Vitamins in Capsules

While health education in the United States emphasizes proper nutrition and the importance of vitamins more than ever before, vitamin deficiencies are still common. For example, according to Mike Adams, editor of Natural News, over 40 percent of the United States population is vitamin D deficient, and even 32 percent of doctors and medical students do not get enough of this vitamin. Fortunately, most important vitamins are available in capsule form, so you can obtain the vitamins you need even if you don't eat right or get enough sunlight.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is one of the vitamins most commonly available in capsule form. Supermarkets and pharmacies frequently sell them as soft-gels, which are easily broken down by the body to allow fast vitamin absorption. The soft-gels are also good for topical use - you can puncture the capsules and squeeze out the vitamin E to apply it to the skin or add it to creams and lotions. Vitamin E capsules are typically sold in doses of 200 and 400 IU.
According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, a women's health study showed that a group of women who took at least 400 IU of vitamin E per day experienced a 24% decrease in cardiovascular related deaths. Vitamin E can improve circulation and increase the flexibility of blood vessel tissue, notes Mark Evans, author of "Yoga, Tai Chi, Massage, Therapies and Healing Remedies."

Vitamin C

According to Evans, adults should take 500 mg of vitamin C per day for optimal health. Although citrus fruits are typically abundant in vitamin C, many Westerners do not eat enough fresh fruits to obtain sufficient amounts of this vitamin.
Vitamin C is most commonly available in tablet form, although it is also sold as ascorbic acid in capsule form. The Linus Pauling Institute notes that proper vitamin C consumption is linked to lower risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is most commonly associated with rickets, a disease characterized by weak, soft bones. It may also be linked to depression, high blood pressure, obesity and certain cancers, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. While the body efficiently manufactures vitamin D when exposed to natural sunlight, a lack of outdoor time can keep people vitamin D deficient. You can obtain this vitamin in the form of soft-gel capsule supplements, which range in doses from 50 IU to 1,000 IU.
Infants, children and young adults typically require about 200 IU of vitamin D daily. Adults over 50 need about 400 IU per day, and people over 70 should take at least 600 IU per day, advises the University of Maryland Medical Center.