Is There Any Benefit to Multivitamins?
Is There Any Benefit to Multivitamins?
A recent look at multivitamins by Johns Hopkins researchers shows that there’s no proof of benefit. Find out the one supplement deemed beneficial—and how others failed.
There is a discussion on Hacker News, but feel free to comment here as well.
The general consensus I've always heard is that if you have a deficiency, taking a vitamin supplement can absolutely help. If you're eating a balanced diet and blood work looks good at the doctor, then vitamins won't do much because you'll just pee out all the excess.
11Interestingly, there is some evidence that suggests that antioxidants like vitamin C, especially when taken in the excessively large doses that are fashionable these days, can interfere with the immune system (which relies on oxidation reactions in order to clear pathogens and precancerous cells) and preclude gains from exercise (oxidation is used as a signal by the body to eg. induce muscle mass growth).
10
Now do the study for people whose diet is highly variable - sometimes I eat real healthy for weeks and sometimes it’s French fries and tater tots or pizza or other junk for dinner for weeks. I think the supplements help during my periods of poor dietary choices.
I used to have deficiencies in vitamin B and D and my doctor told me to take supplements for those. Levels have been good since.
I think it helps if you have deficiencies due to diet or genetics. But I also have years of data from bloodwork to back that up. I agree that taking them ‘just because’ is not a good idea. Getting your levels checked at your annual exam is easy. Talk to your doctor.
7Exactly this. The outcome of these studies/articles is always: you don’t need it… if you eat healthy.
Now look at obesity rates etc, do you think most people eat healthy? Now would these people benefit from multivitamins?2