Vitamin Supplements

Several false assumptions have been made regarding vitamin and mineral dietary supplements. For example, vitamin A deficiency causes decreased night vision and, if very severe, blindness. Treating deficient individuals with vitamin A may indeed improve vision. However, many dietary supplements containing vitamin A and beta carotene claim to support good eye health. Some consumers falsely assume that if the deficiency of a vitamin or mineral harms a system or organ, then consuming that vitamin or mineral when the body is not in a deficient state will strengthen that system or organ. Much of the research on vitamins and minerals has investigated whether dietary supplements are superior to food. According to two recent scientific publications, the answer is no. However, most experts do agree that further research is worth pursuing.