Why Vitamin Supplements are Important

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Recommended: Importance of vitamins, macro and micronutrients in the body

The human body needs vitamins. This cannot be disputed. Vitamins are essential “for normal growth and functioning. Some facilitate crucial chemical reactions, while others act as building blocks for the body” (Sine). Where one gets vitamins can be from two main sources: food and supplements. Due to changes in lifestyle and the huge presence of the fast food industry, food may not always be an adequate way to receive all of one’s essential vitamins every day. That’s where supplements can be extremely valuable in assuring that people receive all of their nutrients. In many cases, supplements have even been linked to preventing diseases and other conditions. That is why taking food supplements should be a part of everyone’s daily regiment.

Maintaining a healthy diet does not provide the daily-recommended vitamins and minerals (also known as micro-nutrients) one needs to function. “ ‘It’s easy to get enough micro-nutrients from your food if you maintain a healthy diet,’ Audry Cross PhD Clinical Professor of Nutrition at Columbia’s School of Public Health, tells Web MD. ‘But most people fail the test; they’ll eat two or three servings of fruits and vegetables per day rather than the required five.’ That’s why Cross (and many other nutritionists) suggest a multi-vitamin as a sort of nutritional safety net for many of their patients” (Sine). It’s impossible to know the exact amount of nutrients one gets with so many food sources available today. A micronutrient that’s getting a lot of attention recently is Vitamin D. This is a very important micronutrient as it aids the body in the production of strong bones. Vitamin D, which is not always found in foods but rather absorbed through the skin from UVA/UVB rays is lacking in many peo...

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...ments. At the end of the day, who can put a price on good health? For this reason alone, it is worth the extra cost of the supplements for the added peace of mind.

Works Cited

Brennan, Colin. "Vitamin Supplements Are Usually Unnecessary." Opposing Viewpoints: Health. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. VCCS System - used for scripted access. 4 July 2010

Greenblatt, Alan. "Obesity Epidemic." CQ Researcher 13.4 (2003): 73-104. CQ Researcher. Web. 4 July 2010.

Kolata, Gina. “Vitamins: More May Be Too Many.” The New York Times 29 April 2003, Science Desk; Section F. Factiva. Web. 10 July 2010.

Masci, D. (2001, February 23). Diet and health. CQ Researcher, 11, 129-160. Retrieved July 4, 2010

“Vitamin D.” Life Extension 16.6 (2010): 70-74. Alt Health Watch. EBSCO. Web. 30 June 2010.

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