Despite eating a balanced diet, some people develop nutritional deficits that require supplementation. Vitamins are one of the supplements that have been recommended for health reasons. However, there are safety and efficacy concerns about some of the supplements, such as vitamin (Geddes, 2018). The lingering question in my head is; are vitamins worth the money spent to buy them? Therefore, it is imperative to research and weigh the benefits and risks associated with vitamin supplements.
Folic acid is one of the few supplements that improve an individual’s health outcomes. Discussing vitamin supplements is directed at helping us understand their value. Analyzing the benefits and risks of vitamins is a critical aspect that can help society take a stand concerning their nutritional habits (Manson & Bassuk, 2018). When the dangers of vitamin supplements are more than the benefits, the society will shift to naturals sources of minerals and therefore save money unless there is a diagnosis supporting the intake.
Some vitamin supplements are not effective to the body even if they are taken in high doses. Prior studies indicate that overdose of some minerals can be harmful to an individual’s health (Zhang et al., 2020). Therefore, it is a waste of money to buy some of the supplements because they have no nutritional values and can be dangerous to the body. The media feeds the public with the minerals’ benefits without considering the negative side. This is because there is little or no known scientific evidence in public communicating the truth about the supplements (Geddes, 2018). For example, some vitamins such as multivitamin have been identified ineffective, while others, such as vitamin E and beta-carotene, are harmful when taken in high quantities.
It is worth noting that dietary supplements such as some vitamins are ineffective while others are dangerous to the body when taken in high doses. Therefore, individuals should shift to the natural sources of nutrition unless directed by the physician to incorporate the supplements into the diet. However, expectant mothers should be on a folic acid regimen because it has been proven to preclude neural tube defects (Zhang et al., 2020). Therefore, scientific information should be availed to the public concerning the safety and efficacy of vitamins and other supplements.
References
Geddes, L. (2018). The truth about supplements. New Scientist, 240(3206), 30–34. Web.
Manson, J. E., & Bassuk, S. S. (2018). Vitamin and mineral supplements: What clinicians need to know. JAMA, 319(9), 859–860. Web.
Zhang, F. F., Barr, S. I., McNulty, H., Li, D., & Blumberg, J. B. (2020). Health effects of vitamin and mineral supplements. BMJ, 369, m2511. Web.