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Who should take vitamin supplements?

Certain groups can benefit from taking vitamin supplements because their diets lack necessary vitamins. These include:

• Children who are picky eaters. Vitamins are important for all children. But if your child is a picky eater and is not getting vitamins naturally from food, then it may be especially important to enhance his or her diet with a vitamin supplement.

• Teen girls and young women. Dieting, eating on the run and skipping meals is common behavior for this group. Supplements can help compensate for diets lacking in calcium and iron.

• Women of childbearing age. Women of childbearing age may need to take vitamins to reduce the risk of birth defects once they decide to have children. Doctors often recommend folic acid and iron supplements.

• Pregnant women. Vitamins help keep pregnant women healthy while their bodies go through changes. Both mother-to-be and the developing baby can benefit from vitamin supplements.

• Older adults. As we age, our appetite may decrease due to difficulty chewing or loss of smell or taste. Vitamin supplements can help supply the nutrients necessary to keep older people healthy and strong.

• Dieters and vegetarians. Even if you eat healthy foods, you may need vitamin supplements. Dieters may eat less than 1,200 calories a day, in which case it's difficult to get necessary nutrients. Vegetarians may also need supplements to replace the nutrients that they are missing by not consuming dairy or meat.