Do Multivitamins Actually Work?
For most people eating a normal diet? Probably not doing much. Large studies keep finding no benefit for preventing disease or extending life. Think of them as insurance for terrible diets, not health boosters.
The Numbers
How much scientific truth is there?
How much is just marketing?
Marketing vs Reality
What Marketing Says
- "Fill nutritional gaps"
- "Complete daily nutrition in one pill"
- "Doctor recommended" (doctors hand these out because patients expect something)
- "Support overall health"
What Science Says
- The Physicians' Health Study II followed 14,641 men for over a decade. No effect on heart disease, cancer, or cognitive decline.
- The Iowa Women's Health Study actually found slightly higher mortality in multivitamin users. Probably correlation, not causation, but still.
- Most people eating a remotely normal diet aren't deficient in what multivitamins provide.
- A multivitamin cannot undo a bad diet. It just can't.
Reality Check
Multivitamins are a $14 billion industry built on the fear of missing something. "What if I have a gap?" For most people eating reasonably? You don't. The actual common deficiencies (D, B12 in certain groups, iron in some women) need specific supplements at specific doses. A multivitamin's sprinkle of everything doesn't cut it.
What To Do Instead
- 1Get blood work. Find out what you're actually deficient in (if anything).
- 2Target specific deficiencies with specific supplements at proper doses.
- 3Eat vegetables. Genuinely. A salad does more for you than a pill.
- 4If you want to supplement something: D3, omega-3, and magnesium are the common gaps in modern diets.
The Exception
Prenatal vitamins matter. Folate prevents neural tube defects. Elderly folks with poor appetite might benefit. People with absorption issues need targeted supplementation. But the average person eating normal food? Probably not.
The Bottom Line
For most people, multivitamins produce expensive urine. Test for deficiencies, target what's actually low.
Related Supplements
But Wait...
Won't hurt to keep taking it. But the $20-30/month might do more good spent on actual vegetables. Or specific supplements you actually need.
More Myths to Bust
About this information: Our recommendations draw from peer-reviewed clinical trials, systematic reviews, and the same medical databases your doctor uses. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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