Soylent Green? ;-)

But self-diagnosing your own daily limits would be dangerous and stupid, in my opinion.

True. Although we shouldn't take the recommended dosage as the dogma, it is the next best thing we can do. Like joel says, how else would you know your own daily limits of vitamins?

The RDA is a baseline, by aiming for those levels, no one will end up dangerously over or under their requirements. If you have the money and desire to undergo medical observation and blood testing to find out exactly what you need, and then the clinical willpower to ensure your diet is milligram perfect, then my hat is off to you. I am just going to take a one-a-day and eat some fruit and veg, but I am lazy

Ditto. Though if you're in tune with your body, you kind of "feel" what you need. Especially when you crave certain foods (like foods that are high in protein, vitamin B or C, etc). But the best way to deal with that is to eat the food and not take pills...

Vitamins and minerals are very good for health they add beauty to our body!! Eating For Beauty — known as the mineral directive principle..Even with a natural raw and living food diet, we have to concentrate a balance by choosing foods that complement each other.
*link deleted*

hi,

Eating a balanced diet with OccasionaL supplements is a wise course I find. Some food best raw, some cooked, oddly frozen peas have increased bioavilability of present vit.
*Vit A is Toxic, Bata-carotene is the non-toxic precursor (eat 1/4 of the liver of a polar bear and you die, just cool FYI). Some forms of Iron found in common multi-vit are also toxic. Vit B-12 is notoriously hard to absorb, if one is vegan or such Sub-Lingual B-12 Occasionally is better.

1.)B vitamins are water soluble and if the body has enough are simply making ones pee cool yellow (B-12 is stored but only ~ 2-3g, that actually can last a year or more), kinda like too much "creatnine" or what ever that expensive stuff people use, got enough-flush $$$$ down the drain

2.)After working for Radiologists I've seen the damnedest things...in the human colon (or...shudder...rectum), good example on plain film abd/pel MULTI-Vitamins undigested about to pass...out. So a liquid multi as an occasional supplement, is good idea, da??

3.) Vitamins and minerals are used either to make amino acids our body cannot (Beans and Corn, still need meat type product for B-12 and sunlight for vit D) as well as being essential in the Krebs cycle and ...well, pret'near everythin else.

4.)if one is concerned, or overly tired or losing weight.... GO TO A PHYSICIAN, a CBC, basic metabolic and some real cool new blood cancer markers might be needed, western medicine paired with holistic eastern approach.

Now...go eat an apricot (not the pit tho, has cyanide in it)