Vitamin Supplements: Are They for Everyone?

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Vitamin Supplements: Are They for Everyone?

Vitamin Supplements: Are They for Everyone?

By H. Shmerling, M.D.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

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Better take your vitamins — they're good for you!When I was a kid, I remember hearing these words from my mother and in TV commercials. It seemed like good advice, yet not all my friends were taking vitamins, and they seemed healthy.

That got me wondering: Are they really good for you? Which ones are best and how much is enough?

Could they be harmful?In recent years, recommendations to take various vitamins (and other supplements) are so commonplace that I often see patients who are taking six, eight or even more vitamins each day.The term "vitamin" comes from "vita" (meaning life) and "amine" (a type of compound that includes some vitamins). There are 13 well-accepted vitamins (see below).

Vitamins are not the same as essential minerals, which are also vital to life. Vitamins are compounds or molecules, while minerals are made up of a single element.Hepatitis C and Vitamins

..If you have hepatitis C, vitamins (such as vitamins A and K) may actually make your liver disease worse. People with hepatitis C should not take supplements of vitamin K and should avoid doses of vitamin D that are greater than 2,000 IU. At high doses, vitamin E can thin the blood, so people with hepatitis C should not take doses greater than 400 IU. It's important to avoid high doses of these -- and other -- vitamins if you have hepatitis C. Vitamins in large doses can cause additional harm to the liver