At some point in their lives everyone, especially parents whose kids are nagging them to buy the sugar-filled, Disney character shaped vitamins, asks one question: Do vitamins actually help?

Vitamins and minerals are nutrients found in food. The human body uses the vitamins and minerals to support and strengthen different systems and functions. The “vitamins” consumers buy at the store are technically called supplements.

So to answer the question, do supplements actually help improve health?

The answer is yes, they do. Taking vitamins won’t make people five times stronger in two days, but they do help build up health in lots of different aspects.

Vitamins are a type of supplement, replacements for nutrition you aren’t getting from food. Most people heard of Vitamin C and Vitamin D and maybe even Vitamins E and K. Each of these vitamins has a different function in your body.

“Vitamin D for instance works with calcium to make bones,” School Nurse Mrs. Veronica Karhu said. “Vitamin C is an antioxidant and that is really important in supporting and maintaining your immune health.”

Vitamin E helps with skin formation, iron is necessary for the formation of red blood cells and Vitamin D can actually help fight off cancer in some cases. Vitamin D can also have an effect on your energy levels.

Vitamin and mineral needs vary from person and person. There are factors such as age, gender and chronic diseases that play into these needs.

“We know that it’s best to get our vitamins and minerals from food, rather than supplements,” Registered Dietitian Mrs. Katy Asay said. “But we also know that in some cases, it’s nearly impossible to meet a person’s needs without supplementation.

“For example, it’s very difficult for a pregnant woman to meet her iron needs without supplementation. A vegan may need help meeting her calcium, iron, zinc and B12 needs.”

For someone who successfully finds all the vitamins and nutrients their body needs in their food, supplements are going to do very little. But if someone is lacking in the nutrients, they could greatly benefit from taking supplements.

Mrs. Asay reminds everyone to be careful when buying supplements.

“The supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA,” Mrs. Asay said. “Which means that they can make claims that are not supported by scientific evidence and there can be substances included in a supplement that are not on the label.

“There have been many, many deaths and cases or organ failure caused by contaminated supplements.”