What are vitamins, and how do they work?

Often, a health-promoting diet can provide all the vitamins your body needs, but a vitamin supplement can help if there’s a vitamin you’re lacking. However, vitamins can pose risks and cause side effects, so it’s always important to talk with a doctor before taking them.

Vitamins are found naturally in the foods you eat. The human body uses them to function. They play an important role in supporting a positive health outlook. Typically, a diet that’s balanced and nutrient-filled is enough to get all the vitamins your body needs.

Supplements can help people get essential vitamins if they’re unable to obtain them through their diet.

There are 13 essential vitamins. They’re used throughout the body for different functions. The 13 essential vitamins include:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Thiamine (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin (B3)
• Pathogenic acid (B5)
• Biotin (B7)
• Folate (B9)

What are the benefits of vitamins?
Vitamin A: Vitamin A helps with your vision and the formation and maintenance of your teeth, bones, skin, and soft tissues.
Vitamin B6: B6 helps you maintain healthy brain function and form the red blood cells you need.
Vitamin B12: B12 helps maintain your central nervous system, it’s also important for metabolism and for the formation of red blood cells.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps maintain healthy tissue and promotes dental health. It’s also important for wound healing.
Vitamin D: You need vitamin D so that your body can absorb enough calcium and develop healthy teeth and bones.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E is important for organ function.
Vitamin K: Vitamin K helps your blood clot.
Thiamine: Thiamine is essential for turning the carbohydrates you eat into energy you can use.
Riboflavin: Riboflavin helps your body produce red blood cells.
Niacin: Niacin helps maintain your skin and nervous system.
Pathogenic acid: Pathogenic acid is important for metabolism and the production of hormones and cholesterol.
Biotin: Biotin helps the body metabolize proteins and carbohydrates and helps the body produce cholesterol and hormones.
Folate: Folate helps produce red blood cells and DNA.

What are the possible risks of taking vitamins?
Taking vitamins can have risks. It’s possible to take a very large dose and cause vitamin toxicity or an overdose of a vitamin. It’s also possible that a vitamin could interact with your prescription medications and change how they work.

Some risks of taking vitamins include:

• vitamin A toxicity when vitamin A is used with retinoid acne medications like Accutane
• nerve damage after long-term use of high dose vitamin B6
• reduced effectiveness with phenytoin, an anti-seizure medication, and levodopa, a Parkinson’s medication, when taking vitamin B6
• dangerously high blood calcium levels when taking vitamin D
• increased action of blood thinners when taking vitamin E
• reduced effectiveness of blood thinners when taking vitamin K