While multivitamins pack many nutrients, your body may not need most of the contents. But it is important to understand their limitations. Cherian chooses to take a multivitamin himself every day. The risks of taking a multivitamin are low-Dr. This isn't to say that multivitamins are bad, but that more research is required to truly understand the relationship between vitamin intake and overall health. Evidence that they improve health for people is inconsistent at best." "Multivitamins are not any kind of silver bullet to achieve optimal health. "No multivitamin substitutes a proper, well-balanced diet," Dr. Whether you choose to do so or not, it's important to remember what a vitamin can do and what it cannot. Ultimately, taking a multivitamin is a personal choice you should make in partnership with your doctor based on your unique health and nutritional requirements. Vegans and vegetarians: "As vitamin B12 is found primarily in animal foods, those who follow plant-based diets are at a higher risk of deficiency of this vitamin.Older adults: "Vitamin B12 absorption can decrease with age, and older adults may need more calcium and vitamin D.".Prenatal vitamins contain this vitamin as well as other important nutrients for pregnancy." Pregnant individuals: " Folate (Vitamin B9) is particularly important during the early stages of pregnancy to help assure proper development of the baby and decrease the chance of certain birth defects such as spina bifida.Other groups of people that may require help reaching their nutritional needs include: Certain acid reflux medications can also reduce the absorption of vitamin B12," says Dr. To name some examples, those commonly prescribed for high blood pressure (diuretics) can lead to low potassium, magnesium, and calcium levels. "Taking certain medications can lead to vitamin and or mineral deficiencies. If You Want to Boost Your Immune System, Adopt These 7 Healthy Habits Right NowĪdditionally, certain groups of individuals are also more prone to nutritional deficiencies. The bottom line: While the benefits of taking a multivitamin are not yet proven, that doesn't mean they may not exist or that taking a multivitamin is harmful. "Multivitamins may help improve your memory and mood," for example.Īdditionally, antioxidant vitamins and minerals may help slow the progression of certain diseases that cause blindness." "Whenever my patients ask me about taking multivitamins, I tell them to consider taking one daily because there may in fact be benefits (though they have not been proven at this time) and there are no known risks to taking a daily multivitamin," he says. Cherian adds there's no harm in taking a multivitamin (they aren't "bad" for you), and the potential benefits may make them worth taking for some people. The analysis concluded "that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of the use of multivitamin supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer."īut multivitamins aren't necessarily "bad" for you. In June 2022, The United States Preventive Services Task force (USPSTF) published its latest recommendations regarding vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplementation to prevent cancer and heart disease. Most studies have found no significant benefit from taking a daily multivitamin to protect the brain or heart or prevent cancer.
"It may seem like common sense to be taking multivitamins, but there actually isn't much evidence that a daily cocktail of essential vitamins and minerals actually delivers what you expect."ĭespite the general claims that multivitamins are good for X or Y health goals, these are not necessarily backed by research yet.
"Most people take vitamins because they want to be on top of their health and make sure they're getting all the vitamins they need, in case they aren't getting enough from their regular diets," he explains. Getty Images The research is still inconclusive.
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