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well-being, with deficiencies often contributing to illness or death.Why vitamins?Let us focus on the role and impor- tance of one of these essential types of nutrients, vitamins. There are 13 kinds of vitamins, separated into two groups: fat soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins consist of vitamins A, D, E and K, while water soluble ones consist of vitamins B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B5, B6, B12 plus folic acid, biotin and vitamin C. These vitamins are needed in small recommended daily amounts, down to micrograms for vitamin B12, folic acid and biotin, or as high as 90 milligrams for vitamin C, but all play an important role in our well-being. Vitamin A is known to improve vision and body growth. Vitamin C is a good antioxidant and supports collagen synthesis, vital for healthy skin. Vitamin E is also a good antioxidant, as well as being important for the reproductive system. Biotin is essential for hair and nails. Folic acid prevents defects in the neural tube during fetus formation. Vitamin D helps promote healthy bones and teeth. Vitamins B6 and B12 play an important role in nerve and brain function.The benefits of these vitamins are broader than those listed, and continuing studies will no doubt reveal other ways they can enhance our quality of life.How many vitamins do we need?It is easy to determine how much food we need as nutritionists suggest that we take in 2,000 kilocalories of food a day to cope with our energy needs. That energy comes from the macronutrients proteins, fats or carbohydrates, and deficiencies are unlikely, especially for Thais who live in a country where food is plentiful. On the other hand, it is hard forInterestingly, just taking a multivitamin may be linked to having a younger ‘biological age’everybody to meet the bodily require- ments of vitamins and minerals, as various factors can affect their quantity and stability, such as improper food storage, keeping raw food for long periods before processing, and high cooking temperatures that break down nutrients.The defined quantity of each vitamin that our body needs is called the recommended daily allowance (RDA). For vitamin A, for example, the RDA for adults is 900 micro- grams, while for vitamin C it is 90 milligrams and for vitamin B12 it is 2 micrograms. This is the recom- mended minimum, not maximum, so the next question becomes how high our vitamin intake can or should be. Using a scientific approach, we can employ risk assessment to determinethe upper intake levels of each vitamin without causing adverse side effects. The upper intake level of vitamin C, for example, is 2,000mg a day.Benefits of vitamins at higher amountsMuch research has been conducted on the consumer benefits of higher quantities of vitamins. Specific groups of consumers may need more than others. Folic acid, as mentioned, helps pregnant women prevent deficiencies in the neural tube for offspring, while higher doses of vitamin C can hasten recovery from flu.Much evidence points to the benefits of vitamins for specific groups of people. Interestingly, just taking a multivitamin may be linked to having a younger “biological age”. The ageing rate and lifespan of normal,Elite+ 49