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Vitamins

Knowledge on Vitamins

Vitamins are amongst the types of nutrition that we can obtain from our daily food. Similar to minerals, they maintain our body’s normal metabolism and activities. Although vitamins are indispensable, tiny amounts of them would be sufficient to fulfill our daily requirements. There are two types of vitamins: water soluble and fat soluble. Except for special circumstances such as illness or absorption problem, a normal and balanced diet would provide us with sufficient vitamins. Excessive intake of vitamins yields no benefits and may even lead to adverse consequences. A number of common misconceptions are listed as follows:

Misconception (1) Many parents are in the view that frequent vitamin intake promotes children’s appetite, physical height, spirit and intelligence. There is indeed no proof on scientific grounds. On the contrary, long-term and excessive intake of vitamins A and D would lead to diseases and even major consequences such as hypertension and renal failure.
Misconception (2) It is believed that vitamin C prevents common cold or facilitates quick recovery from such disease. This has not been proved on medical grounds. However, long-time intake in a large dose may lead to kidney stone.
Misconception (3) It is believed that external use of vitamin E promotes skin beauty. Again, this has not been proved on medical grounds. On the contrary, it may lead to contact dermatitis.

Vitamins should not be taken in excessive amount; in particular, do not let children take excessive amount of vitamin A and D.

When taking a vitamin product, be alert to the possibility of an adverse reaction or side effects. For example, peripheral neuropathy is a known side effect of vitamin B6 and is characterised by tingling, burning, or numbness, usually in the hands or feet. Therefore, if you are taking any product containing vitamin B6, stop taking it if you experience tingling, burning or numbness, and consult your healthcare professional as soon as possible.

Unbalanced diets would obviously lead to a deficit in vitamin absorption, and this poses a special concern to children. If in doubt, consult a doctor.

Alternatively, under special circumstances, the human body needs additional vitamin supplements. For example, pregnant or nursing women have an increased need of vitamins and smokers also have a greater need of vitamin C.

General Advice on Purchasing Vitamins

Many vitamin products are available in the market. The following points should be noted when buying and taking the products:

  1. Ask yourself questions like: What is the purpose of taking vitamins? Is there a genuine need to have an additional supplement? Or is it for a psychological comfort?
  2. Read carefully the type and amount of vitamins contained in the product and see if it is suitable given the user’s age and physical conditions. You should also read the instructions as stated in the product package or insert, and seek advice from healthcare professionals before buying or taking any vitamin products.
  3. Do not take more than the recommended daily dose.
  4. Consult a healthcare professional before using any vitamins if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  5. Vitamins should be stored as instructed to avoid the loss of potency.
  6. Some vitamin products are prescription-only medicines, for example:
    7. (a)pharmaceutical products containing Vitamin A with not less than 10,000 International Unit (IU) daily dose;
    (b)pharmaceutical products containing Vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid) with more than 200mg daily dose;
    (c)pharmaceutical products containing Vitamin D with more than 1,000 IU daily dose;
    (d)pharmaceutical products containing Vitamin K in oral dose form (except vitamins K1 or K2 with 120 mcg or less daily dose);
    (e)pharmaceutical products containing alfacalcidol;
    (f)pharmaceutical products containing calcitriol.
  7. Consult your doctor if you intend to take any vitamin over a long period of time.

Indeed, we can normally obtain sufficient vitamins from a balanced diet and additional supplement is not required. Similar to other medicines, vitamins should be stored properly to avoid accidents of mistaken consumption by children.

Drug Office
Department of Health
Dec 2024
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