For consumers
(1300 633 424)
Mon-Fri | 9am-5pm AEST
Your call will be answered by healthdirect Australia
For health professionals
Find out the active ingredient and other brand names of your medicines with the NPS Medicine Name Finder
For a medicinewise Australia
Independent. Not-for-profit. Evidence based.
Site Tools
Quick Links
Vitamins and minerals are medicines tooVitamins and minerals are medicines too
Most of us don’t think of vitamin and mineral supplements as being medicines, but they are.
Vitamins and minerals occur naturally in food, and are used by our bodies to maintain good health and prevent a range of diseases.
However, if vitamins or minerals are being taken in the form of supplements (tablets, capsules, powders, etc), they should be regarded as medicines and treated as such.
Who might need supplements?
While vitamins and minerals are essential for good health, our bodies need only tiny amounts of them. Therefore, most people don’t need supplements, as they obtain enough of each vitamin and mineral by eating a good and varied diet.
Nevertheless, some people may need supplements to correct specific deficiencies in their diet, or because their circumstances mean they need more of a particular vitamin or mineral than their diet can provide. Such people include:
- women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- some vegetarians
- people who drink large amounts of alcohol
- people who use illicit drugs
- older people
- people with some chronic health conditions.
Use wisely
When using vitamin and mineral supplements, always read the label and take only as recommended. Taking more than the recommended dose of some vitamins and minerals can cause problems. For example, vitamins A, D, E and K are stored in the body. If too much of one of these vitamins accumulates in your body, it can become toxic. With others, if you take in more than you need, the excess is simply wasted.
Like other medicines, supplements can cause side effects and can interact with other medicines, especially when taken in large doses. So, when telling a doctor or pharmacist about the medicines you are taking, don’t forget to tell them about any vitamin and mineral supplements.
Further information
Your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian can give you advice about vitamin and mineral supplements.
A reliable website for detailed information about vitamin and mineral supplements is the Drugs and Supplements section of the United States MedlinePlus website.
MedicinesTalk is a free quarterly newsletter for consumers written by consumers about using medicines wisely. Subscribe to the hard copy version using our online ordering system, or write to MedicinesTalk, National Prescribing Service Limited, PO Box 1147, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012.
Date published: 2010-07-26 00:00:00
Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the date of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health professional. Health professionals should rely on their own expertise and enquiries when providing medical advice or treatment. Where permitted by law, NPS disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.
References to brands should not be taken as an endorsement by NPS.
