I am a 34-year-old woman and I don’t care to eat vegetables much. I know that they are vital to my health, so I began taking some vitamin supplement that claim to give all the nutients that fruits and vegatable provide. After about 2 weeks of taking them, I noticed that my eye lids got puffy so I quit taking them. It has been over 6 months now since I last took them and the puffiness is still there. Can I do anything about this? By the way my mother had the same reaction.

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Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

Vitamin supplements can never substitute for a healthy diet. Various studies have been done to evaluate the effects of such vitamin supplements on the incidence of various diseases, and no supplements have been found beneficial. However, a diet rich in the very same vitamins occuring naturally in vegetable has been shown to decrease the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. It’s possible that we don’t actually know what it is in the veggies that’s so good for us. The vitamins are important, but only to the extent that we need them. Excess vitamins are of no use. On the other hand, if you are not eating vegetables, you may be missing some vital substances that we don’t know about. Vitamin supplements are valuable for those who suffer from vitamin deficiency.?

I don’t know what’s causing the puffiness around the eyes, but after 6 months, it’s not the supplements anymore, that I’m sure about. Make sure you don’t eat too much salt, get exercise, avoid alcohol, sleep well and drink enough water to relieve the puffiness around your eyes.