The use of vitamins and food supplements is increasing today due to reasons such as healthy living, protection from diseases, or gaining energy. Stating that there will be no vitamin deficiency in the body if the person is adequately and balanced, Yeditepe University Vice Rector and Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology Prof. Dr. Ahmet Aydın gave significant information about vitamins and food supplements.

Reminding that human health is defined as a complete state of well-being physically, spiritually, and socially, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Aydın also underlined that health is at risk if one of these three has a disorder. However, in this case, emphasizing that vitamin or food supplementation may be needed from the outside, Prof. Dr. Aydin said that unnecessarily taken vitamins create free radicals in the body, which can have damage that leads to DNA damage.

Get As Much As You Need

In our country, which is rich in fruits and vegetables, there is no need for healthy individuals who consume these products in normal amounts to take vitamins in addition to their food. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Aydın stated, “However, if a person has a vitamin deficiency, he/she should take additional vitamins under the supervision of a doctor, not depending on his/her request.”

The most important properties of vitamins C and E are that they are antioxidants and protect our body against free radicals/oxidation. Prof. Dr. Aydın continued his words as follows:

“When taken too much, these antioxidants themselves cause oxidation, produce radicals, and when radicals are produced in the body, they can cause cell damage, DNA damage, and cell death. Hence, take vitamins if you really need them. When you sit down at the table and divide your plate into four, a quarter of a vegetable, a quarter of a protein, a quarter of a dairy product, and a quarter of a grain, you have the mineral element you need. ”

Vitamins Should Be Taken From Foods

Vitamin D and B vitamins are measured in the blood, while other vitamins are not. Prof. Dr. Aydın: “These products are perceived as innocent. For instance, vitamin C cannot be measured in the blood. When we take 500 milligrams of vitamin C, it is absorbed in the body, however, when we take 1000 milligrams, it is not absorbed. When we take too many vitamins, especially too much vitamin C, the chances of kidney stones are very strong. Instead of taking supplements or vitamins, I recommend that people get these nutrients from natural foods.”

Our Body Is A Perfect Machine!

Stating that the human body is an excellent machine, Yeditepe University Vice Rector and Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology Prof. Dr. Ahmet Aydın said, “Just as a machine needs fuel to work, the human body needs organic compounds called vitamins to work. The vitamins found in many of the foods we eat support our metabolism to function in a healthy way.  Vitamins, which do not end with counting the benefits to our body, also serve as a golden key in the treatment of many diseases. However, as Paracelsus, one of the founders of modern medicine, famously said, ‘it is the dose that separates the poison from the medicine.' Excess of vitamins is harmful as is excess of everything.'' 

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