Vitamins, Mineral and Other Nutritional Supplements
Vitamins and minerals
What are vitamins and minerals and what do they do to me?

Vitamins are organic molecules (found in living organisms such as plants and animals). We have identified 13 vitamins, and each of them has a specific role to play in your body.  They are essential for most chemical reactions inside your body, for building cells, and for prevention of diseases. Some vitamins also act as antioxidants, which help protect cells against damage and against the development of some degenerative diseases and age-related problems. Here are a few examples of the roles of some vitamins:

  • Vitamins C and E are antioxidants and have anti-ageing properties
  • Vitamins A, E, C, B12, folic acid, pyridoxine, and pantothenic acid will support your immune system
  • All the B vitamins will support chemical reactions in your body and nerve functions

Minerals are non-organic substances (found in soil and in food). Like vitamins, minerals are also essential for the optimal functioning of your body. Among all the various minerals present in your body, about 20 are considered essential. Among those, seven are qualified as “major”. The “major” minerals are calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulphur. The others are called oligoelements (or trace elements), meaning that only minute quantities of each are necessary for the optimal functioning of your body.

Vitamins and minerals work together. Each has to be present in an adequate amount for the other to work properly and for the chemical reactions and vital functions of your body to work effectively. An insufficient amount of vitamins or minerals may lead to deficiency diseases (for example: scurvy in the case of vitamin C deficiency; osteoporosis in the case of calcium deficiency). In addition, an optimal intake of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements, beyond the simple prevention of deficiencies, will help prevent some degenerative diseases and other age-related problems. It is, therefore, important to take vitamins and minerals in adequate amounts.






Where do vitamins and minerals come from?

Our body does not produce most of these vitamins. They must, therefore, be obtained from food or supplements.

The first and most important source of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients is the food we ingest. A balanced diet containing all elements (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, cereals, milk…) is the corner stone of a healthy lifestyle.

A balanced diet that provides you with the recommended amounts and types of food will help you meet your needs for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. As an indication, the table below shows how much food you need from each of the four food groups every day, depending on your age and sex.


Recommended Number of Food Guide Servings per Day
Vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements

  • What are vitamins and minerals and what do they do to me?
  • Should I take vitamin and mineral supplements?
  • What are antioxidants and nutritional supplements and how are they good for me?
  • Should I take nutritional supplements?
  • I am puzzled by the diversity of products and companies; are all supplements the same in terms of potency, purity, and safety? How can I choose the right supplement?

If you are interested in learning more about specific vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and their role in the prevention and management of various medical conditions, please click here.
Ginkgo biloba. Thought to have beneficial effects on memory and cognitive functions and to slow the progression of dementia.

Flaxseed oil. May have similar effects as Omega-3 fatty acids and is thought to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and some autoimmune disorders.

Grape seed extract. Source of proanthocyanidins, which have significant antioxidant properties.

Green tea extract. Source of flavonoids, which also have known antioxidant properties.

Resveratrol. Antioxidant mainly found in some wine-making grapes.

Adults
Teens
Children
Girls and Boys
2-3
4-8
9-13
14-18
19-50
51+
M
F
M
F
M
F
  Vegetables and Fruit
4
5
7
8
7-8
8-10
7
7
6
  Grain Products
3
4
6
7
6-7
8
6
7
6
  Milk and Alternatives
2
2
3-4
3-4
2
2
3
3
3-4
  Meat and Alternatives
1
1
2
3
2
3
2
3
1-2
Vegetables and Fruit
125 mL (½ cup) fresh, frozen or canned
vegetable or fruit or 100% juice
250 mL (1 cup) leafy raw vegetables or
salad
1 piece of fruit
Meat and Alternatives
75 g (2 ½ oz.)/125 mL (½ cup) cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat
175 mL (¾ cup) cooked legumes
2 eggs
30 mL (2 Tbsp) peanut butter
Milk and Alternatives
250 mL (1 cup) milk or fortified soy beverage
175 g (¾ cup) yogurt
50 g (1 ½ oz.) cheese
Grain Products
1 slice (35 g) bread or ½ bagel (45 g)
½ pita (35 g) or ½ tortilla (35 g)
125 mL (½ cup) cooked rice, pasta, or couscous
30 g cold cereal or 175 mL (¾ cup) hot cereal
Should I take vitamins, minerals, or other nutritional supplements?

People normally take supplements for two main reasons:

  • To prevent or treat deficiencies
  • To achieve optimal health, reduce the risk of developing certain chronic diseases, and delay the onset of age-related problems (References)

If I am eating healthily, do I still need to take supplements?

No one will dispute the fact that a balanced diet is the corner stone of any optimal nutritional program and is essential for helping you meet your needs for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Supplements will not compensate for a poor diet. They will not compensate for risks created by bad habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol in excess, not doing any exercise, etc. Supplements by themselves will probably not cure diseases such as cancer, cardiac diseases, or diabetes.

This being said, supplements do have an important role to play in the development of a healthy lifestyle. First, there is evidence showing that some types of deficiencies are still found within our Western society; those are fortunately rarely found in North America nowadays. More importantly, however, research shows that beyond the prevention of deficiencies, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients, when judiciously taken in optimal amounts, have a role to play in achieving optimal health, in reducing the risk of developing certain chronic diseases (heart diseases, some types of cancers, etc.), and in delaying the onset of some age-related problems (e.g. osteoporosis, macular degeneration). (References)

It also appears that the amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients required for optimal health may also be difficult to obtain from diet alone. Studies show a high prevalence of suboptimal vitamin levels among the US population, suggesting that the standard US diet does not provide a sufficient amount of some of these nutrients. It has also been shown that a large portion of the Canadian, US and Australian population does not eat adequate amounts of each food group. (References). In addition, the food we eat may not necessarily contain nutrients in adequate quantities, as fertilizers, modern processing, transport, and storing techniques further increase nutrient depletion in the food we eat.

In two articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
(Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults: Clinical Applications. JAMA. 2002;287:3127-3129 and Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: scientific review. JAMA 2002; 287:3116-3126), by Robert H. Fletcher, MD and Kathleen M. Fairfield, MD, from the Harvard Medical School, it was concluded that “Suboptimal intake of some vitamins, even above levels causing classic vitamin deficiency, is a risk factor for chronic diseases and common in the general population, especially the elderly”, and that “Inadequate intake of several vitamins has been linked to chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis”. The authors recommend that adults take multivitamins daily.

Given the fact that suboptimal levels of vitamins are apparently a cause of chronic diseases and that most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins through diet alone, it appears that multivitamin supplements do have a role to play in our quest for a longer, healthier, and happier life.
         Source: “Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide”. Health Canada 2007
              Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Health, 2011
       Examples of food guide servings:
Other related pages on this site
For the scientist in you: see what recent research has shown
Remember: make a judicious use of supplements and always follow official recommendations. In doubt, consult with your doctor. Please read this important notice


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“Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food”.
- Hippocrates
Important Notice:

Although we cannot rule out benefits of supplements, such as improved quality of life, recent studies have raised concerns about their long-term safety. They seem to demonstrate that some vitamins and supplements such as vitamin E, vitamin A, and beta-carotene, can potentially be harmful under certain conditions and within certain populations. In view of those recent findings, it is highly suggested that you consult your physician or health care provider before taking multivitamins or if you have any question about vitamins and other nutritional supplements.
Other nutritional supplements

Other nutritional supplements include a variety of substances with different types of functions in your body. Taken in adequate amounts, they may help prevent some of the manifestations of ageing or the development of many chronic diseases. Some of the most well-known nutrients and nutritional supplements are:

  • Fish oil (Omega-3), which has significant positive effects on the immune system, the brain, and the heart.

  • Antioxidants. There are different categories and types of antioxidants, which can be obtained from various sources. Generally speaking, antioxidants have a protective effect against chronic damage caused by free radicals and oxidative reactions, which appear to have a major role in the manifestations of ageing and the development of chronic diseases. Each category of antioxidants shows specific benefits for different body systems. A balanced spectrum of different types of antioxidants is, therefore, recommended.

  • Fiber. Research has demonstrated a clear correlation between high fiber intake and lower risk of certain types of cancer, lower risk of coronary artery disease and stroke, lower serum cholesterol, reduced blood pressure, better weight control, better blood sugar control, and improved small and large intestinal function. However, studies also show that the average fiber intake for the North American population in general is less than half of the recommended amounts. Fiber should mainly be provided through a healthy and balanced diet but since many people find it hard to eat the required amounts everyday and since there is no evidence that long-term use of dietary fiber supplements can be harmful, fiber supplements may help you meet your daily needs. Because different types of fibers may have different effects, consuming multiple sources of fiber is important.


  • Coenzyme Q10. Normally found in cells, this helps with chemical reactions at the cellular level. A lack of coenzyme Q10 has been linked to heart diseases, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, and breast cancer. Because of its effects on energy metabolism, it is also often taken to increase exercise performance.

  • Chondroitin and glucosamine. Both appear to provide some pain relief and improve symptoms linked to osteoarthritis but clear evidence is stil lacking..

  • Melatonin. Hormone normally secreted by the brain with a role in the regulation of sleep. Melatonin supplements have been suggested to help with jet lag symptoms and sleep disturbances. It may also have some preventive effects in some cancers.

  • Amino acids. Consuming aminoacids has been suggested for improving exercise performance and for preventing muscle wasting associated with various medical conditions and ageing.

  • Medicinal plant extracts. There is a wide number of different plant extracts, all used for their different benefits. The most commonly used are: