Taking Proper Vitamins

Some people go to the local health store like GNC or High Health to get their supply of vitamins. This people often go to these places because they feel or even know that they can get a better
grade of vitamin there than at the local drug store or supermarket. A lot of the vitamins sold at the health stores come in much too high of a dose per pill or capsule. Sometimes it is just the person's belief that more is better, but all too often they purchase these mega-dose vitamins at the
beckoning of the sales person working there who recommended them.

Years ago the U.S. government set the guidelines as to the proper levels of vitamins and minerals people should take and not exceed to help prevent overdose. Some people think that these assessed levels are too low, and believe that it is better to take much higher doses than what is recommended. Then come out a question, is this safe to do?

Sure it is a good idea to take a vitamin and mineral supplement, but as it always was, it is still recommended that you get more of your vitamins and minerals from whole food sources. It is not a good idea to think that a poor, improper diet can be made up for by simply taking a handful of vitamin and mineral pills. While it is true that it is hard to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need daily from food alone, vitamin and mineral pills are only meant to fill these little gaps, not totally replace them.

The recommended daily allowances for each vitamin and mineral set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Academy of Sciences. It was done based on studies that determined how much of each vitamin and mineral our body needed and how much we could reasonably obtain from food. It was determined that taking extra vitamins and minerals within the recommended guidelines was safe.

Taking proper vitamins and minerals is important because aside from being needed for normal bodily functions, they are important in fighting disease and helping to cure many ailments. It can also prevent cancer, stop aging, ease arthritis, and help with lots of other conditions with vitamins. Billions of dollars are being spent on vitamins and minerals to be taken in mega-doses with the belief that they can cure many of their ailments.

Some people think that the RDA's should be increased because they believe that the current recommended doses are too low. Recently, the RDA's of some vitamins and minerals has been increased, such as vitamin C. However, the Food and Drug Administration has not been too eager to increase the RDA's of others because there are studies that indicate that taking more is not better. In fact, taking too much of some vitamins and minerals can cause both a toxin buildup as well as a mineral
imbalance in the body.

For example taking vitamin E at more than 1000mg increases the risk for possible bleeding. It is believed that taking mega-doses of vitamin C can cure a cold and even prevent cancer. However the FDA believes that too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea. There are studies being conducted that are beginning to hint that if you take too big of doses of anti-oxidants while being treated for cancer, you may be feeding the cancer cells, making them resistant to chemotherapy.

Staying within a moderate dose is the best approach to taking vitamin and mineral supplements. It means that you do not need the "super huge mega size" multi-vitamin pills often sold in the health
stores. There are many of multi-vitamins sold at these health stores that are within good, moderate, acceptable levels of vitamin and mineral content.

What you have to remember is, when the sales person working there attempts to sell you the outrageously big vitamin pills, they are doing so because those vitamins are usually more expensive and will bring in higher commissions. The majority of the people who work in these health stores do not have any degrees or certifications's in any area of nutrition and so are not qualified to determine how much of any vitamin or mineral you need.

When you feel you may need more of any vitamin or mineral, the best approach is to consult with your doctor. The doctor will assess your blood work results and determine whether you need more or
even less of any of the vitamins or minerals.