Mega-Doses of Vitamins, Essay Example

The body needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals to operate properly. Small amounts of these compounds or elements are necessary to help the body undergo regular activity. For example, some vitamins and minerals act as cofactors for proteins that help them perform their regular function. For example, vitamin C is necessary for the synthesis of collagen, which helps the skin and other parts of the body, including the bones and other connective tissue, provide structural support. In addition, iron helps haemoglobin carry blood. Since there is only a set concentration of proteins in the body, there is a set amount of necessary vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, it is important to consider that proteins can only bind a fixed amount of these compounds or elements. Thus, saturating the proteins with vitamins and minerals will not confer an advantage.

On the other hand, it is important to consider that mega-doses of vitamins or minerals could be detrimental to the health of the body. The body is prepared to metabolize only a small amount of these compounds or elements can therefore act as toxins in large amounts (Watson et al., 2014). While it is safer to mega-dose on water soluble compounds than fat soluble compounds, it is generally recommended that people do not take more than the specified daily recommendation for each vitamin and mineral (Appleby, 2015). For those who take vitamin and mineral supplements, it is important to consider that minimum dietary needs are often met by consuming certain foods. It is therefore helpful for each person to understand what is in their diet so they could avoid the negative impacts of mega-doses and remain healthy.

References

Appleby, M. (2015). What Is a Vitamin Megadose? Retrieved from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/vitamin-megadose-5014.html

Watson WA, Litovitz TL, Klein-Schwartz W. (2004). 2003 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposure Surveillance System. Am J Emerg Med, 22(5): 335-404.