A significant number of Americans regularly take multivitamins.
According to News in Health, a newsletter of the National Institutes of Health, about half of adults and one-third of children in the United States take one or more dietary supplements every day or most days.
This data helps explain why the multivitamin market is booming. Americans spend more annually on nutritional supplements than on over-the-counter drugs, with estimated sales of nearly $49 billion in 2019, according to News in Health.
However, it is unclear whether all this spending is actually producing benefits.
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine highlighted three studies documenting insufficient benefits from taking multivitamins. One analysis of 450,000 participants found that multivitamins did not reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease.
So, is it okay to take multivitamins? Is it better to get nutrients from food instead?
Should I take a multivitamin?
As the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health points out, not everyone has a healthy diet, and some people don’t get enough of the most important vitamins and minerals each day.
- As an example: According to a 2011 study highlighted by Harvard University, more than 90% of Americans don’t get enough vitamin D and vitamin E in their diet.
Some restrictive diets limit access to certain nutrients. Elizabeth Coe, medical director of the UCLA Health Integrative Medicine Collaborative, told CNBC that vegan and vegetarian diets tend to be low in vitamin D, iron and vitamin B12.
“There simply aren’t many plant-based sources of these nutrients,” Koh told CNBC.
In addition to nutritional deficiencies, some people need to take multivitamins for specific conditions.
The Washington Post reported that pregnant or breastfeeding people should take between 400 and 800 milligrams of folic acid per day as directed by a health care professional.
Similarly, people who have had bariatric surgery need to meet recommendations for calcium, copper, iron, and zinc, and supplements can provide at least some support toward that goal.
Should I eat better?
Harvard University said you may not benefit from taking a multivitamin if you already eat a nutrient-dense diet consisting of a variety of healthy foods, such as vegetables and whole grains. .
Similarly, the Washington Post recommended focusing on eating a healthy diet, which studies have established can improve heart disease and reduce the risk of developing cancer.
“Before taking a multivitamin or supplement, are you doing everything possible to optimize your overall health,” internist Raul Ceballos told the Cleveland Clinic. Please ask yourself this question.”
“Wise lifestyle choices are the best guarantee of future health,” he added, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Which multivitamin should I take?
According to the Washington Post, multivitamins are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so the content of each brand of multivitamin can vary. For example, some brands retain 70% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, while others reach up to 200%.
In general, experts say you should choose a multivitamin that targets your age and gender. For example, multivitamins labeled for young women typically contain high amounts of folic acid and iron, the latter of which can be lost during menstruation.
“My best advice is to stick with trusted national brands. When it comes to quality, products that have third-party certification by organizations such as NSF International and the United States Pharmacopeia Corporation (USP) give you added peace of mind. Taylor Wallace, a professor of nutrition and food studies at George Mason University, told Forbes. health.
