Do you need a multi vitamin?

24

Replies

  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    A multivitamin is a supplement, which by very definition means that it cannot prove effectivity.

    ...and yet the supplement industry boasts revenue in the billions.
  • weatherwoman94
    weatherwoman94 Posts: 14 Member
    They're expensive. I've just started taking one for immune system and lung health.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    my doctor described it as really expensive pee.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
    I probably don't 'need' a multivitamin. But as I'm a vegetarian, I take a multivitamin-with-iron a couple of times a week just to cover all the bases. I'd rather not discover that I'm B12 deficient or anaemic the painful way.
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    A multivitamin is a supplement, which by very definition means that it cannot prove effectivity.

    ...and yet the supplement industry boasts revenue in the billions.

    What definition of supplement is that? There absolutely are some supplements that have been demonstrably effective at certain things.
    If you're loosely referring to how supplements in the US are held to different regulatory standards about claims than prescription drugs, you're still off as there are prescription standardized vitamins that can treat or aid specific conditions.
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    Oddly enough, the epidemiology research actually tends to show that people taking multivitamins are at increased risk for death. Though admittedly, that is probably not from the vitamins themselves causing a harm but because the people taking them are probably more likely to be people with health conditions that can't eliminated by statistic corrections to the epidemiology.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Multi vitamins have been extensively studied and there is no evidence they improve overall health outcomes like getting vitamins naturally from your food does. As far as "vitamin fortified food", I am not sure that has been studied enough as to whether or not they provide any benefit.

    I think if you are trying to focus on health, I would skip the multivitamin, only used fortified foods as a last resort, and try as much as you can to get them from foods where they occur naturally.

    In the U.S. you would have to pretty much skip any commercial baked goods, breakfast cereals, standard milk, and I don't know what else to avoid "vitamin fortified food."

    I am not saying you need to avoid them. What I mean is that I wouldn't necessarily rely on them as a source of vitamin and minerals, vs getting them from foods where they are naturally occurring.

    Unfortunately in US only 1 of 10 adults get the recommended servings of fruits and veggies (which are a significant source of vitamins). A daily supplement might not be bad for most people.

    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Multi vitamins have been extensively studied and there is no evidence they improve overall health outcomes like getting vitamins naturally from your food does. As far as "vitamin fortified food", I am not sure that has been studied enough as to whether or not they provide any benefit.

    I think if you are trying to focus on health, I would skip the multivitamin, only used fortified foods as a last resort, and try as much as you can to get them from foods where they occur naturally.

    In the U.S. you would have to pretty much skip any commercial baked goods, breakfast cereals, standard milk, and I don't know what else to avoid "vitamin fortified food."

    I am not saying you need to avoid them. What I mean is that I wouldn't necessarily rely on them as a source of vitamin and minerals, vs getting them from foods where they are naturally occurring.

    Unfortunately in US only 1 of 10 adults get the recommended servings of fruits and veggies (which are a significant source of vitamins). A daily supplement might not be bad for most people.

    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

    Or they could just eat more veg and fruit.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Multi vitamins have been extensively studied and there is no evidence they improve overall health outcomes like getting vitamins naturally from your food does. As far as "vitamin fortified food", I am not sure that has been studied enough as to whether or not they provide any benefit.

    I think if you are trying to focus on health, I would skip the multivitamin, only used fortified foods as a last resort, and try as much as you can to get them from foods where they occur naturally.

    In the U.S. you would have to pretty much skip any commercial baked goods, breakfast cereals, standard milk, and I don't know what else to avoid "vitamin fortified food."

    I am not saying you need to avoid them. What I mean is that I wouldn't necessarily rely on them as a source of vitamin and minerals, vs getting them from foods where they are naturally occurring.

    Unfortunately in US only 1 of 10 adults get the recommended servings of fruits and veggies (which are a significant source of vitamins). A daily supplement might not be bad for most people.

    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

    Or they could just eat more veg and fruit.

    Very true but do you see it happening in the short term?
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Multi vitamins have been extensively studied and there is no evidence they improve overall health outcomes like getting vitamins naturally from your food does. As far as "vitamin fortified food", I am not sure that has been studied enough as to whether or not they provide any benefit.

    I think if you are trying to focus on health, I would skip the multivitamin, only used fortified foods as a last resort, and try as much as you can to get them from foods where they occur naturally.

    In the U.S. you would have to pretty much skip any commercial baked goods, breakfast cereals, standard milk, and I don't know what else to avoid "vitamin fortified food."

    I am not saying you need to avoid them. What I mean is that I wouldn't necessarily rely on them as a source of vitamin and minerals, vs getting them from foods where they are naturally occurring.

    Unfortunately in US only 1 of 10 adults get the recommended servings of fruits and veggies (which are a significant source of vitamins). A daily supplement might not be bad for most people.

    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

    Failing to get the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables does not immediately mean someone is deficient or that they need a multi.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    edited September 2019
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Multi vitamins have been extensively studied and there is no evidence they improve overall health outcomes like getting vitamins naturally from your food does. As far as "vitamin fortified food", I am not sure that has been studied enough as to whether or not they provide any benefit.

    I think if you are trying to focus on health, I would skip the multivitamin, only used fortified foods as a last resort, and try as much as you can to get them from foods where they occur naturally.

    In the U.S. you would have to pretty much skip any commercial baked goods, breakfast cereals, standard milk, and I don't know what else to avoid "vitamin fortified food."

    I am not saying you need to avoid them. What I mean is that I wouldn't necessarily rely on them as a source of vitamin and minerals, vs getting them from foods where they are naturally occurring.

    Unfortunately in US only 1 of 10 adults get the recommended servings of fruits and veggies (which are a significant source of vitamins). A daily supplement might not be bad for most people.

    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

    Failing to get the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables does not immediately mean someone is deficient or that they need a multi.

    Doubtless those rabble-rousing extremist radicals over at the USDA/CDC just recommend them for no reason. :lol:
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Multi vitamins have been extensively studied and there is no evidence they improve overall health outcomes like getting vitamins naturally from your food does. As far as "vitamin fortified food", I am not sure that has been studied enough as to whether or not they provide any benefit.

    I think if you are trying to focus on health, I would skip the multivitamin, only used fortified foods as a last resort, and try as much as you can to get them from foods where they occur naturally.

    In the U.S. you would have to pretty much skip any commercial baked goods, breakfast cereals, standard milk, and I don't know what else to avoid "vitamin fortified food."

    I am not saying you need to avoid them. What I mean is that I wouldn't necessarily rely on them as a source of vitamin and minerals, vs getting them from foods where they are naturally occurring.

    Unfortunately in US only 1 of 10 adults get the recommended servings of fruits and veggies (which are a significant source of vitamins). A daily supplement might not be bad for most people.

    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

    Or they could just eat more veg and fruit.

    Very true but do you see it happening in the short term?

    For some. It's easy enough, especially if one is contemplating adding a supplement.

    IMO, veg and fruit is a better choice and easy, but whatever.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,926 Member
    I think taking a multivitamin is uneccesary for most people.

    Uneccesary but harmless - so if you want to, no harm in doing so - they are relatively cheap and if you feel your diet has room for improvement, they may help fill any gaps.

    But nature leaves wide margins so anyone eating a half decent diet will usually not have a vitamin deficiency.

    However If I had a specific need, I would take that specific supplement.
    In my case iron ,because I tend to border line anemia.
    People at risk of osteoporosis might be recomended to take Calcium/Vitamin D, women trying to concieve are recomended to take folic acid etc. (in Australia breads and cereals are fortified with it too)
    But they are specific supplements for specific reasons.

  • Livhere
    Livhere Posts: 141 Member
    edited September 2019
    Cyclist84 wrote: »
    Usually you hear it’s to fill in a gap since our soil is depleted. But what about cereals and bars breads and drinks that already have added vitamins? The story is we don’t eat enough fresh veggies and so on and so forth but of our processed food has the added vitamins in them then wouldn’t taking an extra pill be too much?

    I have an autoimmune disease so I have to take a multi-vitamin daily. I usually show up with a deficiency in my blood work, so this just helps ensure I get my daily vitamins in that I can't get on my own.
  • samhennings
    samhennings Posts: 443 Member
    I think taking a multivitamin is uneccesary for most people.

    Uneccesary but harmless - so if you want to, no harm in doing so - they are relatively cheap and if you feel your diet has room for improvement, they may help fill any gaps.

    Pretty much my take. Im well aware a lot of the vitamin dose is lost via urin, and well aware that it may well be unnecessary anyway, but I always think of it as a no harm/no foul kind of thing.

    My diet, in terms of fruit and veg, is sometimes brilliant, sometimes really por.

    If taking a multivitamin daily helps fill some gaps then I figure its worth it. And am yet to really see a downside, even if the upside is likely negligible.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Multi vitamins have been extensively studied and there is no evidence they improve overall health outcomes like getting vitamins naturally from your food does. As far as "vitamin fortified food", I am not sure that has been studied enough as to whether or not they provide any benefit.

    I think if you are trying to focus on health, I would skip the multivitamin, only used fortified foods as a last resort, and try as much as you can to get them from foods where they occur naturally.

    In the U.S. you would have to pretty much skip any commercial baked goods, breakfast cereals, standard milk, and I don't know what else to avoid "vitamin fortified food."

    I am not saying you need to avoid them. What I mean is that I wouldn't necessarily rely on them as a source of vitamin and minerals, vs getting them from foods where they are naturally occurring.

    Unfortunately in US only 1 of 10 adults get the recommended servings of fruits and veggies (which are a significant source of vitamins). A daily supplement might not be bad for most people.

    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

    Or they could just eat more veg and fruit.

    Very true but do you see it happening in the short term?

    For some. It's easy enough, especially if one is contemplating adding a supplement.

    IMO, veg and fruit is a better choice and easy, but whatever.

    If only 1 in 10 are eating enough of these items it's a huge paradigm shift for the population as a whole. Getting a mutli in the 90% is probably a more realistic short term fix, even though not ideal.