Multivitamins and food supplements are quite popular terms among the health conscious. But do they protect against health conditions, and do we actually need them?

A balanced, healthy diet constituting fruits and vegetables when cooked in the right manner supplies you with all the essential vitamins your body needs. But the problem lies in that a major part of Indian cooking involves open cooking, boiling, deep frying or cooking on a high flame; these wash away or destroy the essential water soluble vitamins like vitamin A, B, C and E in food.

Based on the individual needs of the body, some people do need to be supplemented with extra vitamins more than others. Pregnant women, for example, have an increased need for folic acid, which helps the baby develop a normal brain and spinal cord. This is usually not met in diet, and supplements become essential.

Folic acid supplements along with multivitamins have also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer, breast cancer and heart attacks in adult men and women. Elderly people are usually found to be deficient in vitamin D and vitamin B12, and multivitamin supplements become necessary to prevent bone damage, anemia, nerve damage and other diseases.

The vitamin requirements of children vary according to age and diet. Most children are poor eaters when fruits and vegetables are concerned. As a concerned mother you might be tempted to supplement your child’s with multivitamin mixtures. But caution needs to be exercised – over-dosage of vitamins can cause more harm in children than in adults. Consult your doctor for the right combinations and dosage

Vegetarians may also need to be supplemented with vitamin B6 and other vitamins that their diet lacks, especially in the older population. If you smoke, then you are automatically prone to repeated chest infections. Vitamin C supplements can be good for you in this case, but remember that no amount of vitamin supplements will prevent the damage that cigarette smoke inflicts on your lungs! The same applies if you are obese, consume a lot of junk food or live a sedate life with no exercise – the vitamin supplements will not help prevent heart disease if your lifestyle is unhealthy.