Vitamins are micronutrients that are essential to life and healthy living. And, as everyone is aware, failing to get the necessary amounts of specific vitamins can cause deficiency states that are unhealthy and even dangerous.

However, vitamins can play a much larger dietary role in our ongoing quest for health than the FDA's Reference Daily Intakes (formerly known as recommended daily allowances, or RDA's) might suggest.

As many scientific studies now indicate, vitamins, when taken in amounts greater than the RDI's, may reduce the occurrence of certain illnesses and degenerative disorders, improve the functioning of the immune system, and, perhaps, even allow us to live longer and healthier lives.

Is my ?Diet? adequate?

There is an increasing tendency to associate the word ?diet? with special food combinations that help you lose weight, but this is not the true meaning of the word: simply put, your diet is what supplies the body with the vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fiber it needs to sustain life?your life.

Without adequate amounts of healthy nutrients, it is a proven fact that you will become more vulnerable to infection and illness. Eyesight, memory, mood, energy level, lifespan?everything that defines your life experience is directly affected by what you eat. With so many food choices available, it's important to know which foods are the best sources of nutrients, and how these nutrients function in the body.

Supplements? What are they, and should I be taking them?

Nutritional supplements are important for at least two simple reasons. The first is that many of us rely too much on fast foods and highly processed foods. And the second rationale for nutritional supplements is that evidence continues to mount that many of the nutrients and health promoting substances that we might take to achieve optimum health levels cannot be obtained through normal diet alone.

Of course, any nutrient that is not acquired through normal eating habits may be classified as a supplement. And this includes vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, as well as a host of other nutrients. The key to nutrition is to keep track of and know the amount of nutrients you are getting from your normal eating habits each day and if this is not meeting the RDI's suggested requirements, you should be taking a multi-vitamin every day.

Here are the values suggested by the FDA, taken from, (?Daily Values? encourage healthy diets, by Paula Kurtzweil, member of the FDA's public affairs staff)

?vitamin A5,000 International Units (IU)

?vitamin C60 milligrams (mg)

?thiamin1.5 mg

?riboflavin1.7 mg

?niacin20 mg

?calcium1.0 gram (g)

?iron18 mg

?vitamin D400 IU

?vitamin E30 IU

?vitamin B62.0 mg

?folic acid0.4 mg

?vitamin B126 micrograms (mcg)

?phosphorus1.0 g

?iodine150 mcg

?magnesium400 mg

?zinc15 mg

?copper2 mg

?biotin0.3 mg

?pantothenic acid10 mg

Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs)

(Based on National Academy of Sciences? 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances)