Many of us have been prescribed vitamin supplements by a physician for one reason or another. In an era where almost everything is just a click away, over-the-counter vitamins have been frequently used by people in an attempt to improve their health.
Vitamins are micronutrients that are required by our body in only small amounts but are necessary for normal bodily function and growth. There are six major types of vitamins – A, B, C, D, E, and K.
Extra amounts of certain vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E and K, can be stored in our body for future use. However, vitamin B and C are removed from our body whenever in surplus.
Types of vitamins
Let’s first discuss the different types of vitamins, their functions, sources, and whether one needs vitamin supplements on regular basis to stay healthy.
Vitamin A or Retinol
Vitamin A, commonly found in carrots, green leafy vegetables, eggs, milk, yoghurt, liver, fish, cheese, mango, papaya, etc., plays an important role in building immunity, vision, and maintaining a healthy skin.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B has eight subtypes – vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), pantothenic acid (B5), B6, B7 (biotin), B9 (folate and folic acid), and B12.
Thiamine, usually found in good quantities in peas, wholegrain, nuts, oranges, cereals, bananas, oranges, etc, helps in maintaining the health of the nervous system and obtaining energy from digested food.
Some of the rich sources of riboflavin are milk, eggs, mushrooms, fortified cereals, yoghurt, etc. Other than extracting energy from food and nourishing the nervous system, vitamin B2 also keeps the eyes and skin healthy.
Niacin is present in eggs, fish, wheat flour, meat, etc. Its functions are similar to riboflavin's.
Pantothenic acid is richly present in chicken, eggs, liver, beef, avocados, mushrooms, etc. Its main function is to derive energy from digested food.
Vitamin B6 can be sourced from poultry (chicken or turkey), fish, peanuts, soybeans, oats., milk, etc. It plays a vital role in utilising and storing energy from food, and in the production of haemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying protein found in blood.
Biotin or vitamin B7 does not need to be taken from diet as most of it is produced in the gut by some species of healthy bacteria. It is pivotal in producing fatty acids.
Green vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, peas, sprouts, kale, etc., kidney beans, chickpeas, cereals are great sources of folate or folic acid, which helps in the production of healthy red blood cells and preventing birth defects in babies while they’re growing inside the womb. To put in context the importance of this vitamin, consider that researchers are now looking into folate receptor-targeted immunotherapy for cancer.
A good amount of vitamin B12 is found in milk, cheese, eggs, fish and meat. This subtype of vitamin B is responsible for aiding the uptake of folate by our body, releasing energy from ingested food, and producing red blood cells while also keeping a check on the health of our nervous system.
Vitamin C or Ascorbic acid
Citrus fruits, mangoes, strawberries, bell peppers, chillies, broccoli and sprouts are rich sources of vitamin C. This vitamin helps the body cells stay healthy, strengthens the immune system, nourishes the skin, bones, and blood vessels, and promotes healing.
Vitamin D
People living in countries with regular sunny days can generate vitamin D in their skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Other sources include fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon, etc.), liver, egg yolk, etc. Vitamin D balances and regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism in the body, thereby keeping the bones muscles, and teeth healthy.
Vitamin E
Maintaining healthy skin, eyes, and immune system is what vitamin E does. Vegetable oils (sunflower, soya, olive oil, etc.), dry fruits, and cereals contain high amounts of vitamin E.
Do I need vitamin supplements?
In healthy individuals, most vitamins can be derived from diet or produced within the body. Researchers and doctors vouch for the benefits of a healthy and balanced diet in providing all the vitamins that are required by our body in sufficient quantities.
A recent study also suggests that taking multivitamin supplements does not reduce the risk of acquiring long-term illnesses, such as heart diseases, cancer, and memory loss.
In fact, a high dose of vitamins is rather harmful to your body. As Larry Appel, M.D., Director, Johns Hopkins Welch Centre for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, rightly says, pills are not an answer to better health.
Who needs vitamin supplements then?
A lot of research has been done in the past which indicates that multivitamins are needed by people who are dealing with or are at a higher risk of developing nutritional deficiencies. These include:
- Older people - due to poor food intake, indigestion, and malabsorption
- Women of childbearing age and pregnant women - for healthy growth of the baby and prevention of birth defects
- Children or adolescents with nutritional deficiencies
- People who are on certain medications - antibiotics, medications for lowering blood pressure, heartburn and Parkinson’s disease
- Individuals who are on a restricted diet - after surgery or during weight loss
- Those with malabsorption disorders - ulcerative colitis or celiac disease
- Individuals with a poor appetite or poor diet because of busy/unpredictable schedule.
So, if you do not fall under any of the high-risk groups mentioned above and eat a healthy and colourful diet, you do not need vitamin supplements. The more food items of different colours you have on your plate, wider is the range of vitamins and minerals that you will receive.
Pills are for those who are ill or are at a high risk of deficiency. The answers to things that you can eat for staying healthy are not over-the-counter but in your pantry, kitchen garden or refrigerator.
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