Your body needs vitamins for a variety of vital functions and must obtain most of them from dietary sources. Consuming vitamins from natural food sources or through supplements does not cause physiological effects that could be described as addictive, unlike substances such as caffeine and nicotine. Vitamins cause many physiological effects, obviously, but they are ones essential to life processes as opposed to merely excitatory actions. Further, lack of vitamins leads to deficiency syndromes, not cravings or withdrawal symptoms. However, some people may be addicted to taking vitamins due to their health potential, which is a psychological addiction.
Vitamin B Complex
B vitamins, especially B-6 and B-12, are needed for cellular metabolism and energy production. As such, some B vitamins are the only vitamins that elicit a physiological response that might be detectable within a short time of consuming them, according to "Vitamins: Fundamental Aspects in Nutrition and Health." You may notice a slight boost in energy, which could be psychologically addictive to some athletes. Further, if you are overweight, you have probably heard about the ability of B-complex vitamins to stimulate metabolism and red blood cell production, which may contribute to weight loss if your diet is healthy. People desperate to lose weight are more vulnerable to becoming psychologically dependent on supplements that might help with weight loss, according to "Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy."
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the most intentionally "mega-dosed" vitamin in the United States, according to "Contemporary Nutrition." There are many reasons for this, such as Dr. Linus Pauling's lifelong educational campaign on the merits of vitamin C and a recommended dietary intake that has been set far too low for many years. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and immune booster, and many Americans are habituated to mega-dosing it during cold and flu seasons to prevent illness, although the scientific research is not clear if vitamin C can prevent viral infections.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant and immune booster and is used in a variety of skin products that some women who fear the effects of aging might become psychologically addicted to. Vitamin E is a common ingredient in many skin creams that are marketed to treat wrinkles, age spots and other blemishes.
Health Addiction
Being concerned about your health is never a problem, but becoming reliant and psychologically dependent on a variety of vitamin-based products because of fear of aging or disease can be a problem. Ironically, the emotion of fear produces physiological harmful reactions that may outweigh the benefits of some of the vitamins you are taking, according to "Human Biochemistry and Disease." A well-balanced diet based around vegetables, fruits and pure water is the cornerstone of good health because it provides all of the vitamins in combinations and ratios that are best assimilated by your body, addiction-free.
References
- "Vitamins: Fundamental Aspects in Nutrition and Health"; G. Combs; 2008
- "Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy"; Staci Nix; 2005
- "Contemporary Nutrition"; Gordon M. Wardlaw; 2010
- "Human Biochemistry and Disease"; Gerald Litwack; 2008
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