Why do you take vitamins?

I had also read somewhere that your body eliminates (is that the right word?) excess vitamins, with the assumption that we don't need to worry about consuming too many vitamins (your body will use what it needs and get rid of what it doesn't).

I've always thought that Vitamin C had some cancer prevention benefits, but I have no idea where or when I read that. Or maybe I just assumed it. In any case, I do remember reading that taking too many vitamins can be detrimental. Occasionally I've wondered how we know we're really taking the right amounts. There's a Vitamin B combination supplement that I take that has enormous amounts of Vitamin B6 and B12, like 800% or something. I wonder how we know when it's too much.....

An article from a few years ago in the Washington Post reported the same finding: that multivitamins don't provide a clear benefit for reducing risk of chronic diseases.

However, the researchers did find "three situations in which vitamins or other supplements appear to offer a clear protective edge":

"1) Prevention of birth defects of the brain and spine by giving women of child-bearing age folic acid, one of the B vitamins -- what one panel member called a "home run." Since 1998, food has been fortified with folic acid. Women who plan to become pregnant are urged to boost folic acid intake to help prevent spina bifida and other neural tube defects.

2) Reduction of macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of age-related blindness. A 2001 federally funded study by the National Eye Institute concluded that diet supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene and the minerals zinc and copper reduced the risk of vision loss in people with early signs of macular degeneration. No effect on cataracts was reported.

3) Lowering the risk of bone fractures in post-menopausal women through calcium and Vitamin D supplements."

I have not taken multivitamins with the thought that I was lowering my risk of cancer, but I did have the expectation that I was helping my bones be healthier and provide nutrients that I may not be eating through fruits and veggies. I'm surprised that there was no cardiovascular disease-prevention benefit found, but there are some questions as to the validity of the study. I also take a vitamin that has trace minerals, which were not studied. Interesting article!

I take multi vitamins daily. The reason I take vitamins is because I do not eat right daily and it is mainly for balance. The article is pretty interesting although, I don’t consume vitamins for the purpose of preventing cancer.

I always question the validity of vitamins and diet pills since they are not FDA approved anyhow. I guess the article doesn’t really surprise me.