Because protein powder and multivitamins don't always meet the same nutritional needs, it can be helpful to supplement your diet with both. However, the nutrients that each provides may have some overlap, so it's not strictly necessary to combine the two. Most important, it's essential to realize that no vitamin or powder can replicate the benefits of real, natural foods.
Types
While multivitamins provide a wide variety of vitamins and minerals by definition, protein powders don't always offer the same. Protein isolates, for example, are highly concentrated sources of protein that are not fortified with other nutrients. In some cases, however, less concentrated protein powders and protein drink mixes may contain very similar vitamin and mineral contents to those you'd find in a typical multivitamin.
Benefits
According to MayoClinic.com, multivitamins may be beneficial for you if your typical diet does not meet nutritional needs or if you have a health condition that prevents you from getting enough of certain nutrients. In those cases, taking vitamins can also guard against nutrient deficiencies. Protein powders have a separate set of benefits. Lean and low-fat protein sources, according to ChooseMyPlate.gov, have the ability to repair and grow tissue for skin, blood, bone and muscles. Increasing your protein intake can also be helpful if you're trying to lose weight. "Trials continue to show comparable, if not superior, effects of high-protein diets on weight loss [and] preservation of lean body mass," write authors of an October 2008 article in "Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity."
Downsides
Healthy adults are not likely to experience any severely negative health effects or risks from combining multivitamin tablets and protein powders. However, if you regularly take multivitamins and also use protein powders that are fortified with the same nutrients, you may be getting excess amounts of those nutrients, which can have some detrimental effects. For example, MayoClinic.com reports that getting too much vitamin D can cause nausea, confusion, weakness, kidney stones or heart rhythm abnormalities. The clinic also notes that vitamins and supplements can't provide all the nutritional benefits of whole foods, so you shouldn't use them as a substitute for a healthy and balanced diet.
Considerations
Multivitamin tablets and protein powders are both classified as dietary supplements. According to Dr. Monica Zangwill of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, that means they're subject to a different set of regulations from the FDA, and they may make product claims that are not backed by credible research. Thus, before you make either of them a staple in your diet, it's best to get approval from your physician or a registered dietitian.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Supplements - Nutrition in a Pill?; June 2010
- ChooseMyPlate.gov; Why Is It Important to Make Lean or Low-Fat Choices from the Protein Foods Group?; May 2011
- "Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity"; Benefits of High-Protein Weight Loss Diets; BJ Brehm, et al.; October 2008
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Diet Shakes and Meal Replacements - Can They Really Help You Lose Weight?; Monica Zangwill, M.D.; June 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Vitamin D Toxicity - What if You Get Too Much?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; December 2010
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