Are You Taking Multivitamins?
Millions of us are taking multivitamins each day in hopes of giving our bodies the nutrients they need to stay healthy. As we all know, most of us don't eat enough of the right foods to get our essential nutrients the natural way, which is why most experts agree that a daily multivitamin is a good idea for nearly everyone though they are hardly a substitute for eating a healthy diet.
Adults are often deficient in calcium, magnesium, vitamins A, C and E. Older people are often lacking vitamin B12, and women of childbearing age need to shore up their intake of iron and folic acid. Lack of vital nutrients becomes a problem over time, particularly for women who are in their childbearing years. Other groups at risk are strict vegetarians and the elderly.
Multivitamins, while valuable, lack some helpful compounds for wellness such as phytonutrients and fiber. They typically fall short of the recommended daily amount of calcium, other vitamins and minerals.
It's best to think of supplements as an insurance policy – don't fool yourself into believing a daily pill measures up to the benefits of eating the right foods, being active on a regular basis and keeping yourself at a healthy weight.
What's more, don't bet on multivitamins to work wonders in terms of heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases according to the recommendation of a 2006 State-of-the-Science Conference on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention. Far more research is needed before anyone is going to recommend taking a multivitamin daily to protect yourself from disease.
The NIH opinion is a direct contradiction to earlier findings that include a 2002 study from the Harvard School of Medicine published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In this case the authors looked at 35 years of research on vitamins and chronic disease and recommended that every adult should take a daily multivitamin as an affordable, safe way to health.
There are other studies that support the connection between multivitamin use and well-being. Studies found:
- Taking multivitamins for 15 years or more significantly cut the risk of colon cancer.
- Multivitamins reduced the risk of first time heart attack in older people.
According to Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory, and professor of nutrition at Tufts University, these findings are enough to convince him that taking a daily multivitamin may help head off some serious health problems.
If you have cancer or are being treated for the disease, talk with your doctor before taking multivitamins as they can affect your treatment or give cancer cells the extra nutrients they need to reproduce and multiply.
If you're going to give daily multivitamins a try, here are some suggestions for what you want to see on the label. Most people do just fine with a product that has 100% (or less) of the daily value (DV) for a large number of nutrients, but you'll also want…
- United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Insignia: Dietary supplements, including multivitamins, aren't regulated by the FDA. The USP symbol on a label is your assurance of safety and quality.
- Vitamin A: A supplement with beta-carotene and mixed carotenoids (what your body uses to make vitamin A) is best. Too much vitamin A as retinol (called acetate or palmitate on labels) is bad for bone and liver health.
- Vitamin C: Choose a product with 250 mg of this vitamin and you'll do just fine. The DV/RDA is low for vitamin C.
- Vitamin D: Most products give you 400 International Units, what you need for calcium absorption and perhaps prevention of cancer. You might need more than this if you have dark skin, are overweight, or spend very little time outside during the summer months.
- Vitamin E: There have been some recent studies that ring the warning bell for high doses of vitamin E, anything over 600-800 IU daily.
- Folic Acid: Women in their childbearing years need 400 micrograms of folic acid every day to prevent neural tube defects that can happen in the first month of pregnancy. Breakfast cereals often supply the needed amount.
- Iron: Men and post-menopausal women should taking multivitamins that are free of iron unless their diet is very low in iron-rich foods, including meat and fortified grains. Too much iron can accumulate in the body and damage organs.
