Okay, do you need to take supplements? To date there have been 13 vitamins and 10 minerals that have been deemed essential (this means your body can not make them, or not in sufficient amounts, so they must be supplied by the diet). The National Academy of Sciences' Food and Nutrition Board has set the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs). These are the amounts of nutrients required to avoid specific deficiencies. If you are eating the recommended number of servings from each of the food groups in the USDA Food Guide Pyramid you should be receiving all the vitamins and minerals you need. Having said this, most of us fail to meet these standards. Some surveys have shown that only 1 in 10 people consume enough fruits and vegetables. Take a look at your diet if there are some gapping holes you need to either add some foods or take some supplements. Carefully chosen supplements can enhance a good diet but they can't make up for a bad diet.
What supplements do you need? A safe bet is simple multiple vitamin and mineral supplement. There are deficiencies that result when too much of one vitamin is taken alone. A good example is the B vitamins often work together, so supplementing with just one is unlikely to help. Look for one that provides around 100% of the RDA. If the supplement provides more than 300% of the RDA it is too much. If you don't have at least 3 servings of dairy you probably need to take a separate calcium and magnesium tablet along with your multi-vitamin.
