Eating a nutritious diet with a variety of foods is the cornerstone of optimal nutrition. For those who lack critical nutrients, have deficiencies, or just want to ensure they are getting a well-rounded variety of vitamins and minerals, a multivitamin is a useful tool to fill in the gaps.
One-third of Americans include a multivitamin in their daily routine, according to the National Institutes of Health. Multivitamins can be purchased over the counter without a prescription, and many individuals view them as safe.
While multivitamins are important for a number of people and can certainly act as a nutrition insurance policy, they may not be right for everyone and should not be used to replace a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle habits. Below, we dive into the health benefits of taking a multivitamin every day and discuss potential risks and considerations to keep in mind.
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What Is a Multivitamin?
Multivitamins are pills, gummies, or liquids that contain a combination of vitamins and minerals for general health. Some multivitamins are targeted specifically for immune support, pregnancy, energy, or even boosting athletic performance.
Sometimes people use a multivitamin to support their current diet and lifestyle while others may need one to fill in nutritional gaps due to poor nutrition, dietary restrictions, or health conditions that deplete or impair the absorption of certain nutrients.
According to Alyssa Pacheco, RD from the PCOS Nutritionist, "A multivitamin can be viewed as a security blanket almost—a way to make sure you're covering your bases when it comes to nutrition. A multivitamin also may be helpful for someone who has a very limited diet or who doesn't eat certain food groups, such as fruits or vegetables. In this scenario, a multivitamin may help to fill in the nutrient gaps."
Benefits of Taking a Multivitamin
There are a number of benefits to taking a multivitamin. Whether you are taking these supplements for general wellness or for more specific reasons, your health and well-being may benefit from their use. Here's what you need to know about the potential benefits of taking a multivitamin every day.
May Improve Your Immunity
Certain vitamins and minerals that contribute to a healthy immune system are more difficult to get through food, such as zinc and vitamin D—two typically recommended immunity-supporting supplements. Particularly in older individuals, research shows that taking a multivitamin improves vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D status as well as self-reported perceived immune status improvements.
Inadequate vitamin D levels, in particular, can make you more susceptible to infection. Meanwhile, low zinc levels impair the formation of infection-fighting T cells.
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Promotes Healthy Aging
As you age, your intake of certain micronutrients, or vitamins and minerals, needs to increase. Unfortunately, the body also has a more difficult time absorbing certain nutrients with age. Plus, taking certain medications can further deplete nutrients.
Consuming a nutrient-dense diet and taking a multivitamin can help offset some of these deficiencies and support the body with age. In one recent study, more than 3,000 older adults were given a daily multivitamin or a placebo and neuropsychological tests were performed.
After one year and three years, the researchers found that a daily multivitamin improved memory in older adults. Consequently, it could be a safe approach to reducing the rate of cognitive decline with age.
Promotes a Healthier Pregnancy
Prenatal vitamins are multivitamins that are specifically formulated to support the nutritional needs of a pregnant person and the developing baby's cells, tissues, and organs. During pregnancy, the intake of folate, iron, choline, vitamin D, and iodine needs to increase significantly.
"[Taking a prenatal vitamin] will ensure that pregnant [people] are getting enough folic acid and iron beforehand, which may help prevent neural tube defects and iron deficiency anemia," says Laura M Ali, MS, RD, a nutritionist based in Pittsburgh. "They also provide calcium and vitamin D, which can help support bone and tissue growth."
While a nutritious diet is important during pregnancy, taking a prenatal vitamin every day is essential to prevent deficiencies in both the pregnant person and the baby. Research shows that taking prenatal vitamins before and during pregnancy decreases the risk of pregnancy complications such as anemia, intellectual disability, autism, gestational diabetes, and neural tube defects. The extra boost of nourishment also supports the birthing individual in postpartum recovery.
May Improve Energy Levels
While a multivitamin isn't an instant energy-boosting pill, depending on your diet, lifestyle, and medical conditions, you may discover that taking one every day gives you some energy-related benefits. Certain vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and zinc, play a role in energy metabolism, DNA synthesis, oxygen transport, and neuronal functions important for brain and muscular health and function.
When there are deficiencies in these areas due to poor absorption or dietary restrictions, individuals may experience low energy and fatigue. If you aren't able to meet daily requirements through food, taking a multivitamin may be helpful for making up the difference.
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May Address Nutrient Gaps
Certain medical conditions and eating patterns may lead to deficiencies in critical nutrients, Ali says. "While there isn't much research to indicate that a multivitamin a day helps prevent disease, it is a good way to fill in the nutrient gaps, especially if you are on a restricted diet or have a health condition that prevents you from eating certain foods or need a little nutrition boost."
For example, several gastrointestinal disorders, such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis contribute to malabsorption of vitamin B12, iron, folate, calcium, and vitamin D. Treatment through medication, dietary changes, as well as taking a multivitamin may help prevent deficiencies.
Additionally, dietary restrictions can cause potential nutrient deficiencies as well. For instance, people who are vegan need to take a vitamin B12 supplement as this vitamin is only found in animal foods.
Risks and Considerations
While multivitamins are generally considered safe, there are some potential risks to consider before starting one. Some multivitamins can cause uncomfortable side effects such as constipation, diarrhea, upset stomach, and nausea. Taking it with food or at different times of the day may mitigate these side effects. These symptoms are usually temporary as your body gets used more likely than other vitamins to contain unreliable levels of nutrients.to taking the supplement. However, in rare cases, they can persist.
Further, it is important to review which nutrients and their amounts are actually in your multivitamin to avoid excessive doses. Consuming fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K at high doses every day can lead to toxicities.
"A risk that often isn't discussed is that taking multivitamins can actually lead to nutrient deficiencies," says Pacheco. "Too much of one nutrient can result in a deficiency in another nutrient. For example, too much zinc intake or supplementation can cause a copper deficiency. Ironically, the symptoms of a copper deficiency are similar to that of a zinc deficiency."
Some nutrients can also interact with certain prescription medications. Always consult a healthcare provider and registered dietitian for specific recommendations related to your multivitamin and individual nutrition needs.
Also, keep in mind that multivitamins and nutrition supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Always ensure that the multivitamin you are choosing is coming from a reputable source and is tested by a third party like NSF or Consumer Labs. This is especially important when it comes to gummy vitamins because they're more likely than other vitamins to contain unreliable levels of nutrients.
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Tailoring a Multivitamin To Your Goal
Everyone has individualized nutrition needs and goals and it is important to find a multivitamin that aligns with those goals. Whether you are trying to improve your energy levels and athletic performance, correct a deficiency, or support a pregnancy, multivitamin compositions differ based on these individual needs.
First, determine your objective for taking a multivitamin. It may also be wise to obtain a complete blood workup to look for any deficiencies or nutritional gaps in your diet. Based on your goals and nutrient needs, consult a registered dietitian to help you choose the right multivitamin for you.
Do I Need to Take a Multivitamin?
Multivitamins can be a helpful tool for ensuring you are meeting your nutrition needs and filling in any gaps caused by poor diet or medical conditions. However, they are only an insurance policy and should not replace food as your primary source of nutrition.
Taking multivitamins every day may cause uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects or put you at risk for some nutrient toxicities. They also can interfere with certain medications. Always consult a healthcare provider before beginning a new supplement regimen. They can help you determine if taking a multivitamin every day is right for you.
