Vitamins are organic compounds needed in small amounts for proper nutrition. A daily intake of milk and milk products, bread and cereal, egg yolk, fish liver oils, green vegetables, nuts, fruits and meats, fish or poultry sufficiently provide you with all the vitamins you need. These foods should be prepared in a manner that preserves and retains their vitamin content. For instance, overcooking of vegetables or exposure to air diminishes the vitamin content in foods. If you take a balanced diet, you will never need vitamin supplements.

Deficiency of vitamins can be stimulated by diseases and drugs, and are common in affluent countries. There is no doubt that lack of vitamins will result in illness, but over-dosage of vitamins can cause major medical problems, excessive vitamin A (retinol) can cause enlargement of liver and spleen, hair and weight loss and severe headaches; in children excess vitamin A can retard growth while, chronic vitamin D (calciferol) can cause nausea, constipation or diarrhea, high blood pressure; and in children vitamin D overdoses can impair physical and mental development. Hence, it is always advised to overzealous parents not to buy vitamin fortified candies for their children advertised on television.

Excess of vitamin K can be very harmful for new born babies, especially premature ones. Large excess of vitamin E can cause disturbances in the reproductive functions of the body. Excess and accumulation of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can prove to be toxic and excess of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can cause severe diarrhea and cases of development of gout has also been reported.

People take extra supplements of vitamins as they believe that vitamins pills will grow hair, curb appetite, or make one look youthful, this is all false publicity to sell vitamin supplements. It should be made clear that vitamins are needed in only small amounts but those small amounts are vital for good health, we must stick to a balanced diet comprising appropriate amounts of all vitamins!