Doctor, Should I Take Vitamins?
"Doctor, should I take vitamins?" In the past the answer to this question was often strained when a physician's oversimplified view of the subject often collided with a patient's high expectations of the answer. Today the gap between vitamin facts and fiction has diminished, and conversations with doctors have generally become lest testy and more informative. In an effort to continue along the road to better understanding (and greater health) the following is a review of what we all need to know about vitamin supplements.
All vitamins are carbon-containing chemicals that are produced by either plants or animals. They are essential, in small amounts, for the maintenance of life. With the exception of Vitamin D, which comes from exposure to the sun, our bodies need to take in the vitamins we need.
Severe deficiencies of vitamins can cause significant illness. Less severe deficiencies have been associated with chronic diseases such as hardening of the arteries, cancer and osteoporosis. The key question is whether taking vitamin supplements prevents disease or improves health. A more detailed discussion of this follows below.
Related Keywords
