Taking vitamins is essential for looking and feeling good. The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of different foods.

A serious vitamin dietary deficiency is unlikely, unless of course you're living in a third world country. Lifestyle and improper cooking methods could hamper the nutritional value of the foods you eat.

The recommended daily allowance or RDA of the various vitamins is different depending on an individuals age and current state of health. Also children need more vitamins than their parents because they need to have enough vitamins for growth.

There are both water soluble and water soluble vitamins. A weakness of the water soluble vitamins is that they are easily destroyed in food. Also adequate consumption of water-soluble vitamins is necessary to ensure that the body's stores are not depleted.

The minimum fat intake necessary for absorption of fat soluble vitamins is about 12-15 grams a day, less than 10% of total kilojoule intake. Taking high doses of vitamins is not generally recommended.

Check the nutrition facts label on the foods you eat to find good sources of the vitamins your body needs. Whole foods are your best sources of vitamins and minerals. Many fruits and vegetables are particularly good sources of vitamins A, C, E and K, some B vitamins, and many important minerals. Good sources of Vitamins A are oily fish, liver, egg yolk and dairy produce.

Meat, poultry, seafood, dried peas, lentils, nuts, and eggs are good sources of the B vitamins plus protein, iron, and other vitamins and minerals.

Eggs are also good sources of chromium, choline, vitamins B12, D and K [essential for healthy bones], folate, carotenoids and protein.

Calcium is an important mineral for women, and most sources about vitamins state that women should consume at least 1200-1500 mg of calcium daily.

Some natural sources of vitamins are sunlight, fresh grass, wheat products, brans, whey, alfalfa meal, molasses, and brewer's yeast.

The truth is, a good nutritional intake is always a better option than taking supplements and the overwhelming majority of vitamins that are taken are totally unnecessary.