Daily multivitamins -- is there any point?

[Jingthing]

I've been both on and off my daily multivitamin pill for life and recently the bottle ran low and I'm wondering what's the point? Sometimes I take a long break and then decide to start again. I mean for people that are eating a decent diet as far as fresh vegetables, fruit, proteins, etc. I understand vitamin and mineral supplementation when you are doing it for a specific KNOWN reason but in my case (which I reckon is typical) it's more like a guess that you must be missing something so take this pill that's got a little of most things.

In the the press I've read so much conflicting info over the years about daily multivitamins that I just now filter that out.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Jingthing

[Neeranam]

WHy are you taking them?

[Jingthing]

WHy are you taking them?

Oh, I thought I made that clear already. Just for "insurance" in case I am missing something in my diet. The same reason I think most people take them, influenced of course by marketing. I know I was brainwashed in the U.S. that it's just what you do.

[NeverSure]

I did lower my "bad" cholesterol from just above OK to well into OK with a couple of fish oil capsules per day.

But that was for a specific reason. My diet as a single guy isn't all that perfect so I do take vitamins and minerals every day. I do not know if they do any good.

[edwardandtubs]

You're wasting your money. A recent study confirmed there's no evidence they do you any good.

[Neeranam]

Guess I'll throw my centrum out.

I know a guy who had an abundance of minerals/metals and it made him quite sick.

[Jingthing]

I did lower my "bad" cholesterol from just above OK to well into OK with a couple of fish oil capsules per day.

But that was for a specific reason. My diet as a single guy isn't all that perfect so I do take vitamins and minerals every day. I do not know if they do any good.

I do take fish oil supplements and have for many years.

That is for a specific reason.

The multivitamin all-in-one pills are for some vague concept of cover all insurance.

Yes, I've heard one reason is if your diet is really bad. Mine isn't.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

You're wasting your money. A recent study confirmed there's no evidence they do you any good.

Yes my current thinking is more in line with that.

[Tywais]

You're wasting your money. A recent study confirmed there's no evidence they do you any good.

Yes my current thinking is more in line with that.

Actually this is the bottom line in the article - 'The expert panel noted, however, it didn't have enough data to advise against taking most of these supplements, either.'

I take a multivitamin and zinc, fish oil and Lecithin. I have a pretty poor diet I admit and perhaps it's just comforting to take them.

[Jingthing]

Again, I really am not questioning specific supplements when there is a specific reason. Those can be considered on a case by case basis and there is research you can do about those SPECIFIC supplements.

Talking here about the BUCKET OF STUFF pills.

The comforting comment is interesting. Yes I think that's part of it. One reason the marketing has been so effective at least in the west. I don't get the impression that most Thais take these multivitamin once a day pills.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Jingthing

[edwardandtubs]

You're wasting your money. A recent study confirmed there's no evidence they do you any good.

Yes my current thinking is more in line with that.

Actually this is the bottom line in the article - 'The expert panel noted, however, it didn't have enough data to advise against taking most of these supplements, either.'

I take a multivitamin and zinc, fish oil and Lecithin. I have a pretty poor diet I admit and perhaps it's just comforting to take them.

That just means they might be beneficial or harmful but there's no evidence either way. Probably they have no effect at all. In your case they are indirectly harmful because the false comfort you get from popping pills is stopping you from doing something to improve your diet that really would improve your health.

Edited December 15, 2013 by edwardandtubs

[h90]

Well two things:

There are people who absorb some vitamins less perfect than other. You don't know if you are one of them.

When you are on a strong diet, or heavily drinking or smoking or sick you need more vitamins.

Vitamin C is a special case, google Linus Pauling, but read several different sources...there is still a battle....But I don't want to hijack this topic, if interested open a new thread or PM me.

Vitamin C is interesting....

[h90]

Again, I really am not questioning specific supplements when there is a specific reason. Those can be considered on a case by case basis and there is research you can do about those SPECIFIC supplements.

Talking here about the BUCKET OF STUFF pills.

The comforting comment is interesting. Yes I think that's part of it. One reason the marketing has been so effective at least in the west. I don't get the impression that most Thais take these multivitamin once a day pills.

over the thumb, on water solvable Vitamins you can't easily get to much as you just pee them out (OK some weirdo may find a method to harm himself by eating 2 buckets of them).

The oil solvable are more dangerous, specially Vitamin A. Vitamin E cause you headache. But you accumulate them, so it will need a long time till your stock is so overly full to cause a problem. You can't achieve that with of the shelf multivitamins easily.

Now when I am on diet I really crave Berocca, and eat up to 3 per day. I still don't know if it is the taste or really the vitamins.

[moe666]

Taking a multi-vitamin is a waste of time and money typically you do not get enough of what you need in one of these one size fits all pills. Do some research LEF.org has some very good info on vitamins and minerals. You typically need a lot more of certain vitamins on a daily basis than you will ever get in a single serving pill. If you drink, if you smoke, if you live in a polluted area you will need high dosages of certain vit. to counter the effect of all that you come into contact with. Good luck getting all you need from your diet do you know the condition of the soil the plants where grown in maybe a lack of many vit. and minerals in the dirt. How about the storage and handling of your fresh fruits and vegetables good luck on getting all you need.

[robblok]

I am taking multivitamins but never saw any benefits. For me they are an insurance. The only time i really felt better was after i started juicing fresh vegetables (a few months ago). I saw it in my skin and got noticeable more energy. Does that mean i stopped taking the other vitamins and fish oils nope.. but i might stop the vitamins once my supply runs out. They are not that expensive.

[mommysboy]

Money would probably be better invested in specific supplements such as fish oil, or garlic capsules, because a half decent diet should be enough to provide all essential vits. and minerals, that's what the bloke on the radio reckons anyway.

Living in Thailand might call for extra iodine and zinc though.

I am on cocoa, it's packed with good things.

[AyG]

Taking vitamins appears to increases you chances of dying younger.

http://www.livescience.com/19000-vitamins-supplements-earlier-death.html

It's all just one big marketing scam so the pill companies make vast profits.

[mommysboy]

Taking vitamins appears to increases you chances of dying younger.

http://www.livescience.com/19000-vitamins-supplements-earlier-death.html

It's all just one big marketing scam so the pill companies make vast profits.

And increased consumption of ice cream is associated withn a rise in mortality from shark attacks. Of course the real reason is that in hotter weather people eat more ice cream and tend go to the beach and swim to cool down.

But there could be some connection, how about unhealthy might be more inclined to seek health from a box of vitamin pills rather than balancing their diet and doing exercise.

Marketing scams are part of the picture, there's more money in selling health out of a drug than in good advice.

[AyG]

Taking vitamins appears to increases you chances of dying younger.

http://www.livescience.com/19000-vitamins-supplements-earlier-death.html

But there could be some connection, how about unhealthy might be more inclined to seek health from a box of vitamin pills rather than balancing their diet and doing exercise.

Except unhealthy people don't care about themselves enough. In my experience it's the health fanatics that are more likely to knock back loads of vitamin pills and other dubious supplements than the lardarses.

In general highly refined foodstuffs are worse for us than natural alternatives. Think of sugar, white rice, white flour. Vitamin pills fall into the same category.

[samuibeachcomber]

i'm in the camp that thinks multi vitamins are a waste of time.................the milligrams allocated to each group are not high enough to really help.

better off targeting specific minerals and vitamins if it looks like you have a deficiency.

IMO vegie juice is the way to go...............juicing such vegies everyday such as carrots,broccoli,beetroot celery and parsley.It really is dynamic stuff,gives you more energy,helps you lose weight and all the vegies i have mentioned have cancer fighting qualities.

[ignis]

Took for a long time Nutrilite Double X [expensive] then went to Centrum [bit cheaper] now last couple of years take Nature One Herbal from Phamacy [dirt cheap]

Cannot say there is any difference ? well yes on price 1,600 baht for 60 pills, down to 900 baht.. to present ones 128 baht for 60 pills... All say Multi Vitemins

Edit: forget why but never get Mosquito Bites, do take 2x Vitemin E every day [1x tub 1,000 tables = 220 baht] from time to time get Vitemin D2 also forget why but often Pharmacy has not got them.

Edited December 16, 2013 by ignis

[Sheryl]

Most people have no need of a multivit supplement.

If you are able to eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and you feel no different when you stop taking the supplement = no need.

Micronutrient supplementation becomes important when people's diets are restricted for one reason or another, or their nutritional requirement is unusually increased (as in some disease processes) or absorption of some nutrient is hindered,leading to a higher than normal requirement. This last occurs often with B12, both age and some common meds (inc. metformin) can interfere with absorption.

If it is known what nutrient(s) is lacking then of course makes most sense to just take that.

Multivit/mineral supplements make sense when it is known that the diet is lacking in many respects, for example on strict weight loss regimens.

Doesn't sound like any of this applies to you.

[Tolley]

Good luck if you think you get all the nutrients in your diet from a food chain that is completely degraged.

Condsidering the state of the soil a lot of food is grown in and the amount of chemicals in our fruit and vegs it is unlikey that we are going to be getting all we need from our food.

Then if we add the way our meat is produced well it is not really encouraging.

A mulit vitamin a day is unlikely to be of much help either as most stuff on the market is rubbish.

The only way you could really ensure you are getting good quality food supply is to live on a farm and grow your own veggies/ fruit/ poultry yourself without any pesticides , herbicides etc

Of course even that doesnt guarantee you wont get sick.

[SpokaneAl]

I did lower my "bad" cholesterol from just above OK to well into OK with a couple of fish oil capsules per day.

But that was for a specific reason. My diet as a single guy isn't all that perfect so I do take vitamins and minerals every day. I do not know if they do any good.

I do take fish oil supplements and have for many years.

That is for a specific reason.

The multivitamin all-in-one pills are for some vague concept of cover all insurance.

Yes, I've heard one reason is if your diet is really bad. Mine isn't.

And then there is this regarding fish oil supplements - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/podcast/transcript090313.html

I stopped taking them a few years back after reading similar research.

Edited December 16, 2013 by SpokaneAl

[Tolley]

I did lower my "bad" cholesterol from just above OK to well into OK with a couple of fish oil capsules per day.

But that was for a specific reason. My diet as a single guy isn't all that perfect so I do take vitamins and minerals every day. I do not know if they do any good.

I do take fish oil supplements and have for many years.

That is for a specific reason.

The multivitamin all-in-one pills are for some vague concept of cover all insurance.

Yes, I've heard one reason is if your diet is really bad. Mine isn't.

And then there is this regarding fish oil supplements - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/podcast/transcript090313.html

I stopped taking them a few years back after reading similar research.

That study is completely flawed.

The men in the study werent evern taking fish oil supplements for a start.

Secondly they only found a correlation not a cause.

Thirdly they only measured the DHA as a percentage not a total.

More over there has been plenty of evidence of the benefits of fish oil as an anti inflammatory helpful in a number of conditions in many many studies.

But if you are still worried you could use krill instead.

[SpokaneAl]

I did lower my "bad" cholesterol from just above OK to well into OK with a couple of fish oil capsules per day.

But that was for a specific reason. My diet as a single guy isn't all that perfect so I do take vitamins and minerals every day. I do not know if they do any good.

I do take fish oil supplements and have for many years.

That is for a specific reason.

The multivitamin all-in-one pills are for some vague concept of cover all insurance.

Yes, I've heard one reason is if your diet is really bad. Mine isn't.

And then there is this regarding fish oil supplements - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/podcast/transcript090313.html

I stopped taking them a few years back after reading similar research.

That study is completely flawed.

The men in the study werent evern taking fish oil supplements for a start.

Secondly they only found a correlation not a cause.

Thirdly they only measured the DHA as a percentage not a total.

More over there has been plenty of evidence of the benefits of fish oil as an anti inflammatory helpful in a number of conditions in many many studies.

But if you are still worried you could use krill instead.

While you may very well be correct about this specific study, there have been, over the past few years, additional studies that seem to indicate a potential correlation between continuous higher dosages of vitamin E and prostate problems.

And in that, as I age, I become a bit more cautious, and after watching a couple of friends go through prostate cancer, I decided a while back to lower my fish oil intake, at least in the form of supplements.

[CharlieH]

Never taken a regular multi vit, I have always leaned toward specific areas or issues, currently on the cocao, but very recently started taking a B complex, now that was quite dramatic, in change of mood, skin, nails etc, I was amazed the difference it made.

If I had not experienced it personally I would never have believed the marked difference it can make.

[bartender100]

If you are a drinker vitamin B's are essential particularly B12, that's all I take along with 500mg VitC

[tim armstrong]

Agree with Sheryl. If you have even a half reasonable diet you are probably getting enough vitamins. I take fish oil for a specific purpose, and it does work. But if I ate more fish regularly that would probably also work. A simple diet of fresh food from all the food groups seems to be the way to go. But unlike our grandparents we don't do that anymore. Even though they clearly ate more fat they didn't get all the chemicals and additives. I'm not really surprised by the increase in the use of protein powders by fitness junkies, but why ? when there is good food available.

[rsokolowski]

From CBS news:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/multivitamin-researchers-say-case-is-closed-supplements-dont-boost-health/