The Good and Bad about Vitamins

Vitamins are often taken without proper consideration to their possible side effects. Sometimes vitamin supplements are healthy; however, there are less-obvious disadvantages to using them, too. It's important to get the facts about vitamins before you make any health-related decisions.

The body demands micronutrients in order to grow and develop naturally. These are known as vitamins, which assist the body as it functions each day. Micronutrients come from food, mostly, but can also be derived from vitamins. Vitamin supplements, when taken without the supervision of a doctor, can do more harm than good.

Why Vitamins Are Helpful
People are less likely to become sick or injured when they have all the nutrients they need. The more a body lacks nutrients, the more susceptible to illness it becomes — the reason being that the body has received fewer than necessary nutrients.

Illnesses are often caused by vitamin deficiencies. A person lacking Vitamin A, for instance, might experience night blindness or dry skin. Vitamin B1 deficiencies can cause extremities to lose feeling. If a person maintains an imbalanced diet, vitamins can serve as a sort of "buffer."

The excretory system is responsible for flushing out excess water-soluble vitamins. Vitamin K, E, and A are all fat-soluble vitamins; this means that they can be stored in the body's tissues, which could contribute to disease and illness.

Here are some excellent sources of vitamins, as well as their corresponding deficiencies:

• Vitamin A (Retinol): Night blindness, dry skin. Liver, butter, and whole milk are great sources of Vitamin A.
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Loss of sensations, muscular atrophy, and numbness and/or tingling in the extremities. Vitamin B2 is most commonly obtained from bran, fish, fruits, nuts, veggies, and whole grains.
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Cracked lips, impaired vision, and ulcers in the mouth. Liver, vegetables, eggs, and milk are sources of Vitamin B2.
• Vitamin B3: Weakness and tiredness, fatigue, mouth sores, and rough skin. Look for Vitamin B3 in meat, seafood, cereal, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Vitamin B6: Soreness in the mouth, nausea, dizziness, and depression. Meat, bran, and veggies are great sources of Vitamin B6.
• Vitamin B12: Shortness of breath, tiredness, tingling or numbness in the hands, limbs, or feet. Vitamin B12 is in meat, milk, and seafood.
• Vitamin C: Bruised, swollen, and/or bleeding gums. Vitamin C is a rare deficiency, as most vegetables and citrus foods contain large amounts of it.
• Vitamin D: Misshapen spine or legs. Find Vitamin D in eggs and seafood, as well as whole milk.
• Vitamin E: Affects the Central Nervous System, so disorders such as ataxia and peripheral neuropathy are common. Vitamin E can be found in sunflower seeds, veggies, nut oils, and wheat germ.
• Folic Acid: Similar symptoms to Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B3 deficiencies. Folic Acid is readily found in liver, nuts, veggies, and whole wheat.
• Vitamin K: Bleeding. Look for Vitamin K in almost all vegetables.
• Pantothenic Acid: Coordination issues, headaches, and tiredness. Look for Pantothenic Acid in liver, potatoes, and eggs.
  
  

Vitamins Have Disadvantages
Sometimes vitamins are not the wisest nutritional choice. Vitamins can be expensive. It's sometimes cheaper to seek healthy, less-expensive meals and food items than to compensate for unhealthiness through multivitamins. The risk of overdose, when taking multivitamins, is high; seeking nutrients through food, however, can eliminate this possibility.

You may be, in fact, getting plenty of vitamins in your everyday meals. Don't overload your system, especially when doing so can cost unnecessary money and could lead to an eventual overdose. Intaking too many fat-soluble vitamins is a sure way to overdose. If you consume too much Vitamin A, for example, you may run the risk of hair loss, blurred vision, and ringing in the ears.

Wondering what a vitamin overdose looks like?

• Vitamin A: Ringing in the ears, irregular menses, skin rashes, mood disorders, and apathy.
• Vitamin B3: Peptic ulcers, dizziness, gout, and hyperglycemia.
• Vitamin B6: Loss of memory, difficulty walking, disorientation, numbness, and depression.
• Vitamin D: Hypertension, higher cholesterol rates, and nausea.
• Vitamin E: Loss of muscle mass, breast soreness, and a prolonged healing of wounds.
  
  

Don't run the risk of an overdose in vitamins. Call your chiropractor and ask him or her if a supplementary multivitamin might behoove your overall lifestyle.

Who Should Use Vitamins?
Diets high in naturally nutrient-rich foods can go a long way toward supplanting your intake.

Simple choices such as milk, eggs, liver, nuts and seafood — these foods are exceptionally high in nutrients. Even whole wheat bread can be helpful to balancing your diet. Even so, people sometimes genuinely need a supplementary multivitamin. If you're recovering from an injury or illness — or simply not getting the nutrients you need — vitamins can help. Also, if you have digestive problems, are pregnant or nursing, or have a suppressed appetite, vitamins may be of use.

No matter what if you are considering using vitamin supplements, it's best to check with your chiropractor first. He or she can best advise which supplements to use… or if you even need them at all!