The Vitamin Shoppe opened three months ago on Stevens Creek Blvd., replacing Bombay Oven, an Indian Restaurant that went out of business. The store houses a multitude of vitamins, minerals and other supplements and could present opportunities for students and other members of the community to educate themselves on vitamins and possibly make them a part of their lifestyle.

With the large, dim-lit store full of shelves, products and bright signs may seem intimidating at first, but the Vitamin Shoppe is well organized with employees ready to answer questions. The store contains numerous sections, each of which house different types of vitamins, protein powders, supplements, mass gainers and many more products.

Before making drastic changes to one’s lifestyle, it’s important to be aware that vitamins and other supplements cannot be a person’s only source of nutrition. Physiology teacher Kyle Jones believes that a healthy diet and lifestyle should also accompany taking protein powders and other types of supplements.

“[Vitamins] are tricky because people who take vitamins are people who are generally healthier than the average person,” Jones said. “These people are taking vitamins because they already are aware that they need to be healthy.”

Students who take these types of vitamins and supplements should be well educated on the effects of these so called enhancers and know what they are putting into their body. Junior Shayan Estamiam, member of the wrestling team and weight-lifting enthusiast, thinks that students should be more knowledgeable about the effects that certain supplements can have on the body.

“Some people just take it because their current friends tell them that they should take it,” Estamiam said. “If they are committing to something they love, like sports, and they love it to death, they should be able to research it to death.”

Both athletes and non-athletes come to the store with recommendations from their friends, coaches or physicians seeking access to a healthier lifestyle. Currently, the majority of high school students that come to the store are athletes from a variety of different sports, ranging from football to rowing to water polo. According to a Vitamin Shoppe employee, products like multivitamins and other supplements can be beneficial for teenagers as well. Look to the infographic to the right to see the employee’s top 5 recommendations of Vitamin Shoppe products for high school students.

The opening of the Vitamin Shoppe signals an opportunity for both adults and high schoolers to educate themselves on the benefits of taking vitamins and other products, in addition to leading a healthy lifestyle.

Story written and reported by Sanjana Murthy and Neha Patchipala.