First let’s briefly explore vitamin use in our modern culture. In an article published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey provide awareness of current practice [1]. Among surveyed nonpregnant adults, 52% of participants used at least one dietary supplement in 30 days, and 31% used a multivitamin-mineral supplement. The treatment reasons selected were designated as overall health and wellness, and to accommodate for lack of nutrition.

How many times have you heard that taking a daily vitamin is very important for your health? Vitamins are considered a dietary supplement, often marketed with the assumption that ordinary diets are gravely deficient.

Vitamins and supplements have an intriguing past that plays a role in our health decisions. Not only are they available in pill form, but they also are added to the food supply. Fortification and enrichment are two words often found on packaged foods. During manufacturing, vitamins are removed due to the effects of heat, light, and temperature because of processing. The stability and long shelf-life require food to be stripped of its nutritional value.