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What Is a Vitamin Supplement?

Vitamin supplements can be an important part of a healthy diet, adding missing nutrients that one may miss from food. Many vitamins are marketed specifically for men, women or children, focusing on the Recommended Daily Allowance for that specific gender or age.

  1. Vitamin Supplement Defined

    • A vitamin supplement is a pill or liquid filled with vitamins. It's taken to add these nutrients to the diet.

    Function

    • Vitamin supplements are helpful to add vitamins to a diet that isn't getting enough nutrition. Those fighting illness and disease can especially benefit from supplements.

    Significance

    • Each vitamin has a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) which states how much of each vitamin you should be getting in your diet. When your diet isn't meeting the RDA for certain vitamins, your doctor may recommend you take a vitamin supplement.

    Considerations

    • Certain vitamins can be toxic at high levels (vitamins A and D, among others) and should be supplemented only with a doctor's approval.

    Misconceptions

    • Not everyone may need a vitamin supplement; those with a varied, healthy diet may be fine without taking one.

    Benefits

    • Those who are missing or deficient in certain vitamins in their diets will certainly benefit from taking a multi-vitamin supplement. A multi-vitamin will include most of the main vitamins found in healthy food.

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