I am quite convinced that many of us take Vitamin supplements, thinking that it will cover up for the poor diet and make us healthy. But, researches prove that Vitamins can neither compensate for a balanced diet, nor fight any disease.

The alarming fact is that healthy people tend to take vitamin pills when it’s actually not required, rather than those who actually require a specific dose. An elderly person, for example may require Vitamin B12 because he has lost the ability to absorb it from the food directly.

To understand the problem better, let’s analyze the two categories of Vitamins -

1) Fat-Soluble Vitamins 2) Water-Soluble Vitamins

Fat-Soluble Vitamins are Vitamin A, D, E and K. These Vitamins are soluble only in fat and hence there is no way they can be flushed out with urine. Hence, they accumulate in the body.
Nowadays, these Vitamins are added to health drinks and cereals etc. as supplements. It is not surprising that there is a thread line between the recommended dose and an overdose of Vitamin and the supplement shoots up the level to an overdose limit. High level of fat- soluble Vitamins has many side effects. Vitamin A, for example can increase the risk of Osteoporosis if an extra dose is taken. Similarly, Vitamin E can have toxic consequences like fatigue, double vision and gastrointestinal distress.

Water- Soluble Vitamins are Vitamin B and C. These Vitamins unlike the fat-soluble Vitamins are secreted out of the body with urine. But, it certainly has a limit dose as well. An extra dose of this Vitamin can cause nerve damage, diarrhoea and flatulence.

Scientists once had the opinion that the Vitamins can be a tool to fight ailments. But, a series of research proved that these Vitamins have no beneficial effect on any disease. Dr. Benjamin Caballero, a member of the Food and Nutrition Board at the US National Academy of Science says - “You cannot replace a healthy diet. We don’t know what ingredient is a healthy diet is responsible for which condition.”

So, if you are looking for a magic Vitamin pill that will compensate for a balanced diet or cure a disease, then it does not exist!