Is it harmful to take vitamin supplements routinely?
Editor, MIMS,
New Delhi
Q: I am a 25 year old married woman with no children as yet. I want to know is it harmful to take vitamin supplements routinely? I often take vitamin E capsules for my skin and also a tab of calcium everyday. And whenever I take LYCORED my face glows and looks really healthy. I also want to know if I can take LYCORED daily? I have a good diet and exercise about 4 times in a week for about 40 mins. Is there a cure for thin hair?
A:If you are taking normal, nutritional diet, it contains enough calcium and vitamin E. Therefore it is not necessary to take supplemental preparations. The normal requirement of Vitamin E is 3-15mg only, while most preparations contain 100 to 600mg i.e. much higher amount than required. Please keep in mind that Vitamin E is fat-soluble and hence is accumulated in the body. Excessive consumption and accumulation of vitamin E can lead to diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue and weakness. If at all you take vitamin E, it should be in low-dose of around 25mg (e.g. Vitexid - a multivitamin preparation that contains 25mg of vitamin E). Lycored contains a molecule called lycopene which is an anti-oxidant. You can take one tablet twice daily routinely since it is helping your face skin. It is known to have a very favourable impact on skin and is widely used by females in France.