Multivitamins? Yes or No

Hello!
I take a one a day multivitamin with 100% or more of everything (including iron) 5 days a week. I also take a fish oil and a yogurt culture pill (acidophilus).

My question is: is taking a multivitamin good? I felt like it is since I am cutting calories and sometimes don't eat the right things, so it makes up for those days when I might be lacking a few nutrients.

I was told by someone else that multivitamins are "poisonous" or generally not good for your health.

What is your advice?

Thank you in advance!

Replies

lynnskaggs

I take an iron (because I have always been anemic) and Centrum energy....I've seen good results and have never heard anything bad, it's what my pharmacist suggested

cashidy

On the same thread, do taking vitamins really reduce cravings because your nutrients are being met at a basic level?

cashidy

lynnskaggs wrote: »

I take an iron (because I have always been anemic) and Centrum energy....I've seen good results and have never heard anything bad, it's what my pharmacist suggested

Me too! I sometimes dip into anemia so I was told to take one, and finally have been on track with having them 5 days a week. I only take them 5 days a week cause I take one each day at my desk at work. I also figure it gives me two days to detox if I got too much ADEK.

janejellyroll

cashidy wrote: »

On the same thread, do taking vitamins really reduce cravings because your nutrients are being met at a basic level?

There is little reliable evidence that cravings are linked to vitamin deficiencies (barring a few rare medical conditions).

jjpptt2

I take them because my diet sucks and I'm pretty certain I'm deficient in a number of things.

I've seen no correlation between vitamins/nutrient intake and cravings... but cravings can result from a number of reasons, so I can't say for certain. Though I am and will remain skeptical.

lynnskaggs

me too....I don't take them over the weekend because I don't remember to....also too much iron messes with my thyroid meds....and I don't see a correlation between cravings and vitamins....last night I wanted something comforting but had taken vitamins all week so.....I doubt it.

My iron gets so low that my gold jewelry will turn my skin black, that's why I started my iron pills

spiriteagle99

I take a multi plus extra iron because my ferritin was low and it was affecting my running, badly. Most multivitamins don't contain 100% of those vitamins that can do harm if taken in excess (like iron and calcium) but do contain 100% or more of those vitamins that are flushed out if not needed. They aren't dangerous unless you OD on what you are taking. I've read that they aren't necessary for most people, but I know I don't get enough vegetables or calcium, so I use the multi to fill in some of the gaps.

PennWalker

I've started taking a multivitamin for the vitamin D.

Low vitamin D is linked to colon cancer. I had a medical exam that caught a problem before it turned into cancer, so I'm very lucky. I have a lifelong habit of not eating dairy. I still don't want dairy, but I can get the same vitamins in fortified plant milk (I like cashew) and other fortified food, plus I've started vitamin pills.

Fit_in_Folsom

I take a multi every day. Not sure if it helps with cravings, but I do think it is important for me. I try to go with some of the higher end brands for quality, but I always question if that is getting me anything ;-)

annacole94

Any woman of childbearing age that's sexually active that might keep an accidental pregnancy should probably just take prenatal multivitamins. Something like half of pregnancies are unplanned, and the folic acid that is most of the point of prenatal vitamins is most needed most early on.

I still take them, despite being permanently done having children, as I donate blood and they have a good level of iron compared to other multivitamins. Plus I can get a big bottle cheap at Costco.

I don't think there's any magic to it - take it if you like, and don't spend too much money on anything fancy. If you're bothering with probiotics, the ones that are refrigerated are better than those just on the shelf, and fermented foods are better than either. Plus lactofermented veggies are delicious and inexpensive.

bpotts44

Everyone should have their blood serum Vitamin D tested and supplement up to 40 ug/l. This is going to involve supplementation of 1000-5000 IU for most people daily. Multivitamins will not have close to enough. You should probably take some A with the D especially if you don't get much A in your diet.

annacole94

bpotts44 wrote: »

Everyone should have their blood serum Vitamin D tested and supplement up to 40 ug/l. This is going to involve supplementation of 1000-5000 IU for most people daily. Multivitamins will not have close to enough. You should probably take some A with the D especially if you don't get much A in your diet.

Ah yes, particularly if you live in a place where there is winter. I take 1000 IU Vitamin D/day from whenever I start wearing clothing that covers 99% of my body until I take it off in the spring.

Plus what's in my multi. My doctor actually declined to test my levels and pretty much said everyone comes back low. I live in Canada - there's no Vitamin D being made in my skin from Oct - Apr.

CSARdiver

cashidy wrote: »

Hello!
I take a one a day multivitamin with 100% or more of everything (including iron) 5 days a week. I also take a fish oil and a yogurt culture pill (acidophilus).

My question is: is taking a multivitamin good? I felt like it is since I am cutting calories and sometimes don't eat the right things, so it makes up for those days when I might be lacking a few nutrients.

I was told by someone else that multivitamins are "poisonous" or generally not good for your health.

What is your advice?

Thank you in advance!

There is little evidence to support taking a daily multivitamin. There is also little evidence to suggest that it is harmful - hence the reason why it is classified as a supplement. This shows that there is little potential for harm.

Most people do not need a multivitamin. Most people do need Omega 3 supplements. This is all sweeping generalization, so you need to do your own evaluation on your diet.

unknown

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bpotts44

annacole94 wrote: »

bpotts44 wrote: »

Everyone should have their blood serum Vitamin D tested and supplement up to 40 ug/l. This is going to involve supplementation of 1000-5000 IU for most people daily. Multivitamins will not have close to enough. You should probably take some A with the D especially if you don't get much A in your diet.

Ah yes, particularly if you live in a place where there is winter. I take 1000 IU Vitamin D/day from whenever I start wearing clothing that covers 99% of my body until I take it off in the spring. Plus what's in my multi. My doctor actually declined to test my levels and pretty much said everyone comes back low. I live in Canada - there's no Vitamin D being made in my skin from Oct - Apr.

You should test while supplementing. I would think 1000 iu probably not enough.

tomteboda

I take a basic multivitamin because it helps in case my diet isn't varied enough and because I'm a woman of childbearing age. I cared for a girl with spina bifida... Neutral tube defects can be prevented by proper folic acid intake, and they occur around day 10 of gestation, well before a woman knows she's pregnant.

I also take 5000mg vitamins D3 on my doctor's orders because I have very low serum D3. This is common for people who have Lupus, doubly so if you live in the north.

bpotts44

Yes! Folate is critical for women of child bearing age, looking to get pregnant or pregnant. Egg yolks are a good source as well as supplementation.

jonjaxmom

I take D3 supplement since I am in new England (no sunbathing this time of year! ha!) in addition to a fiber supplement. I am T1D and eating low carb.

kshama2001

cashidy wrote: »

lynnskaggs wrote: »

I take an iron (because I have always been anemic) and Centrum energy....I've seen good results and have never heard anything bad, it's what my pharmacist suggested

Me too! I sometimes dip into anemia so I was told to take one, and finally have been on track with having them 5 days a week. I only take them 5 days a week cause I take one each day at my desk at work. I also figure it gives me two days to detox if I got too much ADEK.

I'm anemic and need to take way more than the RDA of iron to keep my iron levels up to Low Normal. Since you're anemic, I suggest you get your levels tested at least yearly and discuss your supplementation strategy with your doctor.

Unless you are also binging on liver, your current '5 days a week of the RDA' strategy doesn't make any sense for someone who dips into anemia.

CynthiasChoice

I've heard that supplementing with Vitamin D is not helpful unless you also supplement with Vitamin K, Calcium and Magnesium.

I've also heard that too much Folic Acid during pregnancy can cause autism in the child. There's so much we don't know, so we can't say for sure if Vitamins are helpful or harmful.

ConnieT1030

I absolutely take a multi. I dont often eat that balanced or as much veggie as I should, so I can use the vitamins & minerals. I wouldn't bother though if it was the cheap off the shelf stuff that uses forms that your body can't do much with. Basically, if youre going to do it, you may as well do it right.

tomteboda

CynthiasChoice wrote: »

I've heard that supplementing with Vitamin D is not helpful unless you also supplement with Vitamin K, Calcium and Magnesium.

I've also heard that too much Folic Acid during pregnancy can cause autism in the child. There's so much we don't know, so we can't say for sure if Vitamins are helpful or harmful.

If you take a multivitamin, you're getting all three.

As far as the folic acid thing goes, I think the evidence points exactly the opposite direction: folic acid can protect against development of autism, particularly in people with certain gene mutations that lead to deficient folate metabolism.

In children whose mothers took folic acid, 0.10% (64/61 042) had autistic disorder, compared with 0.21% (50/24 134) in those unexposed to folic acid. ...

Use of prenatal folic acid supplements around the time of conception was associated with a lower risk of autistic disorder in the MoBa cohort. Although these findings cannot establish causality, they do support prenatal folic acid supplementation.

Surén, Pål, et al. "Association between maternal use of folic acid supplements and risk of autism spectrum disorders in children." Jama 309.6 (2013): 570-577.

In this population-based case-control study, reported maternal periconceptional prenatal vitamin intake was associated with reduced risk for autism. In addition, the combination of specific gene variants within one-carbon metabolism pathways and a report of no periconceptional prenatal vitamin intake was associated with significantly greater risk for autism in the child compared with either exposure alone.

Schmidt, Rebecca J., et al. "Prenatal vitamins, one-carbon metabolism gene variants, and risk for autism." Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) 22.4 (2011): 476.

Mean (±SEM) folic acid intake was significantly greater for mothers of TD children than for mothers of children with ASD in the first month of pregnancy (P1; 779.0 ± 36.1 and 655.0 ± 28.7 μg, respectively; P < 0.01). A mean daily folic acid intake of ≥600 μg (compared with <600 μg) during P1 was associated with reduced ASD risk (adjusted OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.92; P = 0.02), and risk estimates decreased with increased folic acid (P-trend = 0.001).

Conclusions: Periconceptional folic acid may reduce ASD risk in those with inefficient folate metabolism.

Schmidt, Rebecca J., et al. "Maternal periconceptional folic acid intake and risk of autism spectrum disorders and developmental delay in the CHARGE (CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment) case-control study." The American journal of clinical nutrition 96.1 (2012): 80-89.

larry_world

I do two multivitamins everyday. One in the morning and one mid afternoon.

rainbowbow

Taking a multivitamin is an excellent way to ensure you are filling any nutritional gaps that might exist in your current diet.

Don't worry, if you're deficient in anything you can always get a blood test and take an additional supplement as well. I personally take my multi and another vitamin d and b vitamin supplement as i'm chronically low in these.

To anyone who said they are "toxic" I would highly disagree. Often a simple high-quality multivitamin is the difference between a nutritionally inadequate and adequate diet. While vitamins and supplements aren't undergoing the same rigorous testing as other medications; there are plenty of brands which have had 3rd party testing to ensure their quality.

In any case, I think it's safe for everyone to take a multivitamin.

Tacklewasher

Multi, vit D and omega 3. Nothing that will harm and mostly just in case, but this seems to be a pretty standard regiment.

Peregrymj

Yeah if I don't take vitamin D supplements in the winter I go weird. I get depressed, paranoid and prone to randomly bursting into tears over nothing. Good ol' Seasonal Affective Disorder.

TonyB0588

lynnskaggs wrote: »

I take an iron (because I have always been anemic) and Centrum energy....I've seen good results and have never heard anything bad, it's what my pharmacist suggested

Same here. Centrum multivitamin/multimineral supplement, and Iron tablets