The Multivitamin Debate: Should You Take Your Vitamins?

Are you wasting your money on multivitamins? Many in the medical and nutrition communities say no, but the authors of an editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine say yes. So who's right?

The Debate: To Supplement or Not to Supplement

Prescription pain medication is not a grey area; you either take the medicine for pain or you do not. However, when it comes to vitamins, medical professionals have long been divided on their opinions of whether there are any health benefits to taking multivitamins. Several multivitamin research studies have been published in recent years, though the results haven't been consistent enough to bring the debate to a conclusion. Some doctors will tell you to take your multivitamins each day; others will tell you that the health boost you feel is nothing more than a placebo effect. And yet other doctors will tell you that some kinds of vitamins and supplements are worthwhile, while others should be ignored.

So much differing advice is confusing, to say the least. Adding to that confusion is the sheer number of multivitamin options available: GNC carries 146 different multivitamins on its site, while the Vitamin Shoppe carries 140 women's multivitamins and 92 men's multivitamins to choose from. And those numbers don't include the countless individual supplements that are available. So which multivitamin should you choose? How do you know it's the right one for you?

The Study: Enough is Enough

The physicians who conducted the studies in the Annals of Internal Medicine's December 2013 editorial would tell you that there is no right multivitamin. Titled "Enough is Enough: Stop Wasting Your Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements," the editorial concludes overall that "most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided."

Put simply, the three medical studies referenced by the editorial recommend that we stop taking our vitamins.

The studies researched three primary areas:

• the efficacy of multivitamins in preventing chronic diseases in adults who had no nutritional deficiencies
• whether a daily multivitamin could prevent cognitive decline in men aged 65 years or older
• the impact of multivitamins on men and women who had previously had heart attacks

The authors concluded that:

• there was no clear evidence to indicate the benefit of supplements on cardiovascular disease, cancer or all-cause mortality
• taking daily multivitamins did not improve the cognitive function of the men in the study
• there was no difference in the recurrence of heart attacks between those who took daily multivitamins and those who took placebos

Most of Us Do Have Vitamin Deficiencies

Before you empty out your medicine cabinet and delete your shopping cart on Vitamin World, consider the following points.

The adults who participated in the studies didn't necessarily have nutritional deficiencies - and most of us probably do. Researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University issued a statement arguing against the editorial's bashing of vitamin use, pointing out that:

• 93% of American adults don't get enough Vitamin D and E from their diets
• 61% of American adults don't get enough Magnesium from their diets
• 50% of American adults don't get enough Vitamin A and Calcium from their diets

The risk of vitamin deficiencies is also greater for senior citizens, post-menopausal women, African Americans and those who are obese, ill or injured. There also is ample evidence that those who live in developing countries face even more deficiencies.

It is true that very well-nourished adults don't need daily multivitamin pills - however it's almost impossible to guarantee that we're taking in all the vitamins and minerals we need each day without the aid of a laboratory.

Does your diet meet the recommended servings of each food group, every single day? Is your diet well-balanced and rich in grains, fruits and vegetables? If not, you most likely need a daily multivitamin pill to provide the vitamins you're lacking.

To provide more accurate data about whether multivitamins are beneficial to all of us at large, study participants should be representative of the average (and, yes, probably undernourished) population.

Multivitamins May Help Your Health in Other Ways

The studies referenced in the Annals of Internal Medicine focused on how multivitamins impact those with cancer, cardiac conditions or cognitive decline... but what about all the other illnesses that can be helped by multivitamin use?

For example:

• 700-900 MCG of Vitamin A each day can prevent cataracts
• 1,000 MG of Calcium each day of can prevent high blood pressure
• 5 MCG  of Vitamin D each day can prevent fractures
• 8-11 MG of Zinc each day can boost your immune system, heal wounds and delay macular degeneration
• 31-50 MG of Vitamin B6 each day helps to create red blood cells

There hasn't yet been a study that effectively considers all of the benefits of multivitamin use - so simply stating that we stop taking multivitamins altogether based on studies that targeted only a few illnesses is premature and unwarranted. The studies referenced in the Annals of Internal Medicine failed to include a substantial amount of data which indicates that multivitamin use benefits our health in many other ways.

The Verdict: Take Your Vitamins

Despite the ongoing multivitamin debate, sales of vitamins and supplements continue to grow in both the US and Europe. In 2011, the Center for Disease Control reported that 40% of American adults said that they took vitamins daily. In 2012, vitamin and supplement sales totaled $23.4 billion; in 2013, sales topped $24 billion. Doctors and nutritionists around the globe continue to recommend multivitamin use as part of a healthy daily regimen.

Furthermore, if more than 93% of us are deficient in at least two of the core vitamins, it seems worthwhile to cover our bases and fill the voids with daily multivitamin pills. Use of a multivitamin is quick, easy and relatively inexpensive: the cost breaks down to a mere 4-8 cents per day.

Says Richard A. Marini of the Houston Chronicle, "seems like a pretty reasonable insurance policy." Indeed. Take your vitamins.

Click to read our reviews of the best online vitamin stores.

Note: TBC is not a healthcare agency and recommends that you always consult your physician before taking any medication, supplement or vitamin.

References: Annals of Internal Medicine; Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School; Harvard School of Public Health; Houston Chronicle; Science Daily