"Some vitamins can cause injury, even death, if you take too much," says Rose Reisman, a Toronto-based nutritionist. It's important to educate yourself before you start popping vitamins.
Visit your family doctor
Before running out to the drug store, consult your doctor first and then do your homework. A doctor may be able to recommend which vitamins and minerals you need to supplement your diet but not the brand. "Doctors don’t always know brands," says Reisman.
Do your homework
The well-respected Harvard School of Public Health provides a good summary of what each vitamin does and why you might consider it.
This report is particularly helpful, since it indicates the dangers of overdosing on certain vitamins. For example, too much Vitamin D (more than 2,000 IU) can be deadly. And don’t rely on the sun for your intake of Vitamin D. Our Northern sun just isn’t strong enough to give us all our Vitamin D and nobody is recommending catching any rays without sunscreen!
Synthetic vs. natural
Many doctors argue synthetic vitamins have the same effect on the body as natural vitamins do. On the other hand, naturalists say synthetic vitamins are made with chemicals, and are therefore potentially hazardous.
Another point worth mentioning is that synthetic vitamins are generally much cheaper than the natural alternative. This means they can have sugar, preservatives, chemicals, and other non-beneficial ingredients.
Natural vitamins are also more likely to made closer to home, unlike the synthetic alternative, which can be manufactured as far away as China. That’s a real concern for a growing number of North Americans, who are starting to question the quality control in China’s drug industry.
For a look at the differences between synthetic and natural vitamins, check out The Vitamins Nutrition Centre. It has a good summary of the arguments on both sides of the debate.
Health food vs. drug store
Health food stores stock varieties of natural vitamins and they also tend to be staffed with naturopaths, who are more familiar with the ingredients and their origin.
The vitamins on the shelves of most pharmacies or grocery stores are more likely to be mass-produced and made synthetically, instead of with natural products.
"If it’s too cheap it's probably not that good," says Reisman. "Don’t buy vitamins at the local drug store unless you have an excellent pharmacist who can assist you
Eat right, stay healthy
While choosing the right vitamin is important, it’s not as crucial as eating a proper balanced diet. "We still don't know the exact science of what’s inside the apple or carrot. [Scientists] try to duplicate it but they can't do it," says Reisman.
Nothing can replace those fruits and veggies.
Mihira Lakshman is freelance writer based in Toronto who doesn’t need vitamins since he always eats his veggies.
