Multivitamins are a popular way to supplement your diet with the vitamins and minerals your body needs. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 53 percent of Americans consume multivitamins on a regular basis. But what are the benefits multivitamins provide? Do they actually have an impact on our health?
Solving for Vitamin Deficiencies
Multivitamins are designed to fill the gaps in our diets, supplying nutrients that aren’t provided by the food we eat. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, put out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates that many adults take in less than the recommended amount of vitamins A, C, E, calcium and magnesium on a daily basis. Taking a multivitamin regularly can counteract these deficiencies. For example, vegetarians and the elderly often need B12 supplementation — shortages can lead to nerve damage and cognition problems.
Chronic Diseases and Multivitamins
While multivitamins are great at doing what they’re designed for — preventing vitamin deficiency — they have limited effectiveness at warding off chronic disease, and the studies conducted on the subject find conflicting results. A National Institute of Health panel concluded that multivitamins have little or no impact on cancer, heart disease, or other forms of long-term illness.
A Swedish study reported that multivitamins reduced the risk of heart attack in middle-aged individuals. The Journal of the American Medical Association, on the other hand, has published studies finding no impact on heart disease due to multivitamin use, but an eight percent decrease in cancer risk among elderly men. Because research is so divided, you shouldn’t expect vitamins to manage chronic illnesses.
Supplements, not Substitutes
All the experts agree that multivitamins are a moderately beneficial aid to health, provided you use them in the right way. A vitamins supplement is meant to be just that: supplementary to an otherwise healthy lifestyle with good dietary choices and regular exercise. A well-rounded, healthy approach to life does more to stave off nutrient shortages or chronic disease than any amount of vitamin pills will ever do. Taking a daily multivitamin in addition to eating right and working out, however, is always a good idea.