Google “Vitamins” and you will get 142 million results. As you navigate the maze of sites, you will see phrases claiming that vitamin supplements can “increase energy”, “stimulate brain function”, and “improve sex drive”.

It all helps explain why Americans shell out $1.75 billion a year on vitamins, hoping to prolong life, slow aging, and protect against a bevy of illness. But new research not only refutes many of these claims but also shows that some of these vitamins may, in fact, be harmful in excess.

Vitamins got their name from their link to “vitality”, and indeed they are vital for your health. But it is important to get them from the right place and in the right amounts. Similarly, while minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc are essential to keep your body and brain functioning properly, many are highly toxic if consumed in large quantities.

Vitamins To date, 13 vitamins essential to human health have been discovered. Vitamins are classified as fat-soluble or water-soluble, according to how they are absorbed and stored in the body.

The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) need fat in order to be absorbed into the bloodstream from the intestinal tract. Thus people who have fat-malabsorption disorders can develop deficiency symptoms even if their diet supplies adequate amounts of the vitamin. Many people with celiac disease, for instance, which impairs the absorption of dietary fat, have low vitamin D levels. On the other hand, because the body can store fat-soluble vitamins in the liver and fatty tissue, toxic amounts may build up if a person takes high doses of these supplements.

Water-soluble vitamins, the B vitamin, and vitamin C are more easily absorbed than fat-soluble vitamins. However, since the body stores water-soluble vitamins in only small amounts and excretes the rest in urine, they need to be consumed more often. This also means that you are not likely to overdose on water-soluble vitamins.

Vitamin Facts The B vitamins are grouped together because they all help your body convert the food you eat into energy. Each member has both a name and number.

1. B1 - Thiamine
2. B2 - Riboflavin
3. B3 - Niacin
4. B5 - Panthothenic acid
5. B6 - An umbrella term of six chemicals that work in a similar way. The most common type of supplements is pyridoxine
6. B7 - Biotin
7. B9 - Folic acid
8. B12 - This also comes in several forms, which are called cobalamins

Minerals, which constitute about 4 percent of our body weight, are generally classified according to the amount we require each day:

• Calcium, Phosphorous, and Magnesium are classified as macrominerals because you need and can store larger amounts.

• Iron, Fluoride, Manganese, Iodine, Selenium, Zinc, Chloride, Potassium, Sodium, Molybdenum, Chromium, and copper are classified as trace or microminerals because the requirements are much smaller and they are stored in extremely small amounts in the body.

Quick Tip: Skip Protein Powers Purified protein and amino acid powders or pills are often promoted as high-energy, muscle-bulking supplements for athletes and bodybuilders, as well as weight loss aids for dieters. Research doesn't show that most athletes benefit from high protein intake; in fact, amino acid supplements can upset normal protein synthesis, setting the stage for nutritional imbalances. A balanced diet provides all the needed protein; any access is just excreted

Some of these minerals - including calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium - are also classed as electrolytes, substances that are involved in generating electrical impulses to transport nerve messages. Electrolytes also maintain the proper balance of fluids and body chemicals.

All of these minerals are vital to health, and because the body is unable to make them on its own, they must be provided with food.