Multivitamins and nutritional supplements contain vitamins, minerals and nutrients that promote health and nutrition. While multivitamins and supplements can be used in the case of medical conditions in which patients do not receive adequate nutrition, they are often not recommended for individuals who consume a well-balanced diet. Many multivitamins and supplements are manufactured for a specific age group, gender or athletic or health condition. For example, protein supplements are often marketed to weightlifters and other athletes, and folic acid supplements are marketed to pregnant women.
Benefits
Manufacturers claim that multivitamins and supplements promote health, wellness and even increased athletic performance. However, studies have not validated claims that daily multivitamins promote health and wellness any more than a well-balanced diet does. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle studied the health of 161,808 women, 41.5 percent of whom took daily multivitamins. The study could not link consumption of a daily multivitamin with better health; in fact, women who took multivitamins appeared to have the same incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease and death as those who did not. Supplements may be necessary for individuals with diseases and disorders in which they cannot consume or absorb proper amounts of nutrients, such as Crohn's Disease. However, for a healthy adult, supplements do not replace the nutrient content of whole foods.
Consumption
There is no evidence that taking a multivitamin or supplement is bad for your health if you consume them in recommended quantities. However, multivitamins and supplements should be additions to your diet rather than replacements for whole foods. Multivitamins and supplements should not replace meals or foods in your diet either.
Caution
Multivitamin and supplement manufacturers are required by the United States FDA to place labels on their products. Labels must provide nutritional daily value information. Based on a diet of 2,000 calories per day, daily values reflect how much of a specific nutrient is contained in a vitamin or supplement. Every person's nutritional requirements are different depending on age, sex, physical activity level and health conditions, so the daily value may not reflect your individual nutritional requirements. It is possible to overdose on vitamins and minerals; while toxicity rarely occurs due to multivitamin and supplement consumption, you should always consult with your physician or dietitian to determine how much of a specific nutrient you need.
Recommendations
If you have specific health conditions, such as Vitamin D deficiency, irritable bowel disorder, cancer, pregnancy or diabetes, speak with your doctor before taking any supplements or multivitamins. Specific minerals and vitamins may interact with or counteract medications you are taking or treatments you are receiving for your health condition.
References
- The Wall Street Journal: Multivitamins, So Many Types, So Many Labels; Melinda Beck; June 2011
- Women's Health Initiative: Multivitamin Use and Risk of Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease in the Women's Health Initiative Cohorts; February 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Supplements, Nutrition In a Pill?; June 2010
- FDA: Fortify Your Knowledge About Vitamins; July 2011
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