One in three adults regularly pops a multivitamin, which is a supplement containing multiple vitamins and minerals. One popular formula is a “broad spectrum” multivitamin, meaning one that contains all or most of the vitamins and minerals in amounts that do not exceed the recommended Daily Values for these nutrients.And if they have been part of your morning routine or if you are thinking of starting for the sake of your health, you are in the right place. In this article, find out why they’re so popular, what the research really says about their fitness-boosting abilities, and whether you should take one or skip it!
The Demand for Multivitamins
People have their own reasons for taking a multivitamin, whether it’s to increase their intake of certain nutrients, to make sure they’re getting what they need in their diet, to improve their health, or to help prevent disease.
One idea is that taking extra vitamins and minerals – which are important for the body’s function – in the form of capsules could act as protection if you are unable to get these nutrients through whole foods. “It is reasonable to think that important vitamins and minerals could be extracted from fruits and vegetables, packaged in a pill, and people could avoid the hassle and expense of maintaining a balanced diet,” the authors wrote in an editorial. i. JAMA.
And maybe that’s why many people reach for multivitamins. In one survey, 92 percent of people who take supplements say they are essential to their health.Specifically, people report taking them to fill nutritional gaps in their diet, optimize their well-being, and support their immune function.But are these assumptions valid? What does the research really show?
The Scientific Research on Multivitamins
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) analyzed the available data on whether multivitamins can help prevent heart disease or cancer. His conclusion? There is not enough evidence to suggest that they help, and not enough data to weigh the benefits against the harms to recommend either way.
In the USPSTF meta-analysis, published in JAMAthat looked at 84 studies on multivitamin use, the researchers concluded that there was “little or no benefit” in preventing cancer, heart disease and death – in fact, in some cases, beta-carotene (a precursor vitamin A) actually increased lung cancer among those at high risk for the disease.
Although research shows that dietary patterns that include fruits and vegetables help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, there is no clear evidence that packaging vitamins in a pill helps prevent these chronic illnesses, says Jenny Jia, MD , instructor of medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, and one of the coauthors on the JAMA editorial mentioned above.
Another ongoing point, says Dr. Jia, is that the available research on multivitamins and health outcomes does not include a diverse group of people. Usually, the people who participate in vitamin studies are those who tend to be motivated to be healthy, she says. “They have adopted healthy patterns such as eating more fruit and vegetables. There are definitely some gaps in our current research,” says Jia. Would the result be different — would we see an advantage — if study participants were included from a more diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds? It’s hard to say without those details.
There is one important time when a multivitamin is needed: If you are thinking or trying to get pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin C are needed.You will want to get these through food but prenatals will ensure you get what you need to stay healthy during pregnancy. Since you are unlikely to get the amount of folic acid you need, which reduces the risk of neural tube defects, prenatal care is recommended.
So, Should You Take a Multivitamin?
There is no good evidence that multivitamins are universally helpful. “To my knowledge, the majority of data do not support optimal use of multivitamin supplements for the general population” says Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, senior scientist and Gershoff Professor at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts. University in Boston.
That means not everyone needs one – but you do with you? The diet you eat and the supplements you take are solely your choice. If, after considering exactly why you want to take one and weighing the pros and cons, you decide you’re going to take a multivitamin, you can fully. In that case, Dr. Lichtenstein recommends finding a product that contains no more than 100 percent of the RDA of each of the nutrients in the formula. In addition, she recommends, look for a product that is third-party certified by an organization like USP, which indicates that the product contains the ingredients listed on the label, does not contain harmful levels of contaminants, and is made in safe and sanitary environment.
Additionally, a multivitamin cannot cover all your nutritional bases. “If the decision is made to rely on a multivitamin supplement, it is important to know that the pills do not contain all the nutritional ingredients associated with positive health outcomes,” says Lichtenstein. “This includes fiber and thousands of other compounds, sometimes called phytochemicals, that we get from food whose biological effect is not yet known or established,” she says.
Food contains a matrix of important nutrients and compounds, and may support our health in important ways that we do not yet know. Therefore, you cannot rely on a multivitamin to include everything you need to be healthy. Lichtenstein points to a 2021 scientific statement from the American Heart Association that she co-authored, which clearly outlines the elements of a diet that promotes cardiovascular health:
Eat the amount of calories that maintain a healthy body weight (this varies from person to person, and a registered dietitian can help you determine your optimal caloric intake)
Eat fruits and vegetables
Eat whole grains
Eat healthy sources of protein, including plant protein, fish and seafood, low-fat and fat-free dairy, and lean meat
Use liquid vegetable oils and avoid tropical oils and partially hydrogenated fats
Choose minimally processed foods
Minimize added sugar
Prepare foods with little or no salt
If you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start; if you do, limit your intake
And yes, there are more steps involved than popping pills, but there is good evidence to establish those habits to prevent disease, but the same cannot be said for il. Other lifestyle habits, such as exercise, protect against disease.
Think about why you are thinking of taking il. “Do you want to live a long and healthy life? If so, we have some evidence-based practices that are known to help prevent heart disease, such as not using tobacco, drinking alcohol in moderation or less, maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising regularly , and eating a healthy diet,” says Jia. “We have more evidence for these healthy lifestyle behaviors than for multivitamins,” says Jia.
The spring
Multivitamins are among the most popular supplements for adults. Despite popular belief, there is no good evidence that multivitamins prevent disease. Those who are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant should take a prenatal supplement, which is a type of multivitamin.
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