Uses and Misuses of Vitamins and Minerals

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"Food is the best source of vitamins and minerals. A balanced diet contains far more vitamins and minerals than the daily need of an individual. Intake of too much of vitamins is not only useless but can be harmful". It is better to have a balanced diet which provides vitamins and minerals in adequate quantities and in natural forms. Amongst the fruits guava is the richest source of vitamin C followed by mangos and citrus fruits and bers. Amongst the vegetables, turnip tops, mustard green and gram leaves are richest in vitamin C. Watermelon is the richest source of carotene (vit. A) and carrots also contain it in large quantities.

Different vitamin and mineral preparations are widely prescribed and used. It is common to see prescriptions from qualified doctors containing one or more than one such preparations. As a result of aggressive and unethical promotion by the pharmaceutical companies and common prescriptions by the doctors, people use these preparations to improve their general state of health, to treat general weakness and body aches and pains. Another very common practice is to use vitamin and mineral preparations concomitantly with antibiotics. Strangely enough, this belief is promoted and reinforced by the doctors through their prescriptions.

One indication of the wide use of these "tonics" is that in public sector a …