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Multivitamins

Multivitamins | Jamie Kay Woodall

If you can get the lid off, you probably don't need them

When I ask people if they are taking any vitamins, herbs or supplements, many people will say they are taking a multivitamin.  When I ask them why they take it, I get a quizzical look most of the time.

I think this is something that resonates from childhood and parental advice of the idea that we need vitamins to help our body develop.  I'm not pediatrician so I can't speak to the effects on the developing child, but I will say that most non-pregnant adults without major medical conditions do not need extra vitamins.

You'll be impressed by these labels promising 120%, 300%, 1200% of your daily dose of vitamin whatever it is, but the truth is that for most of these vitamins, if you take more than your daily dose your body needs, the rest just ends up in your urine.  You are literally peeing money away in this case.

There's been a new trendy vitamin every decade or so for the last 40-50 years; First it was E, then B complex, then A, then C, now D.  All of these vitamins do important things for your body but most people are able to get all they need through a usual halfway-decent diet.

People will ask about "getting all my vitamin and mineral levels tested" but that's not something we do because it's not as simple as what your levels are for most people.  Vitamins are quickly used to make and do other things in your body that aren't very quantifiable so you can't really test levels for many things.

If you aren't getting your usual dose of vitamins, it's usually either due to lack of adequate intake (seen often in alcoholics, people with very restrictive diets, and people without access to food such as those who bedridden or struggling in poverty) or poor absorption (seen with bowel problems like celiac disease, surgically altered small intestines and colons, and inflammatory bowel diseases which does NOT include irritable bowel syndrome).  Some vegans need B12 supplements and people with osteopenia or osteoporosis need extra vitamin D to solidify and rebuild their bones but for most people, nothing else is needed.

So what's the problem with taking these extra vitamins then?  Usually nothing but prolonged use can lead to problems.  Vitamin E has been linked to cancer, excess Vitamin C & D have been linked to kidney stones, Vitamin A linked to heart disease and osteoporosis, and Vitamin B6 has been linked to nerve damage.

That's why, all things being equal, the best option is usually just to eat a well-rounded diet full of vegetables and fruits and beans/legumes.

You can read more about this here if you're interested

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