Vitamins are essential nutrients that play a role in promoting health and preventing disease. A balanced diet may provide sufficient amounts of vitamins for most people, yet supplements may be necessary for diets that have insufficient amounts of a particular vitamin or certain medical conditions. In 2009, the nutrition supplement market grew 7.5 percent and generated $9.4 billion in retail sales. Despite their potential benefits, vitamin supplements can also be dangerous for you.
Pro: Supplements Diets Deficient in Particular Vitamins
People that consume a vegan diet or have high cholesterol may benefit from vitamin supplements. Vegans eat a plant-based diet that contains foods that do not contain or have insufficient amounts of vitamin B-12. Taking vitamin B-12 supplements can help you reduce the risk of pernicious anemia, a neurological disorder associated with vitamin B-12 deficiency. Doctors may prescribe a high dose vitamin B-3 supplement called niacin to help you reduce high blood cholesterol levels. Niacin may also increase blood levels of HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Pro: Slows Down The Aging Process
Vitamins A, C and E are antioxidants that can slow down the aging process and protect you from cancer, heart disease and other diseases. Antioxidants can also reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. Research by Peter Zandi, PhD, MPH, MHS, published in the "Archives of Neurology" in 2004 found that supplements combining vitamins C and E reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Dietary deficiencies of vitamins B-6, B-12 and folate are associated with accelerated development of Alzheimer's disease, according to research by Jia-Min Zhuo, Ph.D., published in "Experimental Gerontology" in 2010. Taking a B-complex supplement may reduce your risk of these deficiencies and possibly slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease, although there is no conclusive research to support or refute this.
Con: Mega Doses
Megadoses of vitamins can cause toxicities that damage your liver, kidneys and other organs and tissues in your body. Research by Gustavo Castano, M.D., published in the "Annals of Hepatology" in 2006 reports that excessive intake of vitamin A may produce acute or chronic liver toxicity. The research found that a patient who took vitamin A supplements showed chronic liver disease with severe fibrosis, a condition of excess fibrous connective tissue.
Con: Drug Interactions
Vitamin supplements can interfere with drugs taken to treat a disease or disorder. Vitamins can interfere with absorption or metabolism of drugs and make them work faster or slower or inhibit the efficacy. Taking a vitamin D supplement can lower blood concentrations of atorvastatin in the treatment of high cholesterol, yet also acts synergistically and reduces cholesterol levels, according to research by Janice Schwarz, M.D., published in "Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics" in 2009. Consult your doctor or pharmacist about taking vitamin supplements while you are also on any medication.
References
- MarketResearch.com: Nutritional Supplements in the U.S., 4th Edition
- MedlinePlus: Niacin and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
- MayoClinic.com: Niacin to Boost Your Hdl, 'Good,' Cholesterol
- MedlinePlus: Antioxidants
- PubMed: Reduced Risk of Alzheimer Disease in Users of Antioxidant Vitamin Supplements: The Cache County Study
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