Do Multivitamins Meet Daily Intake Recommendations?

While many people can meet the daily intake recommendations through food, some people rely on multivitamin supplements to help meet their nutritional needs. However, taking one of these supplements does not always guarantee you will meet your daily intake requirements. Multivitamin supplements do not contain 100 percent of the daily intake recommendations of every vitamin and mineral. If you are concerned you are not getting proper nutrition, contact your doctor or a nutritionist for advice.

Recommended Dietary Allowances

The Institute of Medicine establishes intake recommendations for each vitamin and mineral based on age and sex. Although you should determine the specific recommendations for your age and sex, most adults should get 1.3 to 1.7 milligrams of vitamin B-6, 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12, 90 to 120 micrograms of vitamin K, 75 to 90 milligrams of vitamin C, 15 milligrams of vitamin E, 700 to 900 micrograms of vitamin A, 400 micrograms of folate, 1.1 to 1.2 milligrams of thiamin, 15 to 20 micrograms of vitamin D, 30 micrograms of biotin, 1.1 to 1.3 milligrams of riboflavin, 425 to 550 milligrams of choline and 5 milligrams of pantothenic acid. Adults should also get between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium, 20 and 35 micrograms of chromium, 45 micrograms of molybdenum, 1.8 to 2.3 grams of chloride, 1.2 to 1.5 grams of sodium, 8 to 18 milligrams of iron, 310 to 420 milligrams of magnesium, 1.8 to 2.3 milligrams of manganese, 700 milligrams of phosphorus, 8 to 11 milligrams of zinc and 4.7 grams of potassium.

Daily Value vs. Daily Intake Recommendations

Multivitamin supplement labels generally list the specific amount of each vitamin and mineral included, as well as the percentage of the daily value that is met by taking the supplement. The daily value, however, may vary significant from the current recommendations of the Institute of Medicine. Although the daily value percentages may be useful to get a general idea of the content of the supplements, it is more useful and accurate to compare the specific amount of each vitamin and mineral to the current daily intake recommendations.

Content of Multivitamin Supplements

The specific content of multivitamin supplements vary depending on the type of supplement and brand. Generally, most multivitamin supplements contain the daily intake recommendation amount of niacin, folic acid, thiamine, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, riboflavin, manganese, zinc, copper, chromium and molybdenum. Some brands may contain more than 100 percent of the recommended amounts, but these larger amounts are not typically necessary for most people. Multivitamin supplements may not contain the recommended intake amounts of phosphorus, potassium or chloride, and these nutrients are better obtained from dietary sources. No multivitamin contains the recommended intake amount of calcium because calcium is so bulky the pill would be too large to swallow. Some multivitamin supplements contain 100 percent of the intake recommendations for men and women not of childbearing age, but menstruating women need larger amounts and may need additional supplementation.

Considerations

If you follow a well-balanced and healthy diet but still struggle to get enough of certain vitamins and minerals, it may be wise to take supplements with just those nutrients instead of taking a multivitamin supplement that contains nutrients you don’t really need. While taking a multivitamin supplement as directed is unlikely to cause adverse side effects for most people, some people who eat large quantities of fortified foods risk getting too much of certain vitamins or minerals when they take a multivitamin supplement. Nutrients are typically better for your body when consumed from dietary sources rather than supplements, as the specific combination of nutrients and chemicals in the food often produce positive health benefits. If you have questions about whether or not a vitamin or mineral supplement would be useful for your situation, talk to your doctor.