Are Vitamin Supplements Necessary?

Enough is enough

While it is difficult to determine whether vitamin supplements make users healthier, it is much easier to test the idea that more is better. In 1994, a study in Finland investigated 29,000 men who smoked. In a controlled experiment, some of the men were given doses of vitamin E and vitamin A. The researchers found that the cancer rates in patients who took the vitamins increased!

It is important to consume the recommended daily allowance of vitamins, but taking large doses (also known as megadoses) can be harmful. Doses of fat-soluble vitamins that are stored in the body as well as some of the water-soluble vitamins should be avoided to prevent unwanted side effects.

For example,

• Too much vitamin C
  (a water-soluble vitamin) can cause diarrhea and kidney stones, and
• Too much vitamin E
  (a fat-soluble vitamin) can cause blood-clotting problems.