Vitamins and minerals are important nutrients
the body needs to carry out its many functions. All
such nutrients the body needs exist in nature and
typically enter the body through foods and drinks.
Even drinking water contains numerous minerals.
Most people in the United States obtain adequate
amounts of vitamins and minerals through appro-
priate dietary choices, despite concerns that the
American diet on the whole is less than ideal to
support health. People who live in areas where cer-
tain essential nutrients are lacking, such as sele-
nium, which occurs in specific kinds of soil and the
foods grown in them, may need to take supple-
ments to acquire adequate amounts of those nutri-
ents. Women who menstruate monthly may need
supplemental iron to replace that lost to menstrual
bleeding, and health recommendations call for sup-
plementation of calcium and other key minerals at
age 50 and older to maintain BONEdensity.
Conventional health experts are divided about
whether healthy adults need or benefit from addi-
tional vitamins and nutrients. Some believe the
ANTIOXIDANTactions of vitamins helps to prevent
chronic diseases that result from cumulative dam-
age to cells from free radicals, molecular particles
that are the waste products of OXYGENATIONfunc-
tions (the ways in which cells metabolize nutri-
ents to produce energy). Clinical research studies
have produced conflicting results about antioxi-
dants, however, and there remains little scientific
evidence that they prevent disease or the degener-
ation associated with aging.
The body requires fairly small amounts of
many minerals and vitamins to meet its functional
needs, and excretes or stores any excess. Accumu-
lations of certain vitamins, such as the fat-soluble
vitamins A and E, may become toxic and cause
health problems. Excessive mineral consumption
(sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) can
affect the body’s electrolyte balance, consequen-
tially altering KIDNEYfunction, cardiovascular func-
tion, and NERVOUS SYSTEMfunction with potentially
harmful or life-threatening outcomes. The body
excretes excess water-soluble vitamins (the B vita-
mins and vitamin C), so ingesting more than the
body needs has no value. Researchers have estab-
lished nutritional value ranges for most identified
nutrients.
Nonetheless, many complementary approaches
incorporate moderate to high doses of certain vita-
mins and minerals, depending on the person’s
symptoms. Health experts urge caution, and sug-
gest a comprehensive NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT
before beginning any intensive vitamin and min-
eral therapy. Pregnant or BREASTFEEDING women
and people receiving treatment for chronic or
degenerative health conditions who take regular
medications should consult with their doctors, as
some medications and vitamins interact to alter
the action of one or the other or both. Practition-
ers such as naturopathic physicians and chiroprac-
tors often incorporate vitamin and mineral
therapy in their practices.
See also DRUG INTERACTIONS;NUTRITIONAL THERAPY.vitamin and mineral therapy 105