods contain other substances that appear to be important for good health. Fruits and vegetables, for example, contain naturally occurring food substances called phytochemicals, which may help protect you against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Many foods are also good sources of antioxidants (substances that slow down oxidation, a natural process that leads to cell and tissue damage). If you depend on supplements rather than eating a variety of whole foods, you miss the potential benefits of these substances.

“WHO NEEDS VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS?”

Many people don’t receive all of the nutrients they need from their diet because they either can’t or don’t eat enough, or they can’t or don’t eat a variety of healthy foods.

I have heard that it is easier for most people to change their politics or religion than to change the way they eat.

For some people, including those on restrictive diets, multi-vitamin-mineral supplements can provide vitamins and minerals that their diets often don’t. Pregnant women and older adults have altered nutrient needs and may also benefit from a supplement.