Some people do need higher doses of a certain vitamins or minerals than what their diet provides. But even if you fall into one of these categories, you might be getting plenty of other vitamins and nutrients. In that case, Biggers suggests taking specific supplements to make up for exactly what you're lacking, rather than reaching for a multi that provides extra of everything. They plan an important role in how your body functions, such as helping your body convert the food you eat into energy. I Do you need to take a multivitamin or dietary supplement in order to get the vitamins and nutrients you need?
According to the FDA, most people can get the vitamins they need through the foods they eat.ii However, multivitamins can play a vital role when nutritional requirements cannot be met with food alone. Years ago, there was research that led us to believe taking multivitamins helped us live longer by preventing heart disease and some cancers. However, more recently, researchers have found that we probably cannot count on vitamins to help us live longer. We do know that there are many health problems and symptoms that can result from not having enough of the various vitamins and minerals we need.
If we have a specific vitamin that we are low in, we can fix that by replacing the missing vitamin or mineral. Taking a multivitamin can be considered sort of an "insurance policy" to make sure we get the right balance needed to avoid those symptoms can help us feel better. It is important to remember though, that vitamin supplements are not a replacement for a healthy diet and lifestyle. A recent review of the research concluded that there is insufficient evidence for the use of dietary supplements for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and all-cause mortality.
While supplementing some nutrients may have a small benefit, others may cause harm, particularly in certain people such as smokers. Your best chance of reducing chronic disease risk comes from eating a healthy diet incorporating a wide range of plant foods. With conflicting advice and the risk of reactions when taking other medications, it's best to check in with your doctor before going down the vitamin aisle. Pregnant women and women who are trying to become pregnant need at least 400 micrograms of folate per day, a B vitamin that helps to prevent neural tube defects.
For these women, a prenatal vitamin or a daily folic acid supplement is recommended. Nursing women have unique nutritional needs that may call for supplementation. Some elderly adults whose appetites have diminished and who therefor don't eat a balanced diet may benefit from adding a multivitamin. According to the NIH, it's also generally recommended that women who want to become pregnant get 400 micrograms of folic acid a day to lower the risk of neural tube defects in newborns. However, unless you're planning to become pregnant or are pregnant or have a particular nutrient deficiency, you probably don't need a multivitamin, Rumsey says. The most common deficiencies in the U.S. are iron, calcium, and vitamins B12 and D, Keatley says.
Being deficient in any one of these will make you feel tired, which is a pretty vague symptom. Still, if you're struggling with fatigue, it's worth asking your doctor for a blood test to see if a deficiency could be to blame. It's best to get the vitamins your body needs from food, but if your diet comes up short on vitamins E and C, you may choose to get them through supplements. Both vitamins play a role in immunity and have antioxidant properties that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, unstable molecules linked to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Vitamin E also aids in the formation of red blood cells, while vitamin C helps wounds heal. If you're a healthy adult, taking a multivitamin won't lower your risk of heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular disease.
Preventive Services Task Force concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support any benefit from vitamin and mineral supplementation for the prevention of cancer or cardiovascular disease. For those who eat a healthful diet, a multivitamin may have little or no benefit. A diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good protein sources, and healthful fats should provide most of the nutrients needed for good health. When it comes to specific vitamins and minerals, some Americans get less than adequate amounts, according to criteria set by the National Academy of Medicine.
For example, more than 90% of Americans get less than the Estimated Average Requirement for vitamin D and vitamin E from food sources alone. While you might think you can never have enough vitamins or that your body will easily get rid of anything it doesn't need, that's untrue with certain varieties. Taking too much of a single vitamin or combining multivitamins, single vitamins, fortified foods and your usual diet can turn into an overdose. The biggest risk falls under fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. These can build up in the body and lead to serious health conditions like liver, kidney and brain damage.
That's why it's best to ask your doctor about what is safe to take. You might just find that a well-balanced diet you're already practicing doesn't require any additional fortification from vitamins or maybe what you thought you had plenty of could actually use a boost. Seniors already tend to produce less acid in their stomachs, so it is harder for them to get the nutrients they need from their diet. Another important group are women of child bearing years, especially during pregnancy.
It is important to already have the nutrients you need on board even before becoming pregnant, because of those very early development stages. This is why a good multivitamin is recommended for most women of child bearing years, even before they are thinking about pregnancy. We already mentioned people who do not have a good diet, such as young children or even adults who picky eaters & may not be getting enough variety in their diets.
Who Needs To Take Multivitamins Another very important group is people who take certain medications. Some medications deplete certain vitamins over time, and can have side effects that are relieved or avoided by taking the right supplement. If you find some nutritional holes, our advice is to adjust and improve your eating habits.
If you do decide to make a daily multivitamin part of your daily regimen, keep in mind that it cannot take the place of a balanced and healthy diet. Not only do fruits, vegetables, whole grains and leafy greens contain vitamins, they provide fiber, which is important to good health. Whole foods also contain trace nutrients and other useful compounds that no pill or supplement can recreate. "A multivitamin can't take the place of eating a variety of foods and food groups," Alissa Rumsey, a registered dietitian in New York City and founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness, tells Allure. Here's what the experts want you to know about multivitamins, plus how to tell whether they're right for you.
If you're a healthy guy and have no major dietary restrictions, you don't need a multivitamin. A pill containing 20 vitamins and minerals is never going to replicate the complex mixture of healthful compounds in whole foods. Many people take a multivitamin end up using them to justify less healthy eating habits. While many young children are picky eaters, that doesn't necessarily mean that they have nutritional deficiencies. Many common foods — including breakfast cereal, milk and orange juice — are fortified with important nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin D, calcium and iron. So your child may be getting more vitamins and minerals than you think.
There's no standard definition for what needs to be in a multivitamin, specifically what nutrients it should have and in what quantities, according to the NIH. These include calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, several B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, iodine, selenium, borate, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, beta-carotene, and iron. If your diet is loaded with processed foods and added sugars, popping a multivitamin won't make up for it.
"Taking a multivitamin is not a substitute for healthy eating," says Alana Biggers, MD, MPH, assistant professor of clinical medicine at University of Illinois-Chicago College of Medicine. The best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need—along with fiber and phytonutrients—is by eating a well-balanced diet of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. Ideally, these vitamins will instead come from foods, as the body can better regulate their absorption and the risk of toxicity is much lower.
Vitamin D is unique, however—while there are some food sources of vitamin D (fortified dairy and non-dairy milks, some fish), the body typically produces vitamin D in the skin as a result of sun exposure. Vitamin D deficiency, like other fat-soluble vitamins, can easily be checked with a blood test. Based on your level, you may need to take a corresponding supplemental dosage to improve your levels. Our philosophy at InsideTracker is always "test, don't guess," to ensure you're giving your body what it needs.
Multivitamin supplements are the most commonly used dietary supplements in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the May 2006 issue of the journal "Evidence Report/Technology Assessment," a review of studies showed that taking multivitamins may prevent cancer in people with poor nutritional status. If you take a multivitamin, you don't usually need to take separate vitamin C or vitamin E supplements, however. In fact, taking both a supplement and multivitamin could lead to toxicity, according to Jeffrey Blumberg, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston. The risks of taking a multivitamin are low—in fact, Dr. Cherian chooses to take a multivitamin himself every day.
While multivitamins pack many nutrients, your body may not actually be in need of most of the contents. He reminds us that if you have a specific nutrient deficiency, it's always best to supplement with that specific nutrient (e.g., vitamin D or B12). It's a more targeted way to meet your health goals and rebalance your body.
Whatever you choose, always focus first and foremost on eating a well-balanced diet before supplementation. Multivitamins won't contain the full daily value for all micronutrients, such as calcium, magnesium and choline, because you'd end up with a pill too big to swallow. For as much as taking a multivitamin every day can benefit you, it's important to be aware that there can be some drawbacks as well, as it helps to knowwhat happens to your body when you take too many vitamins. Most notably, you should be aware of how much you're ingesting, as noted by registered dietitian Trista Best. "You might get too much fat-soluble vitamins if you are taking them in individual supplement forms as well," she told The List. Though, it is worth noting that ingesting too much vitamin C could lead to other issues, such as kidney stones.
I take a multivitamin every day—and I'd recommend that the 50 percent of Americans who don't take one start. While it's true that the data on multivitamins in the short-term isn't beneficial for otherwise healthy men, the 20-year data shows a significant benefit for heart disease and cancer risk. As a personalized nutrition company, InsideTracker is definitely a bit biased when it comes to multivitamins.
We believe in targeted approaches to nutritional deficiencies and inadequacies and always recommend avoiding taking blanket supplements that don't necessarily address your body's needs. Men 19 and older need 90 milligrams of vitamin C a day and women the same age need 75 milligrams; all adults 14 and older need 15 milligrams of vitamin E a day. Unlike supplements, food sources of vitamin E and vitamin C won't cause toxicity. Nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and green leafy vegetables are the best food sources of vitamin E.
One tablespoon of wheat germ oil contains 20 milligrams of vitamin E, which is more than 100 percent of the daily value. All fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, but citrus fruits are among the best sources. A medium orange, for example, supplies 117 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. Depending on your diet, you might not need to take a multivitamin or single-vitamin supplements. The researchers concluded that multivitamins don't reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline (such as memory loss and slowed-down thinking) or an early death.
They also noted that in prior studies, vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements appear to be harmful, especially at high doses. Not much, at least conclusively, as noted by health writer Hrefna Pálsdóttir. "Many people believe that taking multivitamins can help prevent heart disease, but the evidence is mixed," she penned in an article in Healthline.
"Some studies suggest that multivitamins are correlated to a reduced risk of heart attacks and death, while others show no effects." While experts often say that it's preferable to get your vitamins and minerals from your diet as opposed to in pill form, there's an advantage to taking a multivitamin in this case, says Kostro Miller. "In fact, folic acid is better absorbed in the supplement form than when consumed via food," she explained. All the more reason to take a multivitamin with folic acid in it every day.
Our bodies require a variety of vitamins and minerals to function, as noted byHarvard Medical School. Of the plethora that are out there, there's one that's especially important for folks who plan to start a family, says registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller. "Folic acid is absolutely essential during pregnancy," she shared with The List. Almost half of the U.S. population takes vitamins everyday, with multivitamins as the most popular choice.
However, unless you have a serious vitamin deficiency, studies show taking additional vitamin supplements might not provide the average person with any extra health benefits. An even more alarming statement is these pills we take every day could harm rather than help our bodies. Instead, they're meant to act as insurance, filling in gaps when you're not getting enough essential nutrients. Most studies of multivitamins haven't shown any benefit in terms of reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, or diabetes.
If you were taught that taking your vitamins every day was a vital part of staying healthy—right up there with brushing your teeth and eating your veggies—you're not alone. For decades, doctors recommended multivitamins as an easy way to fill in any nutritional gaps in your diet. But recent research suggests the benefits of multivitamins might be highly overrated. Despite some bold claims, multivitamins might not be as good for your health as some companies make out. They're often believed to help reduce your risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease.
So in healthy people, it's unlikely they have any benefit. For me, on days I'm eating healthy, I take half of my multivitamin. There are certainly diseases caused by a lack of specific nutrients in the diet. Classic examples include scurvy , beri-beri , pellagra , and rickets .
But these conditions are rare in the U.S. and other developed countries where there is generally more access to a wide range of foods, some of which are fortified with vitamins. Individual vitamin supplementation may also be essential in certain cases, such as a deficiency caused by long-term poor nutrition or malabsorption caused by the body's digestive system not functioning properly. Most people do not need to take vitamin supplements and can get all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet. What has been shown conclusively to decrease your risk of heart disease is to eat a healthy diet and to get regular exercise, according to the CDC. So if you specifically take a multivitamin every day to protect your heart, your efforts may be in vain. I'm not saying guys shouldn't also pay attention to their diet (I advocate a plant-heavy Mediterranean approach), but it's not likely that you're eating all the nutrients you need all the time.
Data suggests that 90 percent of men fall short in one or more of the 16 essential vitamins and minerals. Should you really toss the remnants of your medicine cabinet? Not quite, but you should consult with your primary healthcare provider before taking any additional supplements on your own. Evidence shows that taking vitamins provides little benefit to those who are already well-nourished.
