Approximately 44 percent of Americans use some type of vitamins or other dietary supplement, according to a 2010 article by Cathy Becker on the ABC News website. Vitamins can be necessary for those who do not get enough of them from their daily diet, but many people take these supplements unnecessarily, hoping they will help to prevent or treat medical conditions or serve as an "insurance policy" in case they don't get enough of certain vitamins through their diet.
Types
Vitamin supplements come either as single vitamin supplements or as multivitamins. For example, you can purchase vitamin C by itself, a vitamin B-complex multivitamin, or a general multivitamin that contains most essential vitamins and minerals required for good health.
Usage
Vitamin supplements are important for certain groups of people, including vegans, pregnant or nursing women, elderly people, people with conditions that interfere with vitamin absorption, women with heavy menstrual periods and people who consume less than 1,600 calories per day, according to the Mayo Clinic. For people who eat a wide variety of foods--including at least 2.5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day, whole grains, dairy and lean protein sources--additional vitamin supplementation is unnecessary.
Considerations
Whole foods are more nutritious than vitamin supplements because they provide fiber and multiple vitamins and minerals, as well as protective substances called phytonutrients, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Vitamin supplements can be quite expensive, so it only makes sense to take those you truly need. Speak with your doctor to determine which, if any, vitamin supplements you might need. Doing this can also prevent you from accidentally taking supplements that might interact with medications you are taking, taking supplements that aggravate an existing medical condition or overdosing on fat-soluble supplements such as vitamins A, E, D and K.
Warning
Unlike food and medications, dietary supplements are not well regulated. Manufacturers are responsible for determining the safety and effectiveness of their products, and the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, monitors labeling and removes products that are found to be unsafe after they have been on the market. Thus, unlike food and prescription drugs, supplements do not need to be approved by the FDA before being put on the market.
Expert Insight
Before starting to take any vitamin supplements, you should consider whether or not you actually need them, what benefits they might provide, what risks or side effects the supplements might have, the proper dosage and for how long you will take the supplement, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. You should always discuss any supplements you want to take with your doctor before taking them.
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