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Since the human body has a complex endocrine system which, among other functions, best enables it to absorb nutrients when primed for active digestion, vitamins are best absorbed into the body when taken with food. Several vitamins and minerals show enhanced absorption when directly interacting, such as vitamin D and calcium. A few water-soluble vitamins such as the B-family of vitamins can cause mild stomach upset unless taken with food; while vitamin C, an acid, can erode the lining of the stomach if not buffered with food. Fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A or D actually require some natural food oils to be absorbed into the body at all.

Ideal is when vitamins naturally occur within the diet. In fact, if most of your diet consists of local fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fish, and you get at least some regular exposure to sunshine, you are probably already consuming all the vitamins and minerals you need. A single additional supplement of B9, or folic acid, is recommended if you are pregnant or intending to conceive: as this has been found to greatly decrease the chances of the baby being born with spina bifida.

However, despite a few innovations such as vitamin D enriched milk, the vast majority of the modern western diet consists of foods which have been processed and refined out of most of their naturally occurring nutrients. Additionally, with increased shipping distances, many fruits and vegetables are now regularly harvested and shipped out when they are not yet ripe, a practice which dramatically decreases their nutritional value. Extended exposure to heat and light after having been harvested can further reduce nutritional content. Thus to maintain health, either these nutrients must be artificially restored (as is the case with enriched flour), or vitamin supplements must be taken.

Without a daily minimum dose of each identified vitamin and mineral, negative health effects can quickly creep in. Best known among these are the results of extreme and prolonged vitamin deficiency of vitamin C (scurvy), vitamin D (rickets), and vitamin A (night blindness). However, even moderate deficiencies can impact on growth, the immune system, or the body's ability to heal.

Equally disruptive to the human body can be taking much more than the recommended daily amount of a given vitamin or mineral, a practice that has not been independently linked to any health benefits whatsoever. Almost certainly those who take much more than the recommended daily requirements will experience at least some stomach and intestinal discomfort. At best, the body simply flushes out the excess, while at worst, many vitamins and minerals become toxic at high levels: and deaths have occurred.

Our bodies are amazing, but they do require regular maintenance. Taken with food at recommended levels, the thirteen families of vitamins are key components of a healthy lifestyle.

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