A well-balanced and healthy diet should ideally provide all the essential vitamins and nutrients to an adult. Strictly speaking, vitamin supplements are not really required and even if there is a deficiency it is always recommended that an individual try and restore the balance by altering diet habits rather than relying on supplements. This is because your diet contains a mixture of vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial collectively. It is not the absorption of a single vitamin in high quantity that benefits the body. Supplements cannot offer the same quality of nutrients that food can provide.

However, there are cases when vitamin supplements become a necessity.

It can happen sometimes that an individual requires a higher quantity of certain vitamins or the body is not able to absorb vitamins directly from food. There are also other considerations that make vitamin supplements mandatory.

Pregnant women, for example, are suggested to take at least 400 micrograms of folic acid on a daily basis and eat foods rich in vitamins. Folic acid is well known for reducing risk of defects in unborn babies. On the other hand women are advised to restrict vitamin A intake because this too affects the normal growth of a baby.

Children between 6 months and 4 years of age should get rich doses of vitamins A, C, and D in the form of supplements. Vitamin A promotes vision and skin development. Vitamin C is good for bones and body tissue. Vitamin D helps with the growth and strengthening of bones and teeth.

Other groups of individuals may be those whose diet is not providing ample nutrition and they too may require vitamin supplements.

Elder people may find it increasingly difficult to keep up cooking routines they followed in their youth. This is especially true of those folks that stay alone. This can cause a severe drop in the nutritional value of their daily diet and they will typically be recommended a multivitamin as a dietary supplement. People in advanced years may also not be very mobile and consequently spend a lot of time indoors, away from the sun. This can result in vitamin D deficiency and that too needs correction through vitamin supplements.

Vegetarians, and especially absolute vegans, need to take vitamin supplements to include the vitamins and nutrients they are not getting by excluding meat and dairy products. Vitamin supplements become a vital need if these deficiencies are not being countered with high-protein foods like beans and pulses.

Individuals who have a high alcohol intake (not necessarily alcoholics) and those who are chronically ill also have need for vitamin supplements.

It is always better to go for a multivitamin rather than a high concentration of a single vitamin. Whatever multivitamin you choose, just make sure that it has 200 micrograms of folate in it (400 micrograms is recommended for females who are or plan to become pregnant).

Single vitamin supplements should only be taken when prescribed by a doctor or registered dietician. This is because vitamins and minerals need a balanced presence in the body. Like deficiency, too much of one vitamin can also create problems.

Beware of overdosing when taking vitamin supplements.