Vitamins and other supplements are so popular these days that it can be hard to separate what's helpful from what's merely "hype-ful."

Ideally, humans would eat wholly nutritious diets rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.

On the one hand, nutrition experts agree that the best possible way to get vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients is through food. That's because your body absorbs vitamins and minerals most easily from food.

But for certain people and in certain situations, supplementing with a multivitamin may be a good idea.

These people do not meet all their nutritional needs through their food. As a result, many of us rely on multivitamins and supplements to achieve more complete nutrition.

However, the marketing and producing of multivitamins are not regulated by government.