Do I need to take vitamins, minerals, and other supplements? What do all those things do for me anyway?

Those are two pretty common questions that many people have. Unfortunately, the answers often depend on who you're asking.

You see, vitamins are big business, as are weight loss and other areas related to health, fitness, exercise, and nutrition. Since vitamins can have an impact in all those areas, and, since there are billions of people trying to lose weight, get fit, eat right, and live longer and healthier lives, there is a huge market for those who make a living selling vitamins, minerals, and other supplements.

Many who sell these items are honest, honorable people just trying to make life a little better for people and make a living in the process. I have no problem with that.

Sadly, however there are many others who are less scrupulous, and they not only prey on the desires and dreams of the potential market by exploiting such ideas and attitudes...and ignorance. Often, they use half-truths and outright lies to lure in their "customers" and make the sale.

To complicate matters, there are many of those honest vitamin sellers who also pass along those half-truths and even lies, simply because of their own ignorance. Many of the vitamin buyers also get confused because of the mass of information they have to sort through. They turn to "experts" on the subject without being sure how much truth those experts are telling them, and often, because of their own ignorance, they misunderstand and/or misinterpret what they are being told.

I have been studying this topic for nearly half a century. I am not a doctor or a researcher, and even I sometimes become confused by conflicting arguments, conclusions, and data. I hesitate to tell people that this or that is fact unless I really believe it, and, even if I really believe it myself, I still hesitate because I cannot be sure of the validity of the information to state it as truth.

However, there are certain facts that I do know about vitamins, minerals, and supplements, and I have no problem trying to tell people about them. The health benefits of vitamins, minerals, and some supplements have been well established, and I am glad to pass that information on to those interested in learning about such things. I also have certain beliefs that I believe are valid and I also share them on this website.

I hope that you find the information about the health benefits of vitamins, minerals, and some supplements which I post on this site to be of value, and will enjoy learning some of what I have come to know about this.

I started this article with two questons. I hope that the information on this website will help clarify the answers for you. Since there are so many different possible vitamins, minerals, and supplements, I have elected to provide individual web pages which deal with each of them in some depth, However, be aware that the health benefits of these substances have been well established. The body's reaction to each is varied and each substance has its own benefits and risks. Again, in each discussion of these substances, I will try to present as much valid information as possible.

As to whether or not you or any particular individual should even bother taking vitamin and mineral supplements depends on many factors, and probably, the most important factor is the actual individual involved. Most people are of the opinion that vitamins, minerals, and some supplements are probably of some value, so I am going to leave it to the reader to decide which substance they may want to learn more about. However, the burning question for many is, "Should I Take a Daily Multivitamin Supplement". I have written an article on this topic and posted it on this website. You may read it here, and I hope it will introduce you to me and my feelings on the subject.