Are MULTIVITAMINS bad for you?

Jadesfattorment

I have heard that taking a mutlivitamin daily is actually bad for you because it gives you "too much." vitamin A,C,E and iron. What does everyone think? I eat pretty good and I get most of my vitamins I think so would adding a multivitamin be a good or bad thing?

~Do you guys take them?

monbeaucher

I've been wondering this too!

seoid

i've heard mixed reviews. some docs say they do nothing.

i take a prenatal everyday for my nail and hair.

sergetns73

if you eat good and healthy you do not need vitamins

Sabresgal63

This is from the Mayo clinic website:

Multivitamins — Are they the best thing for you?
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.43 comments postedRead commentsPost a comment
Do you take a multivitamin? Or a single vitamin, mineral, or combination supplement? If so, you are in the company of tens of millions of U.S. adults.

Why do you take them? Most people say it makes them feel healthier or they believe it will prevent chronic diseases, or colds and flu. But you may be surprised to know that what is in your bottle and on the label is not strictly regulated. And there is no system in place to collect reports of adverse affects.

Over the past few years there has been increasing evidence that multivitamins and single or combination type vitamin/mineral supplements may not provide the health benefit sought by you, the consumer. In some cases the opposite or no beneficial effects have been reported.

Alarming to think that vitamin or mineral supplements could actually cause more harm than good. An example of this is the use of beta carotene by smokers actually increased the incidence of lung cancer. This is echoed by a recent study out of the University of Washington that reports the use of multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and folate did not reduce the risk of lung cancer.

It is not all bad news though; there are studies to support the use of folate (folic acid) prior to and during pregnancy in the prevention of neural tube defects in the developing fetus. And history has proven that vitamins and minerals play a critical role in our health — the reason we know about the benefits of vitamins and minerals in food is because of the major discoveries in disease prevention such as vitamin C and scurvy and thiamine, a B vitamin, and beri beri (a wasting type disease).

This may leave you wondering if those vitamin mineral supplements in your medicine cabinet are doing what they should or even worth your money.

Let's look at this way — do you eat a well balanced diet? If so, you may not need a multivitamin and if you take one as a "safety net" know that you may exceed what your body needs or can use.

Are you concerned about a chronic disease? If so, making changes in your diet and exercise habits, not smoking and following through with recommended screenings by your physician are more likely to benefit your overall health picture.

Consider your current state of health, talk to your doctor and/or dietitian, and weigh the possible benefits and risks of a multivitamin and mineral supplement for you.

lizard053

A multi is usually a good thing, especially if you don't get all your vitamins and minerals from your food every day. Most of the vitamins and minerals in a multi are water soluble, so you'll flush out any you don't need relatively quickly. Too much iron is a bad thing, it is hard for your body to eliminate it. Too much A can cause a yellowing of your skin, but this usually happens if you're seriously overdosing. Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, but it's usually around a 30000% RDA dose. I don't know what too much E causes.

I take a multi everyday. Because my iron levels tend to be really high, I avoid it in multis. I actually cannot take a "women's" formula because of the iron. Just a general multivitamin is usually sufficient.

714rah714

I take them because my diet is lacking in some essential nutrients, but there are some vitamins such as vitamin A that are poisonous in extremely large doses. How large? I don't know.

Fit4_Life

If you don't have any health problems..it shouldn't be a problem. I for one, have thyroid issues. I have to watch the iodine and make sure it isn't too much. I also take D3, calcium and fish oil.

SeaChele77

http://www.multivitaminguide.org/

Check out that website. It will tell you which vitamins absorb better. Not all multi-vitamins are created equal. So....get your money worth and health perks by choosing the right vitamins!!

Kathy077

I was told it is find if you take a vitamin...I take a B complex....anything your body does not need from it you will pee it out....


I did however just ready this ....

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/vitamin-supplements/multivitamins-good-for-me.htm

Basically if you are eating a well rounded meals every day, most likely you do not need one, and if you aren't....you just have to find the right vitamin that offers what you arent getting enough of.

Ro0kins_Wedding

I take them everyday. It's my only real source of vitamins and minerals

blv0267

I just stopped taking mine today because I feel as though I am eating better. I never really felt better when I was taking them. I am taking a calcium chew though and will be looking to add certain foods to my diet so I no longer have to take this.

_VoV

I take individual liquid vitamins and supplements spaced out during the day, instead of a multivitamin. For instance, iron and calcium tend to bind together, so it's best to take them with a few hours apart from each other. I prefer taking the selected vitamins that fit my individual needs. In my case, it's vitamins B12, D, calcium citrate, Floradix iron and herbs and a vegan DHA supplement.

bcattoes

That is a much debated topic even amongst nutrition scientists and gurus. Below is a link to an article I read recently with 2 experts discussing it. It's kind of funny that they can't agree, but does nothing at all to answer your question. I decided to stop taking a multivitamin and ask my doctor about vitamins and limit to only those that she recommended.

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC254/24479/8015/1414799.html?d=dmtICNNews

mrsdizzyd84

My doctor seems to think they are fine. She recommended that I take a multi everyday. I'm also severely deficient in vitamin D, so I take a separate vitamin D supplement as well. So far, I haven't had any problems.

WhittRak

I take GNC Multi for women. I know it has some fillers, but it has done wonders for my skin. Also, it gives me a bit of energy. Can't hurt I guess.

Onesnap

I take a women's daily vitamin but I try to 'eat the rainbow' and have as many fruits and veggies per day that I can. For people like me that are small boned it's important to prevent osteoporosis (runs in my family) by getting that vitamin D from supplements and the sunshine (that kind of vit D is better for the body, experts suggest 30 minutes per day)

BAMFMeredith

My nutritionist, doctor, and a personal trainer have all recommended that I take either a liquid multi vitamin or a natural CAPSULE multi vitamin (those centrum or women's one a days are garbage), so I take a doc/nutritionist approved Emerald labs food rich multi vitamin, along with an omega-3 fish oil capsule (also recommended by doc and nutritionist). I take these 3x a day (recommended dosage is 2-4 a day).

My doctor is a marathon runner as well, so I really trust his advice. He is very anti-meds, pro-natural supplements/healing methods. Plus, the nutritionist I've seen is a triathlete and a registered dietician. I trust their expertise

You can find ALL KINDS of info out there to say they're bad, they're good, they don't matter, whatever. This is just what has been recommended to me that I follow.

SafireBleu

I think you should get your blood checked and have the dr suggest what you need to supplement. I take a multivitamin I get kidney stones so the dr checks my blood tells me what I am lacking. I have consistently been low on Vitamin D and iron. I take those 2 supplements.

onedayillbamilf

I get headaches when I take Multi's

BAMFMeredith

I think you should get your blood checked and have the dr suggest what you need to supplement. I take a multivitamin I get kidney stones so the dr checks my blood tells me what I am lacking. I have consistently been low on Vitamin D and iron. I take those 2 supplements.

VERY good advice. Having a full physical with blood work is a great idea before beginning any kind of supplement routine.

mrh1227

There are two types of vitamins, liquids and solids.

Solids tend to be the ones that get the most flak about not actually providing any health benefits. This is because if you take them while the body isn't digesting other food in your stomach, you are losing a great deal of those nutrients. Taking the pill while eating will ensure you get the most out of it.

Liquids on the other hand can be processed by the body far more easily and can be taken without eating another food while you take it.

I personally prefer the solid multivitamins, just because the one I use has more of what I need and I take them at a proper time. MAKE SURE you don't just take a solid vitamin pill just because you forgot, its doing far less than if you were to just wait until your next meal to take it instead.

ghettosmurf999

You're body is pretty good at discarding what it doesn't want - you're body will normally only absorb what it needs to and flush out the rest - hence eating too much vitamin C can give you the s***s

UponThisRock

You can plug in a typical day's diet at nutritiondata.com, you can find out where your diet is lacking.

My opinion is that the usefulness of daily multivitamins to make up for where your diet is lacking is a theory that has never really been proven. I keep a multi on hand for those rare days when I feel like I didn't eat enough fruits & veggies.

jendarlin

I don't know , but I was taking a women's multi-vitamin and keep breaking out in rashes and had elevated liver enzymes. I stopped taking it and everything is back to normal finally several months later. I will not take any more!

bcattoes

plug in a typical day's diet at nutritiondata.com, you can find out where you're lacking.

That's a decent way to evaluate your diet, but to know what your body is lacking you'd need a blood test. It's not wise to assume that every vitamin contained in the food you eat gets absorbed.

Puddykat1026

I stopped taking a women's one-a-day when the 100% iron stopped me up for 4 days. I gained 6 lbs in 4 days because I couldn't "eliminate". Now that I'm eating healthier, I find that I do not need the vitamin. I do take 1 vitamin c a day because I already know I do not get enough of that. If you choose to take a vitamin, just make sure it's not 100% on everything.

Angelap1121

I take the Usana essentials and I have loved them. I don't get sick like I use too. Even though I am eating healthier with the way foods are now it is still very hard to get all your essential vitamins. I am not worried about overdosing on vitamins. I feel like now there is study showing that everything we do is bad for us. I can't wait to see how milk has killed people.

UponThisRock

plug in a typical day's diet at nutritiondata.com, you can find out where you're lacking.

That's a decent way to evaluate your diet, but to know what your body is lacking you'd need a blood test. It's not wise to assume that every vitamin contained in the food you eat gets absorbed.

I agree, especially with respect to vitamin D.

HMonsterX

I take them everyday. It's my only real source of vitamins and minerals

Same here. I know its not ideal, but better than nothing.

SafireBleu

You're body is pretty good at discarding what it doesn't want - you're body will normally only absorb what it needs to and flush out the rest - hence eating too much vitamin C can give you the s***s

But calcium will deposit itself in different parts of your body like Kidney Stones. There are some vitamins and minerals your body can not flush out effectively so you need to be careful.