Taking care of one’s body is necessary to lead a healthy, long, and prosperous life. Many factors contribute to an individual’s overall health, including their living conditions, daily routine, the amount of exercise, and, of course, their diet. Having a balanced food intake to supply the body with the building blocks it requires to function is especially important, with many possible food options available. However, sometimes eating healthy can prove to be difficult, and people might want to enrich their diets with supplements and vitamins. Vitamins E and D are considered by many to be a staple of a healthy lifestyle and they are believed to present various benefits. This post attempts to discuss the benefits, as well as the detriments, of using E and D vitamin supplements. The final goal will be to determine whether everybody should enrich their diet with them.
First of all, it is important to note the positive effects vitamin D has on human health. Vitamin D, usually found in fish and some plants, ensures that the body absorbs calcium and one’s bones grow properly. It can be obtained from food and exposure to sunlight, as well as various supplements. Many foods rich in vitamin D can be expensive, or unavailable throughout the year, so taking supplements can be a good alternative. The usage of vitamin D supplements, in my opinion, is also vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle in places without much sunlight. Furthermore, it has been proven that vitamin D intake and the usage of supplements can decrease all-cause mortality rates in adults and elderly people (Simon, 2008). I think that everybody should enrich their diet with vitamin D, as its effects are beneficial to an individual’s well-being.
As for vitamin E, on the other hand, the matter is more complicated. Contained primarily in various nuts and fruit, it helps the human body to slow the aging process and protect the cells from damage. Not many people eat nuts on a daily basis, so the consumption of supplements may be justified. The important factor of the vitamin E supplement usage is the risks associated with it. The National Institutes of Health reports have shown that vitamin E overdose can lead to an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). I think that supplementing your diet with vitamin E can prove helpful, but it is important to regulate its intake. Overall, I think that everybody who cannot afford to acquire vitamins E and D from their foods should use supplements, although in strictly regulated amounts.
Vitamin C has always been regarded as an irreplaceable part of the diet, with its many positive effects on the human condition. The vitamin, contained within various fruits and vegetables, most notably oranges and lemons, is said to protect against various diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Many people regard it as the best solution for the common cold, and others go as far as to name it a viable treatment method for COVID-19. In this post, I will try to examine vitamin C’s effects on both of these illnesses.
According to researchers, vitamin C has no traceable effect on preventing or treating common cold. Quoting a paper on the subject, it should be mentioned that “No consistent effect of vitamin C was seen on the duration or severity of colds in the therapeutic trials” (Hemilä & Chalker, 2013, p. 2). As a matter of fact, no major correlation has been found between consuming vitamin C and reduced duration of the common cold (Hemilä & Chalker, 2013). The authors, however, note, that due to its wide availability, individuals might still get some benefits from using vitamin C even if the result is not guaranteed. Speaking of Covid-19, scientists have found no correlation between it and vitamin C either. The authors of an article on the topic state that while vitamin C improves the body’s immune function, it cannot protect one from contracting the Corona Virus (Shoemaker, 2020). The assumption of its effectiveness came from Chinese doctors using vitamin C to improve the lung function of COVID-19 patients. Such an application of the vitamin does not have an evident effect on one’s body. For now, the potential benefits of vitamin C as a treatment for the Coronavirus are not proven and are still being tested.
Overall, I would say that there does not seem to be sufficient evidence to say that vitamin C helps with the prevention and treatment of either the common cold or COVID-19. There are no visible health risks associated with its intake in moderate amounts, however, so any individual can try to examine its effectiveness for themselves. The most effective treatment for both diseases at the moment is a combination of preventive measures taken to not contract a disease in the first place.
References
Hemilä, H., & Chalker, E. (2013). Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. Web.
Shoemaker, S. V. (2020). Can Vitamin C Protect You from COVID-19? Healthline. Web.
Simon, J. A. (2008). Review: vitamin D supplementation decreases all-cause mortality in adults and older people. Evidence-Based Medicine, 13(2), 47–47. Web.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin E. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Web.