As the name implies, multi-vitamins contain a combination of nutrients commonly formulated in a single capsule, tablet, liquid or powder. Multi-vitamins are one of the most popular supplements in the market. Despite their popularity, the necessity and benefits of a daily multi-vitamin have been the subject of debate in both the popular press and scientific literature. Clinical trials have produced conflicting evidence as to their benefit on long-term health, particularly in relation to cardiovascular disease or cancer. So, let’s look at some key points around the topic of multi-vitamins;
A brief history of multi-vitamins
The discovery of vitamins was a major scientific advance in the early 19th century and mid-20th century. The study of these vitamins leads to important breakthroughs in our understanding of the link between nutrients, dietary deficiencies and disease. The term ‘vitamine’ was first coined by biochemist Casimir Funk in 1912, who is considered the ‘father of vitamin therapy’ and its use for preventing deficiencies and maintaining health. Today, there are numerous multi-vitamin formulations available in the supplement market. Australian market research from 2018, estimates that 8.3 million Australians are regularly consuming vitamin and mineral supplements.
What are the benefits of taking a multivitamin?
So, why would you want to take a multi-vitamin? Don’t they just create expensive urine? The popularity of multi-vitamins is largely due to the convenience of taking a single product that contains several essential nutrients. The combination of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which can benefit our body in numerous ways. These include supporting energy production, immune health, nervous system function and bone health.
Here are some of the common reasons why you might benefit from a multi-vitamin;
- You don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables in your daily diet. Australian dietary guidelines recommend for adults 5-6 x (75g) serves of vegetables and 2 x 150g pieces of fruit daily.
- You have digestive issues, such as inflammatory bowel disease or food intolerances which may decrease the absorption of nutrients
- You drink a lot of tea or coffee
- You smoke or drink alcohol on a regular basis
- You are either pregnant or trying for a baby
- You are only able to eat a restricted volume of food due to gastric surgery and resulting structural changes to your digestive system.
So, should I take a multi-vitamin just in case?
The truth is, if you don’t fall into any of the categories listed above and you eat a well balanced, nutritious diet - you don’t need to take a daily multi-vitamin. You should be able to acquire the nutrition that your body needs from food. There are, of course, some exceptions to this based on your dietary restrictions or other health conditions. Certain nutrients can only be obtained from animal sources such as heme iron and B12, so supplementing these nutrients may be required if you are following a plant-based diet. Women who are pregnant or planning to conceive will benefit from folic acid supplementation to support brain development in their unborn baby.
Spoiler alert - Long term health is best achieved through a healthy diet
It might sound boring (and a little obvious), but some of the most effective and dramatic improvements to your health are made through your dietary choices. Make your mealtimes count. Choose nutrient-dense, rather than calorie-dense meals. “Eat the rainbow” and make your plate colourful by consuming fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours. Eating this way increases the amount of different beneficial vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients you consume each day. Ensure you are consuming a source of lean animal or plant-based protein with every meal, along with healthy fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds. Opt for wholegrain, high-fibre carbohydrates over highly processed, refined carbohydrate versions.
Multi-vitamins can be beneficial in filling nutritional gaps due to lifestyle and other health factors. The important message to remember though is that you can’t out-supplement a bad diet. Making healthy food choices is the best approach to ensuring you are receiving the nutrients your body needs to function at its best every day.
References
National Health and Medical Research Council (2013) Australian Dietary Guidelines Summary. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council; The guidelines | Eat For Health
Piro, A., Tagarelli, G., Lagonia, P., Tagarelli, A., & Quattrone, A. (2010). Casimir Funk: his discovery of the vitamins and their deficiency disorders. Annals of nutrition & metabolism, 57(2), 85–88. https://doi.org/10.1159/000319165
Roy Morgan Research (2019) Article 7956: Over 8.3 million Australians buy vitamins, minerals and supplements - Roy Morgan Research
Semba R. D. (2012). The discovery of the vitamins. International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition, 82(5), 310–315. https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000124
