Multi-vitamins?

Dave!

Hey folks,

Just wondering what the consensus here is on vitamin tablets/supplements/whatever you're having.

I know the 'skeptical community' (if ya like) is... skeptical of them, and people like Michael Specter tend to suggest that they are not necessary.

I believe he mentioned that you can just get most of those vitamins elsewhere, from food primarily.

Now I eat quite healthily (well, that's not true -- but I eat a mixture of healthy and unhealthy stuff ), and I generally feel pretty good from day to day, so I don't feel the need for vitamins or supplements of any kind.

However, a mate of mine tends to eat nothing but steak and pasta (alternating from day to day), which doesn't strike me as the most vitamin-rich food to be eating.

So for people who do not eat many vegetables, etc., are vitamin supplements a good idea? And could it do any harm to take your 'a to z' in a tablet once a day?

Cheers,

Dave

mardybumbum

I used to take centrum years ago but I realised I had a pretty healthy diet anyway so I gave them up.

El_Dangeroso

We have constant debates about this on the nutrition and diet forum. Can't say I've made up my mind either way.

Two things I know is that there is no substitute for nutrients in there natural context i.e food and there's no point supplementing anything you're not deficient in. Finding out what you're deficient is either very expensive, or not possible. Vitamin content in food varies wildly according to soil quality, freshness, preparation methods etc.

This is an interesting study showing a 7lb weightloss doing nothing different but taking a multivitamin in China:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20142823 (the trial took place in an area known to have selenium deficient soils so that could account for the entire effect)

But there's also some trials showing that vitamin supplementation can actually harm people too in certain instances.

http://www.natap.org/2010/newsUpdates/050310_01.htm

There's also another trial on high-dose anti-oxidants (I think vitamin E?) having an oxidative effect, can't remember the name of the trial now though.

The science of vitamins is just so new (the last vitamin was discovered in the 1960's) and the relationship between different nutrients is so synergistic that we can't really know that taking them out of context is going to help or hinder.

Bottom line, get vitamins from foods, not pills if at all possible.

ZYX

I quoted this on a thread about a year ago. It is from Bandolier a group based at Oxford who look at and give opinions on medical research etc. and provide evidence based science. Most medical professionals respect their opinions:
http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/hliving/10steps.html

It is their 10 recommended steps for healthy living. At number 7 they recommend multivitamins.

About 8 years ago the American Medical association also recommended a daily multivitamin. Sorry I don't have the link to hand.

El_Dangeroso

ZYX wrote: »

I quoted this on a thread about a year ago. It is from Bandolier a group based at Oxford who look at and give opinions on medical research etc. and provide evidence based science. Most medical professionals respect their opinions:
http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/hliving/10steps.html

It is their 10 recommended steps for healthy living. At number 7 they recommend multivitamins.

What are they basing that on I wonder? Just that I haven't seen too many studies showing a tangible benefit.

lynnsback

There is also the camp that states that taking multivitamins can lead to further imbalances, as multivitamins give an average amount that a healthy person needs. If someone is ill (the category of people likely to take a multi) they are probably low in some vitamins and minerals, but okay or even high in others. Therefore a multi will just exacerbate the issue, by giving more of what they don’t need and not enough of what they do need.

I think people should get labs done before supplementing. My specialist tests most vits/minerals when I see him for bloods, and I only supplement what I am low in. Bear in mind that the lab ranges can be set quite low and are set for outright deficiency and not optimum functioning however. B12 is one example of this. It does appear though that we lose minerals such as magnesium pretty easily with alcohol usage and stress; so many people will find they need to supplement magnesium.

I do think people need to be careful with supping though. Iron is a case in point in that it can cause problems if the body has too much. In large doses it actually oxidises in the body. Not good.