Vitamin supplements are an example of dietary supplements. Dietary supplements are preparations that have been prepared professionally by a qualified nutritionist which contain nutrients that are missing in a diet or are consumed in insufficient quantities by a person. A dietary supplement may contain vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids or fiber. Vitamin supplements are used today more than ever. People are having the need to supplement their diets which are lacking in vitamins hence running to supplements. However, vitamin supplements are subject to abuse by the user. Vitamin supplements are supposed to be administered by a nutritionist. Contrary to the requirements, many people tend to self prescribe the supplements to themselves. They over use a supplement and in some cases, they were not supposed to be taking it. Vitamin supplements are intended to boost the vitamin content in a diet and provide the user with the necessary vitamins. In so doing, vitamin supplements boost the health of the user. The essay will give a insight into vitamin supplements and health.
According to (Thomson 2) ,human bodies require a specific amount of vitamins daily in order to stay fit and healthy. Vitamins are required by the body for several functions. Functions of vitamins include; digestion of food, development of muscles, eyesight, heart and nervous systems. Deficiency of vitamins in the body gives rise to deficiency diseses. According to advanced food supplements, pallegra is one of the deficiency diseases. Pellagra was a disease common in the United States whose symptoms are ugly red bloaches on the surface of the skin. Other vitamin deficiency diseases include blindness, goiter and anemia. Because of the vital role played by vitamins in human bodies, their consumption should be daily in order to keep the body healthy. Ideally, vitamins should be taken in the main diet. However, the diet may not contain enough quantities or the body of a person may be requiring more vitamins than the diet can offer. This is where vitamin supplements come in handy.
The Role of Vitamins in the Body
Vitamin a is one of the most important vitamins to the human body. It is taken in from foods such as fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A is taken as a supplement in form of vitamin A supplement. Lack of vitamin A in the body causes night blindness it also leads to the inflammation and dryness of the eyes. Vitamin A supplements may also contain vitamin D since the two vitamins coexist in foods. Vitamin A supplements may be taken inform of a syrup or pill. They should be taken after consultation with a nutritionist or a medical doctor. Vitamin D is also another important vitamin. Deficiency of the vitamin in a human body causes rickets and bowlegs. The main source of vitamin D is natural sunlight. It is advised that parents expose their children to sunlight in their early days so as to give them a solid bone structure. Supplements for vitamin D are available to people who suffer from vitamin D deficiency. People living in the poles are advised to take the supplements since they have limited exposure to sunlight. However, vitamin D deficiency is the uncommon as compared to other vitamin deficiencies.
Vitamin B is another important vitamin to a human body. Vitamin B in a diet is normally given by meat. Like it is the case with vitamin A, vitamin B supplements are available in pill or syrup form. Vitamin B is further divided into different classes. Vitamins B is available in many types of food. However, B12 is not available in foods from plants therefore vegetarians are advised to take vitamin B 12 supplements. Vitamin B supplements may contain all or some of the vitamin B classes. They provide the user with the required vitamins in order to maintain health. Vitamin B supplements may contain; vitamin B 1 which prevents beriberi. Vitamin B 1 also maintains a healthy appetite and ensures that the body has a steady growth. Vitamin supplements may also contain vitamin B 2. Vitamin B 2 inhibits skin lesions and weight loss. Vitamin B 6 is also contained in vitamin B supplements. Vitamin B 6 maintains normal metabolism of amino acids and starch. Lastly, vitamin B 12 which prevents anemia by enabling the body to produce red blood cells (always health 2).
Vitamin c supplements are also available. Vitamin C prevents scurvy a disease which attacks the dental structure of a person. Vitamin c supplements enable the teeth and bone structure to develop strongly. For this reason, vitamin C supplements also contain calcium and phosphorous. Vitamin C is available in fruits especially citrus. Supplements are available in syrup and tablet form. Vitamin E supplements are also available. Vitamin E reduces the risk of heart attacks and cancer. Vitamin E is an anti oxidant hence it’s characteristic of preventing cancer.
Vitamin supplements provide the body with the necessary vitamins for healthy upkeep. However, they do have some disadvantages attached to them. According to , cost of the vitamin supplements is high. This adds on to the dieting cost of an individual since purchasing the vitamin supplements is expensive. For this reason, people are advised to take foods that are rich in vitamins in order to avoid the costs attached to the supplements. There is a risk of taking more vitamins than the body need when a person is on vitamin supplements. Large amounts of vitamins in the body causes nausea, weight loss, muscle weakness and nerve damage which are contrary to the results that the user intended. Therefore it is advisable to follow advice given by a nutritionist or doctor. Eating healthy foods is also advisable since overdosing is almost impossible. People who mix supplements are also at a risk of falling ill due to counter reactions.
In conclusion, vitamin supplements are a major step in the medical world. Due to the declining nourishment found in foods nowadays, supplements have provided n alternative to getting nutrients. Vitamin supplements provide the user with the required vitamins in the proportions required by the body. However as it has been stressed in the paper, professional advice is essential to ensure that the user does not get negative effects from the use of vitamin supplements. Supplement producers should be scrutinized by the standardization bureaus in different countries so as to ensure that they produce supplements which are harmful to humans. All in all, vitamin supplements should not be taken as a substitute to healthy diet. Foods are much more advantageous to the body than supplements hence healthy dieting should be the prime thing.