Recent international reports about vitamins seem to have many people worried. Despite telling the public for years that vitamins are important, scientists have recently announced that vitamins aren't as beneficial as previously thought. Depending on the vitamin and dosage, people could do more harm than good to their bodies.
Do you know anyone who takes vitamins regularly? How do they feel about them? Should people stop taking vitamins in light of these reports or should they wait for additional information? Tell us on www.gulfnews.com.
Here's what Gulf News readers said on the topic:
Vitamins are good as they help people achieve a sense of well-being.
I have experienced the benefits of vitamins as well as hearing from others how they helped them achieve a sense of well-being. Many illnesses are partly psychological and people feel a great relief when they consume vitamins. Stress, low sugar levels, weakness or exhaustion all have one cure and that is vitamins.
Milind Tikhe
Dubai
Vitamins are an essential part of a person's health. They are needed for a body to function efficiently by making sure that cells and organs are provided the materials they need. While I don't take vitamins on a day-to-day basis, I do take them when I am sick. I feel that they help me recover faster than if I didn't take them.
Bassem Ebrahim
Abu Dhabi
While vitamins are important, they shouldn't be taken as supplements. It would be better if people absorb them from healthy meals. Vitamins are important because when a person is eating healthily, it shows that they have the right amount of vitamins in their system. But if a person needs to take a supplement, they should get a prescription from a doctor.
Resha Hilal
Abu Dhabi
I don't think that it is a good idea for people to take vitamin supplements. They should eat healthily and source the vitamins from their meals. If a person is concerned about their health, then they should take steps to become healthier instead of relying on something artificial to help them. Vitamins are only a short-term solution.
Zeeshan Qader
Dubai
After the recent news report connecting vitamins and mortality, I will stop taking them.
If that is proven to be true, then I think that people would stop. But there is still a lot of research that is being done. People should first research whether those reports are accurate and then decide whether or not they want to stop. Such reports are usually cyclic, so we will have to wait several years and see what happens.
Desmond Spencer
Abu Dhabi
I started taking vitamins recently and know many people who take them. They haven't experienced any side effects and I find that vitamins actually give me much needed energy. That helps me a lot, especially at work. I don't think that people should stop because there are many different reports, so they would wait and see which one is the correct one.
Anna Kim
Abu Dhabi
I heard about those reports. If the research were accurate, then people would stop taking vitamins because they don't want to damage their health. They would try to get the vitamins and minerals needed from other sources. But first they have to be confirmed before people make any decisions regarding vitamins. It wouldn't be logical to stop them without a valid reason.
Majid Al Sinam
Dubai
I don't think that people would stop taking vitamins. It has been proven that people who take vitamins look better than those who don't, so in order to maintain their looks they would probably sacrifice their health. Many people nowadays are only concerned about what is happening in the present instead of thinking about the future. Some might stop though because of the health risks.
Danish Seddiqi
Ajman
Most people eat vitamins to compensate for an abusive lifestyle.
Vitamins give people energy that they wouldn't receive otherwise. I'm a smoker and when I take vitamins, it gives me energy whenever I feel tired. Many people take them because of their unhealthy lifestyles. It helps them get the amount they need to be healthy and at the same time it helps decrease their stress levels as well as other things.
Ryan Adulte
Abu Dhabi
People nowadays are so busy that they don't have time to eat healthily. They eat mostly fast food instead of fruit and vegetables, which isn't good for their bodies. They lose out on essential vitamins and minerals when they do that and vitamins shouldn't be considered as a replacement for that. But taking vitamins is better than not taking anything at all.
Alexander Terzie
Germany
Many people prefer getting their energy from another source, such as energy drinks or candy bars. That isn't good because even though they might have some energy in the short run, in the long run they are damaging their bodies. It would be better if more people choose vitamins over such items because it would give them the energy they need and also helps keep them healthy.
Zulqarnain Malek
Sharjah
Everyone's living a hectic lifestyle these days. But I don't think that it's a good idea to take vitamin supplements as a way to balance that. Because vitamins are artificially manufactured, no one's really sure about your reaction to them or how they would affect your body after a certain period of time. It would be better if people source vitamins from fruits and vegetables instead.
Esha Khurshid
Sharjah
Nobody is truly aware of the health benefits of vitamins.
Because vitamins are chemically manufactured, there isn't enough data on them as opposed to the vitamin levels found naturally in food. The fact that they are still doing research about this shows that nothing is confirmed yet. Every few years there is a new report that either proves or disproves a previous theory so we have to wait and see.
Wiktoria Terzie
Germany
I read a lot of reports about vitamins to keep myself updated on what is good and what isn't anymore. Some reports showed me how certain vitamins aren't as good or as effective as what was previously thought so I know what to avoid and what not to. But there is still a lot that hasn't been discovered or confirmed yet.
Zarina Rakhmatullaeva
Abu Dhabi
While people need vitamins to be healthy, there should be a limit to how much to take. Because we don't have all the information, we have to keep researching and checking out the latest reports. But despite scientists constantly testing out theories, there is still a lot that they haven't discovered yet. So we have to wait and see what new information will be announced.
Adel Ali
Sharjah
Despite all that has been discovered, there is still a lot that we don't know. There are constantly reports being published about topics such as vitamins and each one is different. Some support a theory and some challenge it. People could look up information on the internet so they have an idea but there aren't any definite answers.
Bilal Khan
Ajman
