Does taking a multivitamin really help/work?!
Question: Hi Babe. I find many of the answsers on this site utterly amazing.
In 2002 the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recommended multi-vitamin/mineral supplements for all adults. Their recommendation was based on the following:
1) Optimal vitamin/mineral status is critical for helping to prevent chronic degenerative diseases (diseases that kill 2/3's of all Americans) such as Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Alzheimer's Disease, etc.
2) Most people today consume a highly processed diet that results in less than optimum intake of vitamins and minerals.
The following are directs quotes from this article:
"Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E, and C) may increase the risk for several chronic diseases."
"Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone."
I hope you find this scienitifically sourced information helpful. Best wishes.
Answers: Hi Babe. I find many of the answsers on this site utterly amazing.
In 2002 the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recommended multi-vitamin/mineral supplements for all adults. Their recommendation was based on the following:
1) Optimal vitamin/mineral status is critical for helping to prevent chronic degenerative diseases (diseases that kill 2/3's of all Americans) such as Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Alzheimer's Disease, etc.
2) Most people today consume a highly processed diet that results in less than optimum intake of vitamins and minerals.
The following are directs quotes from this article:
"Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E, and C) may increase the risk for several chronic diseases."
"Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone."
I hope you find this scienitifically sourced information helpful. Best wishes.
Eat the real thing, fruits are good for you!
In UK where most people on normal diets have a good intake of vitamins it is useless and can be toxic. Water soluble vitamins taken in excess are generally peed out. However it has been suggested that chronic high dose vitamin C may be mutogenic. fat soluble vitamins are more difficult to remove from the body and may accumulate and produce toxicity. Vitamin D is toxic to the kidney and Vitamin A to the eye.
finally it seems that synthetic vitamins in supplements are somehow different to those that occur naturally in food, perhaps they also need co-enzymes? As a result their antioxidant properties do not seem to have the same cancer protective effects.
It works. I made my 13 year old take one every single morning at breakfast and she wasn't sick All Year.
It is very hard to get all the nutrients you need from a normal diet so a multivitamin is a good supplement to take. You could regard it as a general tonic.
It depends on one's metabolism. My doctor insists, however, that multivitamins are useless; we get all the vitamins we need from the food on our table. Unless you're eating only catfood. He maintains that you might as well flush the pills down the toilet and cut out the middlemen, your stomach and bowels. He's a very funny guy, and I'm attracted to him. Okay, he's married but, what the hell, life is short.
Elaborating on Dr. Franks answer the best way to absorb vitamins into the body is via good food and nutrition.
There is evidence that mega dos
ses of vitamins can be toxic however it is unlikely that taking 1 multivitamin with a compliment of everything is going to raise the levels to a mega dose.
There are also some interesting research papers suggesting antioxidents ain't the miracles they were thought to be.
Having participated in a lot of research I've seenhow poorly conducted some of it is so I'd want to look at the quality of the experiment before making an opinion on that.
In regards to absorbtion I think its down to the molecular structure being an isomer of the vitamins we absorb when sourced from non food sources so the body does not absorb these easily although it could indeed be down to doctor franks suggestion.
A healthy body with a healthy balanced diet should not need mutli-vitamin supplementation although this can be indicated where deficiencies are highlighted until the individuals diet improves and the vitamin levels go back to normal.
If you do choose supplementation the best supplements are those sourced from food sources and it is best to avoid high doses.
I also think its best to specifically target a deficiency. Why would you want to take a multi-vitamin if you are only deficient in vitamin D raising levels of teratogenic (harmful to Fetal Health) vitamins like vitamin A?
You certainly wouldn't want to if you were pregnant!
Added: Elaborating on Doctor J's very valid point. Many people today have a highly processed diet.
Without a doubt the best way to get a full complement of vitamins is from a healthy diet but with the food people eat today which is often far from healthy this will not happen. In this case supplementation would be indicated but the individual really would be better placed sorting their diet out.
Yes, taking a multi vitamin really does help, but does not mean you don't still need a healthy diet.
I don't like synthetic vitamins, they are difficult for the body to absorb and often contain cheap filler that is more damaging to the body than missing the nutritients in the first place.
My preference is to liquid, easy to absorb and not having to swallow pills suits me the best. I choose Limu Plus (http://www.LimuPlus.com/287998) as my choice for a multi and even when I need iron I choose a liquid iron supplement, unbelievable the difference on my digestive system compared to pill form.
Yes.
It depends on your diet, but someone with a bad diet had hair that was falling out, then she started taking a multivitamin once a day and it stopped falling out. I had a cold and started taking multivitamins and it cleared up faster than it would normally. One of my friends had hay fever and started taking several multivitamins in summer and the symptoms went away. If they stopped taking them for any period of time the symptoms came back.
I started taking different vitamins when I got bad period pains (and this is very very painful pains) and didn't get the pains if i remembered to take vitamins for the prior month. Stopped taking them for a month and I got the pains again (eventually they have gone from careful diet improvements). And the pills helped even though I have a generally good high fruit, high vegetable diet.
Too many can make you sick, but as long as you don't take loads and loads I'm sure it will help.
multivitamins are useless unless you are deficient in that particular vitamin. So, just take the ones that you need. And normally you cant be short more then 1 or two...That is unless, you are mal nourished. In that case, you just eat more...Some vitamins and supplements are actually dangerous for you, so be careful....
Not really, 90 percent of vitamins out there pass right thru your system. Not very cost effective. I take all natural whole food vitamins. Email me if you want more info...
ladybuguniverse@yahoo.com
I take several supplements and I have managed to rid myself of depression, chronic fatigue and pms!
The medical profession is very closed-minded when it comes to supplements and doesn't realise the good that they can do. My GP certainly didn't come up with anything to help my problems - I had to do the research myself.
Herbs and supplements can be just as effective as modern drugs - in some cases they're better - esp. for chronic problems.
As long as you stick to the required dosages and be aware of any interactions you may indeed benefit from them.
Do your research and see what you find.
A daily multivitamin won't have you jumping through hoops, but I can always tell the difference if I stop taking mine.