What’s your take on Multi-Vitamins?

elysahan

Hey MFP Fam!

What do you think of Multi-Vitamins? Are they an important part of your health and wellness journey and if yes, what do you take? And if no, why not?

AnvilHead

My .02 - probably unnecessary if you eat a reasonably balanced/nutritious diet - but cheap insurance just in case, not hurting anything (as long as one isn't eating a ridiculous dose of them every day). "Important"? Not unless your diet is craptacularly bad - and in that case you'd be much better off fixing your diet than trying to cover your tracks with a multivitamin.

I just take a Walmart brand gummy multi every day, I'm not going to waste money on fancy "designer" multivitamins.

Crochetluvr

I take a gummy vitamin. It can't hurt. But I don't take a bunch of supplements. However, my opthomologist wants me to start taking Presservision. Again, its a can't hurt situation.

apullum

I don't take a multivitamin because my doctor told me it was not necessary. I do take a B12 supplement because I'm a longtime vegetarian who doesn't eat many foods with B12 in them. That's necessary for my specific diet and is generally not necessary for people who routinely eat animal products.

AlabasterVerve

I don't supplement. There isn't convincing evidence of benefit without a deficiency and there's the potential for harm.

Psychgrrl

I take a multi. In addition to iron and vitamin d supplements because I’m deficient. And my doc recommend calcium because I don’t drink milk or eat a lot of foods with calcium. She’s concerned because I’m demonstrably deficient in two areas and I eat a balanced but not a really varied diet that I could be missing out on some nutrients. The RD she referred me to agreed. She gave me ceilings for some vitamins and minerals and told me what I should not supplement beyond.

I feel as though I’d have to eat thousands of calories to get absorbable amounts of everything I need. I’ve learned a lot. Calcium doesn’t absorb more than about 400 mg at one time, does better if combined with vitamin c, and competes with iron for binders for absorption. Who knew? So part of it for me is timing. And learning what nutrients are in what foods.

Danp

My take on multivitamins is that they're an excellent way to make expensive urine.

If a doctor has detected a vitamin deficiency they'll prescribe a supplement for that particular vitamin, or more likely help you adjust your lifestyle so that you get more of the vitamin your lacking.

Lillymoo01

Expensive wee is my take on multivitamins. Your body will absorb vitamins and minerals much more readily when they come from natural food sources.

happytree923

There's no evidence that a generic multivitamin (rather than a one-note supplement for a diagnosed deficiency) provides any health benefits at all and I've heard of one study that linked vitamin supplementation to earlier mortality. Even if that study was incorrect the lack of benefit is enough for me to not take them.

sam_juggins

I take a multivitamin and a cod liver oil everyday but only a "no frills" own brand. It cant hurt.

Bendiz_

The supplements I take is a vitamin B12 shot every month and folic acid every day, because my doctor prescribed them to me. The only reason I need supplements is because my body doesn't pick up enough of these vitamins on its own (because of a disease). If you get your dose of vitamins from varied foods you shouldn't have the need for multi-vitamins. It could have a negative impact on your health. If you are unsure about your vitamin levels, you should get your doctor to test them before you self-medicate

Here's a good article on the matter:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24563590

VUA21

I take a multi with iron, a vitamin D, and a calcium supplement as per my doctor's recommendation. He also recommended the store brand ones as there's very little (sometimes none as they are the same manufacturer) difference versus name brands other than price.

ceiswyn

I take a multi with iron every few days, because I'm a vegetarian who as heavy periods and gets anaemic occasionally. I eat a pretty good diet so I doubt I need any of the non-iron bits, but I may as well be sure.

Deviette

I don't take anything because tbh, I did at one point, and I don't think it made any difference.

Although at one point as a teen I was taking iron during my period as I was so exhausted all the time. I was tested for anemia, but the results came back negative (although it wasn't at my time of the month, so I've no idea if that would make a difference) so I don't know if it was really that much help, or if the placebo effect was in play. However since going on birth control my periods are much more reasonable and I stopped taking them and haven't taken any since.

TheMagicOneMikeD

Depends on your diet. Like I pretty much only eat either boneless skinless grilled chicken breast or grilled tilapia with rice and a little avocado oil to get the fats in, so for me I pretty much need a multivitamin. I also keep potassium on hand because if I get dehydrated, or consume a lot of salt or caffeine it quickly depletes my potassium levels (or overpowers it in the case of sodium) and I start having issues if I don't take some potassium. For people who don't eat like I do (so I can tweak the macros better) but eat more balanced foods they're probably not all that necessary.

bjess8411

I feel better when I take vitamins but I had gastric sleeve surgery. I am deficient in some things too, like vitamin d.

jjpptt2

To me, they are like insurance. Not sure if I actually need it or not, but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. My diet is pretty poor, so there's probably a reasonable benefit for me... but I don't track to that level of detail, so I don't know for sure.

I take a generic gummy men's multi. I think it's the store brand of centrum or one-a-day or one of those.

ExistingFish

I take one most days, as well as D3 and Fish oil. D3 and Fish oil come highly recommended by almost every weightlifting/bodybuilding people, they are cheap enough.

If I don't take it for a while, sometimes my tongue gets tender. Dr Google says it's could be a vitamin deficiency (iron, folate, B12, something), whichever it may be, taking my multi makes it go away.

Also I'm breastfeeding, so my body will pull from my nutrients to make my milk perfect, which is why I think it is so easy for me to have vitamin deficiencies despite eating a fairly varied diet.

purdynerdybirdy

I take a prenatal, vegan vitamin D3 (AA are often times deficiency) and Vegan DHA/EPA (algae oil). Mainly to prep my body for conception.

Prior to, I just took B12 as "insurance" because I'm vegan. Although, I do eat a lot of b12 fortified foods.

elsie6hickman

I don't take vitamins or supplements. Why not? Because they are unregulated, how do you know how much you are really getting, and getting too much of some things - like Vitamin D, can hurt you more than help you. If you eat a well balanced diet, you will get what you need from food, so you don't need supplements or additional vitamins. The exception being pre-natal vitamins or prescription D or B complex.

ccrdragon

I take D3 (family history of low D values) and fish oil (supposed to help with HDL - also a family history of low readings).