According to Cornell University, over 40 percent of adults take vitamins, even though they may not need them. The average healthy individual who eats a wide variety of foods should have no trouble getting their recommended daily intake of vitamins. Still, according to Harvard Medical School, there are nearly a dozen vitamins and minerals that most people in the United States are slightly deficient in. For these people, and many others, including professional athletes and people with certain health conditions, there are many advantages to taking vitamins.
Vitamin Defficiency
Calcium, chromium, folate, Vitamin D, magnesium , Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E and zinc are all vitamins that people are commonly slightly deficient in. While these deficiencies are generally not enough to cause significant health problems, they can contribute to health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis over long spans of time. For this reason, a general purpose multi-vitamin may be effective at preventing disease and filling nutrition gaps.
Disease Treatment
According to Cornell University, "megadoses of vitamins may be useful in treating certain rare vitamin dependent genetic disorders and in certain malabsorption syndromes." Vitamin and mineral supplements are often recommended, along with other therapies, to treat common health conditions. For example, taking potassium can help lower blood pressure, say the experts at Harvard University. People with osteoarthritis and other bone or joint issues are often told to take calcium supplements. If you do not have a health condition that requires vitamin therapy, taking large doses of vitamins can actually do more harm than good.
Disease Prevention
Much like vitamins can be used in disease treatment they can also be used in disease prevention. Supplementing to make sure that you meet the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of certain vitamins and minerals, like calcium or potassium can help stave off osteoporosis or high blood pressure in conjunction with other healthy choices. Ensuring that you get enough vitamins will prevent rare conditions, such as beriberi and scurvey, which result from nutritional deficits of certain nutrients.
Pregnancy
Vitamins are useful and recommended during pregnancy, especially folic acid, report the medical experts at Cornell University. Folic acid prevents neural tube defects like spina bifida. Most women who receive prenatal care are advised to take prenatal vitamins to ensure that their bodies get enough nutrients, as the growing fetus will take what it needs from the mother's body. This can cause slight deficiencies.
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