You need vitamins to grow, function and develop properly. You can usually get all the vitamins you need by following a balanced diet. But factors including age and some medical conditions can make it necessary to take a multivitamin. If you're concerned about your health and your diet, talk with your doctor. She can tell you if you need a multivitamin and advise you on the right one to take.
Women's Health Benefits
A multivitamin supplement may be advisable if you're a woman. Women of childbearing age need folate, which reduces the risk of fetal neural-tube defects. This is especially important very early in a pregnancy, when some women may not know that they're pregnant. That's why most ob/gyns advise women of childbearing age to supplement with at least 400 mcg of folic acid, the synthetic version of folate. Regardless of your age, getting calcium and vitamin D are important, as well. Taking a supplement with calcium and vitamin D can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis as you age, according to Dr. Donald Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic.
B12 and Iron Deficiencies
If you're 50 or older, you may need more vitamin B12, because your ability to absorb this vitamin from food declines with age. You can get this from a vitamin supplement, as well as from foods that are fortified with vitamin B12, according to Dr. Jane Higdon of the Linus Pauling Institute. You may also need more vitamin B12 if you're a vegan, because it is only naturally found in animal products. Additionally, you may need to take a vitamin D supplement if you don't get enough sunshine, and if you're a child, teen or premenopausal woman, you may need more iron.
Others Who Could Benefit
Taking a multivitamin can be an important way to get the right nutrients if you are on an extreme calorie-restricted diet or if you have a medical condition that causes your body to absorb less or use or excrete more nutrients, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Conditions necessitating a multivitamin include food allergies and intolerances, liver disease, gallbladder disease and chronic diarrhea. You may also need to take a multivitamin if you have undergone digestive-tract surgery.
Risk Reduction
If you're usually healthy, taking a multivitamin every day isn't likely to harm you, even if it doesn't help. However, some vitamins are safer than others. If you intend to buy a multivitamin, read labels thoroughly to ensure that you're not taking more than 100 percent of a vitamin's daily value, the Mayo Clinic website advises. If you're not sure how to read any labels, ask a pharmacist to help you decode the list of ingredients and get advice on proper dosage.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute Research Report; What to Look for in a Multivitamin Supplement; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.
- MayoClinic.com: Supplement Use Increases, But a Healthy Diet is the Key; Donald Hensrud, M.D.; 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: NCHS Data Brief; Dietary Supplement Use Among U.S. Adults Has Increased Since NHANES III (1988--1994); J. Gahche, et al; April, 2011
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Supplements: Nutrition in a Pill?
- Harvard School of Public Health: Vitamins: The Bottom Line
- MedlinePlus: Multivitamins
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