Multivitamins are supplements that are made up of several different vitamins in one little (or sometime pretty big!) tablet. So they are basically exactly what they sound like: multiple vitamins. They can also contain several minerals and other ingredients like amino acids or fatty acids. Being that there are multiple ingredients, there are only low doses of each ingredient.
Did you know they are actually the most commonly used supplements in the world?!
There are 13 vitamins and at least 16 minerals that are essential to health. Your body needs certain amounts of all of these nutrients for optimal health. In fact, nutrient deficiencies can impact many things like reproduction, growth, and regulation of bodily processes.
A lot of people say that if you follow a ‘balanced diet’, you’ll get enough vitamins and minerals for your body from that. I’d love to believe it…but it’s just not the case. The truth is that many people these days are eating way too much processed food that is devoid of nutrition. There’s a stack of research that shows many people don’t get enough vitamins and minerals.
Do you know which vitamins and minerals are in the multivitamin you take? If not, read the label, and don’t be afraid to ask questions! If there are at least three different vitamins and minerals listed, it’s a multivitamin.
Do multivitamins work?
There have been a lot of studies conducted on multivitamins.
The quality of the multivitamins studied has not been consistent. Some studies consider any supplements with at least three vitamins to be a ‘multivitamin’. Most of the time, it’s the multivitamins that are very popular and available everywhere that have the studies conducted on them.
So, what is it we know about the health benefits of multivitamins?
Here’s a quick rundown of the science:
- Multivitamin use is linked with improved moods. Interestingly, if someone has nutrient deficiencies, they may have mood imbalances. So, if the multivitamin addresses an underlying deficiency, this makes sense.
- In terms of memory and cognitive performance (ability to think), there seems to be an improvement in people who regularly take multivitamins.
- In terms of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, there seems to be a slight improvement.
- In terms of heart disease, the results are mixed. There may be an increase, or a decrease, or no effect on risk of heart attacks.
- In terms of cancer, there is a slightly reduced risk of certain cancers in men.
- In terms of mortality (death), there doesn’t seem to be a clear increase or decrease in mortality rates for people who take multivitamins.
Basically, multivitamins aren’t some kind of magical ‘health pill’. There are no guarantees that they improve your mental or physical health, or help you live longer; but, they do have some benefits on your health.
Are multivitamins safe?
Pretty much every study that looked to see if multivitamins were health-promoting, also looked at side effects of taking them. These studies have consistently shown that multivitamins are very safe.
Now, I’m not talking about high-dose supplements here. High doses of most nutrients can be harmful. But for multivitamins where there are several nutrients included, all of which are in low doses. Those are safe.
Unless you have a trusted health practitioner advise otherwise, you want to stick to the dose advised on the label. This is a safe dose for most people.
However, there are many times when supplements (not just multivitamins) have been tested and found to contain ingredients that are different than what’s listed on the label; this may be different quantities of vitamins or minerals. Worryingly, sometimes they contain ingredients that are not supposed to be in them at all (like toxins or prescription medicines)!
This is why choosing supplements that are licensed, if applicable, and from reputable companies is super important.
Conclusion
Multivitamins are not some sort or magical pill to achieve optimal health. There is limited evidence that they improve health for most people. But there are some benefits for sure.
Since they contain low doses of many different nutrients, they are also safe to take (as long as you have a good quality product). Of course, taking a multivitamin is not a way to improve poor nutrition. I would always recommend eating a balanced diet of whole foods. There is plenty of evidence that eating a diet of whole, unprocessed food prevents many diseases.
How about giving my super-food salad a try – It’s like a multivitamin…but better!
Recipe: Superfood Salad – Serves 2
2 handfuls of greens (e.g. kale, spinach, arugula, etc.)
½ cucumber, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 capsicum, chopped
1 carrot, grated
2 handfuls grape tomatoes
2 handfuls fresh berries
2 poached salmon fillets (optional)
¼ cup hemp seeds
Salad Dressing:
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/3 extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Grab two large bowls and put one handful of greens each.
Split all the rest of the fruits and vegetables, placing half in each bowl.
For the dressing- whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey/maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil slowly, while whisking to emulsify. Just before serving, pour over salad.
Top with salmon and hemp seeds.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip: You can use turkey or chicken instead of the salmon.
References:
https://authoritynutrition.com/do-multivitamins-work/
http://thewellnessbusinesshub.com/yes-nutrient-deficiencies-heres-proof-can/