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Which Vitamins Should One Take?

One look at the vitamin section of most supermarkets and drug stores is enough to confuse most people. Which ones do you need? How much? What do they do for you? Here's a summary of the benefits of some major vitamins.

  1. Vitamin A

    • Vitamin A strengthens the immune system, promotes healthy eyes and is important for the growth of cells and for healthy skin. Teenage boys should get 900 micrograms of vitamin A per day, while teenage girls should get no more than 700 micrograms. Overdosing on vitamin A--a risk especially if you taking acne medication that contains isotretinoin--can cause skin or liver damage.

    Vitamin C

    • Vitamin C is vital for the production of collagen, which helps hold cells together. Vitamin C is very important for the health of teeth, bones, gums and blood vessels. It helps the body absorb nutrients like calcium and iron, and helps the healing of wounds. Men need 75 mg a day; women, 65mg.

    Vitamin B

    • The entire B family should be a part of your daily intake. Men and women need 2.4 micrograms of each B vitamin a day (about 200 IUs). Vitamin B12 is important for nerve cell function and red blood cell development. Vitamin B9 provides women with the folic acid they need to deliver a healthy child. A vitamin B7 deficiency can result in impaired growth and problems with infant development. Vitamin B6 helps break down proteins and assists in healthy brain functioning. Vitamin B5 provides the body with pantothenic acid, which prevents acne and keeps the skin healthy. Vitamin B3 supplements the body's niacin, which is essential for preventing dermatitis, mental confusion and diarrhea. Vitamin B2 is the bodies source of riboflavin which prevents cracks in the lips, sensitivity to sun light, and inflammation of the tongue. Vitamin B1 provides the body with thiamine, essential for preventing beriberi, a disease of the nervous system that can cause failed sensory perception and result in heart failure.

    Vitamin Supplements vs Vitamins from Food

    • The Food and Drug Administration as well as numerous medical sites and journals attest to the importance of using food as the main source of nutrients, supplemented as necessary by vitamin supplements. Not all of the biologically active components in food have been identified, so there's no telling what other nutrients you might get from food but not a pill.

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