Vitamins are substances contained in food in microscopic amounts. The necessary dose of vitamins for a person is only a few milligrams or even micrograms per day. Despite such a small amount, these nutritional components provide a normal course of many physiological processes in the body. For example, vitamin A provides the process of formation of visual perception of the environment and growth of the body, vitamin E - the normal functioning of the sex glands and maturation of germ cells, vitamin D regulates the exchange of calcium in the body and prevents the development of a disease called rickets. The usefulness of vitamins lies in the fact that these substances combine with molecules of certain enzymes, transferring them into an active state. If the body receives an insufficient amount of some vitamin or does not get it with food, then the body inevitably begins to experience various disorders of metabolic processes, and this is fraught with the development of pathological conditions. For example, in former times among seamen the disease of scurvy was widespread, at which there was increased bleeding of gums, loosening and loss of teeth. As it was found out at the subsequent studying, the scurvy developed at absence in food of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. The fact is that earlier with prolonged sea voyages, the supply of fresh greens - the main source of vitamin C. - quickly ended on ships.
Currently, the lack of vitamins in normal food can be more than compensated for by multivitamin complexes in the form of tablets sold in each pharmacy. The benefits of literate taking of vitamins in tablets are indisputable - in case of a decrease in food in these food components (which is especially characteristic in the spring period when there are not enough fresh fruits, vegetables and greens on the shelves of vegetable stores), synthetic complexes will help fill the lack of these important substances for our health . Of course, when choosing these or other vitamins in tablets, it is advisable to consult a doctor and take the drugs strictly in accordance with the dose indicated on the package.
However, uncontrolled consumption of vitamins in tablets can not bring good, but harm your body. The fact is that along with the lack or absence of vitamins in their food, excessive intake into the body also leads to the development of pathological conditions called hypervitaminosis. The benefit of vitamin intake only through the use of conventional food is precisely that in this case there is virtually no risk of overdose. When you use the same vitamins in tablets, there is always the danger of excess supply of these components of nutrition in the body. Particular care should be taken to store such tablets, since finding them in places accessible to children is highly undesirable. Finding a package of vitamins in tablets, children can take them for sweets or fruit pills (especially since many multivitamin complexes are specially produced with the addition of sweeteners or flavorings). Once taken a large number of such drugs in food, children can seriously harm their health.
In addition, the use of vitamins in tablets can harm your health by using drugs with an expired period of validity. Therefore, immediately before buying the drug, you should always carefully study the packaging of tablets, which should indicate the date of production of vitamins and the expiration date.
Thus, vitamins in tablets can bring to your health both benefit and harm. To choose and consume such synthetic complexes should always be done with special care.
However, the best way to provide the body with all the necessary vitamins will still be a diet that includes the widest possible range of products, both vegetable and animal. Of course, this will be much more expensive for you than buying any vitamins in tablets at the pharmacy. However, do not rush to save, because due to the variety of food you can provide your body only with substances of natural origin, excluding the adoption of synthetic vitamins in tablets. In addition, any harm from an overdose of vitamins will be unlikely, since with food it is practically impossible to take the amount of vitamins that will be hazardous to health due to the meager content of these substances in food.