The quality of the wide number of vitamins, food, and dietary supplements is unclear. Vitamin complexes typically include 13 vitamins and at least 16 minerals. Some of them are involved in the production of enzymes, others function as structural elements of cells (for example, phosphorus), and others are amino acids or fatty acids (omega-3). However, unlike medications, no one really checks on these mineral complexes — therefore they may not contain the actual quantity of vitamins and minerals that the manufacturer claims. __The dosage cannot be calculated.__===Several vitamins are mixed into one tablet, some are fat-soluble, some are water-soluble, and some increase the permeability of the intestinal barrier while others reduce it. As a result, components interfere with each other. Therefore, it is impossible to understand exactly how many and which vitamins get absorbed. The result is unpredictable. Some of the components may not be necessary for you personally, or may even be contraindicated. For example, in some people, vitamins B12 and B9 have a high content of folic acid, and an additional dose will only harm them. There is no individual approach. As a rule of thumb, anyone hearing “take vitamins” would go buy a vitamin complex with no idea what they are buying. Before taking any supplements, you should take blood tests and determine the content of vital vitamins and microelements in your body in order to identify any deficiencies that you need to make up for. After that, work with a specialist to select vitamins that fit your health needs. To conclude, let’s look at one of the most commonly asked questions: is it possible to fill a lack of specific vitamins with food? In theory, it is possible, but in reality, it is not! A person is physically unable to eat the quantity of food required to fully satisfy the body's need for all the necessary nutrients. When planning our diet, we tend to consider the taste of various foods or the body shape we would like to have, rather than the health benefits. One should also take into account the quality of modern products, the vitamin-killing processing methods (and many vitamins are simply destroyed when food is cooked), the abundance of additives in food that make it impossible for vitamins to get absorbed, and the specific assimilation characteristics of certain vitamins. Therefore, you need to prioritize taking vitamins in a healthy way that works for you!