The difference between dietary supplements Multivitamins and supplements cannot replace food. Whole foods have benefits that supplements simply can't provide. Experts recommend that healthy people get their vitamins and minerals by eating nutrient-rich foods instead of taking supplements. Few studies show a clear relationship between taking supplements and preventing diseases, unless those diseases are caused by a nutritional deficiency.
On the one hand, Chakravarty says, supplements are specific extracts of the nutritional components of a healthy diet. When you eat natural foods, foods that don't contain the supplement provide much more nutritional value. The supplement industry has taken advantage of that dynamic lifestyle, but if you already eat an overall healthy and varied diet, you're unlikely to need additional vitamins. However, there is no evidence that taking large doses of any vitamin can stop or reverse the effects of aging.
Vitamin and mineral supplements can also interfere with prescription drugs and medical treatments. And if you need to take a supplement, it's best to take multivitamins at the recommended dietary level, rather than single-nutrient supplements or high-dose multivitamins. Even though vitamins in supplements are synthesized with the exact chemical makeup of natural vitamins, they don't seem to work as well. Depending on your needs, your doctor may recommend that you take a specific type or that you take it in combination with magnesium or vitamin D.
If you are recommended to take vitamin supplements, it's a good idea to see a dietitian, who can work with your doctor or other health professionals to provide you with dietary advice related to your situation. Foods contain nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and water, as well as several vitamins and minerals that can keep you healthy. Research shows that most of the vitamins you get from the foods you eat are better than those in pills. Folic acid-fortified foods have the nutrient added during production to increase their nutritional value.
Getting nutrients from healthy foods is the best way to keep vitamin and mineral levels high. Eating a combination of nutritious foods can also reduce the risk of many diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure. When vitamins are taken in supplement form, they enter the body at levels that could not be achieved even with the healthiest diets. However, vitamins D and A are fat-soluble and can accumulate in the system, so they are worth controlling.
Some complementary medicines, such as vitamin and mineral supplements, can interact with prescription drugs and medical treatments.
