Are vitamin pills harmfull? are they neccessary? do we get enough nutriment without them? We are being told that if we eat a balanced diet we dont need them!

But how do we know whether we are getting a balanced diet? Can we overdose on vitamins and minerals? Who can we turn to for advice on this matter? The doctors do not help because they say the same as we have already heard.

Barbara Cartland took many different types of vitamins every day until she was ninety and they didnt hurt her, so who do we beleive? I know one can get vitamin poisoning if one takes too many, but no sensible person would that anyway.

On the other hand this is a multi million pound industry and they are telling us every day that we need them especially as we get older, also, I have vitamin literature coming through my letter box every week.

Is there an expert on the subject out there who could give some sensible impartial advice, so that we would all know what to do for the best, and then we wouldnt be flushing our hard earned money down the pan when we go to the toilet???

I suppose we get a lot (most of) the vitamins from the food we eat. But not everyone has a balanced diet.
Also, with the way some foods are produced today, a lot of the vitamins we need aren't there to begin with.

I reckon the multi-vitamin tablets are a good idea, as they combine your minimum RDA. You can overdose on vitamins, but I am unsure what the effect would be for each and which you could overdose on!

I personally take Multi-Vitamins daily to make sure i get the minimum I require. You could try Googling (http://www.google.co.uk) for a complete response to your query! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I think that many of us get sufficient vitamins and minerals from our diet without taking supplements. You have hit the nail on the head Hal when you talked of it being big business. However there are some people who because of diet/lifestyle probably do benefit from a good all round multivitamin every day.

You can overdose on some vitamins. B & C vits are water soluble so any that your body does not use are washed away via your plumbing with no resulting problems. I am nearly certain that the ones that can do damage in excess are vits A & E which would not be passed out in the same way.

From what I've read recently we also need to be aware of taking in excess metals. Typical, I've just bought some zinc tablets in an attempt to boost my immune system :lol:

its all scaremongering by the media, yet again.

we all have to die one day..

u think 100 years ago they had a better diet and healthcare without their factory made vitamin pills and organic vegetables...?

Originally posted by "dave-"

organic vegetables...?
All veggies were organic 100 years ago, hence they had all the vitamins they need.

You don't realise the damage caused by insecticides on your food, it reduces the vitamin content and in turn that reduces your immune system!

Originally posted by "dave-"

we all have to die one day..

u think 100 years ago they had a better diet and healthcare without their factory made vitamin pills and organic vegetables...?
apart from what dabouncer said about organic veg - where Vit content is exactly the same. Pesticides do not affect vitamin content, they only make your food toxic.
In this country the diet 100 years ago (especially the working class) was extremely poor and the average life expectancy was lower as a result, with a high rate of infant mortality to boot.

Vitamins don't help you live longer, they help you live. Vitamin defeciencies were common 100 years ago, rickets, teeth falling out, mental ill health (not enough B vits).

We are much better off today, but still the nations diet is very poor in parts thanks in part to the marketing of snack food which is high in fat, salt and sugar but low in everything else.

Hal, you can get all the vitamins you need and much more, from a varied and healthy diet you don't need Vitamin supplements unless directed by a doctor.

Vitamin supplements are only really useful if you can't get the Vitamin from certain foods because of dietary restrictions.

Vitamins must be ingested in a form that the body can absorb. All veg carries vitamins like this. Many multivits contain lots of vitamins that your body cannot use simply because it cannot absorb them in the necessary way.

To keep vitamin levels up in your food:
1. Eat lots of different coloured Veg - red, green, yellow, pick etc.
2. Only cook veg briefly if at all
3. Use mostly fresh veg and meat, processing and high temperature heat treatment decomposes vitamins. Tinned food is especially bad.

Originally posted by "Mo"


You can overdose on some vitamins. B & C vits are water soluble so any that your body does not use are washed away via your plumbing with no resulting problems. I am nearly certain that the ones that can do damage in excess are vits A & E which would not be passed out in the same way.

Vitamin C can cause illness if ingested at some of the huge dosages available today - Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, high stomach acid, increased urination, insomnia, irritability, joint pains, osteoporosis, headaches, hypoglycemia, weakness, reduced estrogen, PMS, and may increase infections by causing copper deficiency. All possible at dosages of 1000mg +

I have heard that vitamins can be dangerous if too much are taken...

I suppose ANYTHING IN MODERATION is bad!

.... Barbara Cartland took many different types of vitamins every day until she was ninety and they didnt hurt her ...

Are you absolutely sure (http://flickr.com/photos/retrozuk/517584469/) about that? :hihi:

Vitamins supplements tend to have 100% RDA in so some aren't neccesary.

People who take supplements do die on average earlier but they're looking for solutions to health problems so that would be the case.

Many supplements are proven to help further well-being and help to prevent disease/worsening health like EPA fish oil/cod liver oil/olive oil, St Johns Wort for depression and for the liver milk thistle, vitamin B complex and dandelion root plus others for other ailments.

Vitamins supplements tend to have 100% RDA in so some aren't neccesary.


True, but taking 200% of the RDA of any vitamin will do no harm at all. (It won't serve any useful purpose either, but some would rather be safe than sorry.)


If you're swilling down vitamin tablets by the bucketful, then yes, they could be dangerous to the point of fatal. Taking one a day, on top of whatever vitamins you get (or don't get) from your diet, cannot do any damage.

I take vitamin E and Zinc tablets as I used to suffer from all sorts such as tonsilitis and glandular fever. It could just be coincidence of course, but since taking the vitamins I haven't had any throat problems as they are both allegedly good for the immune system. However, I do try to eat properly and like it says on the side of the bottles, the vitamins aren't a substitute for a varied diet so popping vitamins every day and just eating 10 bags of crisps probably won't do you much good...

I wonder if the person who started this thread still takes vitamins? :confused:

I take B vitamins, I think I get everything else from my diet.

I wonder if the person who started this thread still takes vitamins? :confused:

Sadly, he passed away in a freak accident.

You see, he took so many Vitamins he actually deflected cold viruses. Unfortunately, he deflected one such virus to tree-surgeon who was stood near by trimming his Alnus glutinosa with a chain saw.

The Tree surgeon sneezed and well, you can probably guess the rest.

Tragic, really...

Last night I reached up to get my vitamin C tablets from the bathroom cabinet only to slip, fall and bang my head on the toilet.

I think that proves beyond all doubt that vitamins are indeed harmful. :rant: