# Are multivitamins really that good ?



## robertz (Feb 4, 2009)

I think most multivitamins contain cheap ingredients and low doses of most things except for maybe the B vitamins. Not to mention some minerals are not well absorbed if you mix them, for example iron and calcium. I don't notice much from multivitamins despite the fact I've been taking them for years, so I'm thinking of dumping them and take individual compounds like vitamin C, calcium magnesium and zinc. 

What's your opinion ?


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## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

i think it is better to get your vitamins from foods than pills. i never feel better afer taking a multivitamin like i do after eating healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables.


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## Equisgurl (Nov 22, 2004)

I used to take them, but after some research I've come to conclusion that they are entirely useless. The regulations set forth by FDA for vitamins is to meet the bare minimum requirements for survival, its not sufficient to make a significant difference in ones health, so if you want to target a specific issue, youre better off getting individual supplements for it. 
I myself would rather spend money on quality local/organic foods and get my nutrients from natural sources.


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## renski (May 9, 2007)

Not to mention the potential health issues surrouding multi vitamins, isn't there some risk to your kidneys/liver?


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Personally, I seem to notice more effect from taking individual vitamins & minerals.

I also like being able to choose which vitamins I'm taking and in what amounts. I really don't need the zillion mgs/mcgs of B vitamins they put in most multis.

However, I still sell multis at work like they're going out of style. Most people don't want to take handfuls of pills every day.


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## CircularThinking (May 9, 2009)

Multivitamins are typically the bare minimum, 100% of your RDA, taking an individual B-Vitamin will usually have a dose of somewhere in the thousands of percent.

I tend to think multivitamins are pretty much worthless because I think the RDA is too low for most things (except iron.) Don't take a multivitamin expecting to see some sort of physical or mental improvement, at best they're there for maintenance.


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## Ambivert (Jan 16, 2010)

I use Animal Pak, best multivitamin there is for weightlifters


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## coldmorning (Jul 4, 2007)

I use multivitamins because I'm too lazy to take separate pills. But the best way to get nutrients is by eating a good variety of healthy food.


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## Visionary (Apr 13, 2010)

If you don't need to take supplements. Don't take them

it's best to eat whole foods, they're packed with the most vitamins and minerals that your body will need. However, if you're diabetic, of course you won't have any other choice. (just as an example)

what works best for me is eating salads with a good amount of veggies and drinking "Naked" or "Odwalla" you will feel a lot better just by doing such small changes.


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## zomgz (Aug 17, 2009)

I take an ecogreen multi with a 1000c and dermavits. It makes me feel really chill for some reason LOL.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

They are good for health, they wont improve SA.


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## 2Talkative (Nov 1, 2007)

I'm only taking C because it's cheap.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

I've started taking a multi just to avoid any severe deficiencies. It may not be an ideal way to get those nutrients, but it's a lot cheaper than buying many separate supplements. Certain things I sometimes take separately even when taking the multi because I want to take more or a specific form or because I want to avoid other stuff interfering with absorption.


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## virgindelightly (Apr 13, 2010)

food works 100% better than supplements. supplments are really only good if theres a specific thing that you are lacking a lot of....like enzymes or probiotics are harder to get


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## flyonthewall (May 25, 2008)

i have a bad diet... so i do notice a positive effect from taking supplements. a lot of multivitamins are worthless... you need to find a kind that uses absorbable ingredients, which isn't cheap. i take additional supplements for vitamins/minerals that i want that either aren't in my multivitamin, aren't in a sufficient dose in my multivitamin, or aren't from the best absorbable source in my multivitamin.


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## Got2GetGoing (Dec 10, 2009)

I take Omega3 and sometimes Garlic supplements if I'm not adding it to my food. 
http://www.consumerlab.com/ test all vitamins but you have to pay to view the results. Its worth it though I think.


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## JustinC (May 3, 2010)

I think if you have a really unhealthy/malnourished diet it might offer some benefit. Aside from that your better off eating a healthier diet and supplementing with Omega 3 and/or start juicing.


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## ju_pa (Sep 21, 2008)

Make sure you put some black pepper on your food as pepperin from the black pepper helps with vitamin absorption.


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## Rasputin_1 (Oct 27, 2008)

I dont know I always feel like Vitamin D helps SA some, but only when I get it the natural way.


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## adamsbell (May 1, 2013)

Hi,
Taking a multivitamin is not a bad idea but its better for you that you eat food like Fruits, Vegetables that will give you more vitamin and energy as well. You can take multivitamin from 4life services they provide good quality of multivitamins.you can try for it .


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

Rasputin_1 said:


> I dont know I always feel like Vitamin D helps SA some, but only when I get it the natural way.


I agree. The only vitamin that appears to have an impact on my mood and mental health is Vitamin D (sun or pill form). When combined with eating fish I notice major mood improvement.


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## galahadhk (May 6, 2013)

I recommend the ULTRA MAN Daily Multi. It has no synthetic, fake, toxic crap like the commercial ones (I'm looking at you Centrum). No artificial color, preservatives, sugar, wheat or yeast. Comes with extra stuff like an amino acid blend, MSM complex, herbal blend, vitality blend and Pycnogenol.


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## Jimminy_Billy_Bob (Nov 26, 2008)

A multivitamin is a permanent part of my supplement regime and will stay so. I notice a definite improvement in how I feel. If you take a few supplements, its a good "base" to make sure things dont get out of balance and also to build a healthy diet on. If you notice you get really bad hangovers and or get sick alot, its a very good idea also, as well as a probiotic.

In conclusion, multivitamins are good and do work, give them time. However they will NOT cure all your symptoms of social anxiety by any means.


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## westcoast (Jan 9, 2013)

Animal Pak is very good for weightlifting, it's also good for energy levels and overall health. I lift and been doing MMA and it helps, you can actually feel better on it... 

Oh yeah it turns your piss green


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## Sacrieur (Jan 14, 2013)

galahadhk said:


> I recommend the ULTRA MAN Daily Multi. It has no synthetic, fake, toxic crap like the commercial ones (I'm looking at you Centrum). No artificial color, preservatives, sugar, wheat or yeast. Comes with extra stuff like an amino acid blend, MSM complex, herbal blend, vitality blend and Pycnogenol.


Synthetically derived nutrients are often superior to naturally derived extracts. If it's an extract you don't know what's in it. If it was created via chemical processes or refined as such then it's pure and you can be sure all that's in it is the nutrient.

Natural isn't better, more often than not it's far more toxic.


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## RelinquishedHell (Apr 10, 2012)

I experimented with a whole assortment of vitamins and supplements, all of which did nothing. The best thing I have used that actually improved me in all aspects was Whey protein.


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## GEORGE D (Aug 28, 2013)

I am little bit confused either to take supplements or to take natural products for my weakness??


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## Tinydancer20 (Jun 17, 2013)

Vitamin D is definitely a good thing
to take. If you're not getting sun you
should take a good dose of vitamin D.
I live in FL so its always sunny here,
I think getting outside more and 
gettung that sun really helps . 

I feel multivitamins are beneficial
for general health cuz they help prevent vitamin
deficiencies. Most multivitamins only give the
bare minimum because you should be getting
enough from other foods.

Another thing that might help anxiety is iron.
Girls have to worry about this more because they
lose blood, iron deficiency can cause anxiety
and bad mood. Something to look into
if you're always tired and irritable .


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

renski said:


> Not to mention the potential health issues surrouding multi vitamins, isn't there some risk to your kidneys/liver?


 I worry about that too. One reason I don't take them too often. When I do, I look for the ones that have sane doses.

The biggest risk (I think) comes from the ones that pack huge doses of every vitamin. I'd rather get a smaller than needed dose than too much.


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## Yer Blues (Jul 31, 2013)

If you're in a place that doesn't get a lot of sun in the winter, I highly recommend taking at least 500 international units of D per day.


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## arnie (Jan 24, 2012)

I've been reading that multis don't seem to provide any benefit whatsoever.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39616169/...tivitamin-habit-studies-suggest/#.UiVKXz_ccnE

Can anyone prove otherwise?



UniQuell said:


> For most people a multivitamin will be of little if any help, but for those who are deficient in one or more vitamins or minerals they may be a godsend. Unfortunately most multivitamins don't include magnesium, or they include magnesium in a virtually unusable form.


That's what I thought too, but the science seems to disagree.

"But research on those benefits is equally discouraging, especially in specialized groups on which you'd expect them to have an impact. For instance, a British review of eight studies found no evidence that multis reduced infections in older adults. Another study found that the vitamins didn't improve fatigue among breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. And inner-city schoolchildren who took a multi did not perform any better on tests or have fewer sick days than students who didn't take one."


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

arnie said:


> I've been reading that multis don't seem to provide any benefit whatsoever.


 You'll read this or that, depending on the day, the weather and who wrote it (and why).

I've ceased to believe anything I read.


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## RosettaWood (Aug 22, 2013)

I agree with you Equisgurl. If you're really concern about your health on how to get enough nutrients, the best way is to eat enough fresh foods with lots of nutrients. No more side effects and very healthy.
-Rosetta


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## Tinydancer20 (Jun 17, 2013)

I don't mean to go all weird on you but some of those studies are funded by drug companies that basically profit off of people getting sick. Think about it. Cough medicines, cold medicines, and such. Vitamins strengthen your immune system and if your immune system is strong, guess what? You will hardly ever catch a cold or flu. They want people to get sick so they sell more medicine. Think of the average diet a person eats. Not many people get 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. A lot of people just eat crap. If these people were to start taking a multivitamin to supplement their crappy diets, they would be overall healthier and wouldn't get sick as much.


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## Tinydancer20 (Jun 17, 2013)

There are conflicting studies that multivitamins are beneficial
..http://english.people.com.cn/90782/7982154.html
Here says multivitamins may reduce cancer in men.
Other studies have said they increase concentration
and are good for memory.
Who knows really


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

Tinydancer20 said:


> I don't mean to go all weird on you but some of those studies are funded by drug companies that basically profit off of people getting sick. Think about it. Cough medicines, cold medicines, and such. Vitamins strengthen your immune system and if your immune system is strong, guess what? You will hardly ever catch a cold or flu. They want people to get sick so they sell more medicine.


 While I agree with your first point (I'd say it is very likely the "studies" are funded by various people who have ulterior motives), I have to disagree somewhat with the second point.

Vitamins might strengthen your immune system if it is normal and you don't have anything unusual going on anywhere. But it needs to be understood that a healthy immune system generally doesn't need any help so if you have some problem with your immune system to start with, there might be something more going on than a simple vitamin deficiency. Just throwing every vitamin in the book at it and crossing your fingers might not help a whole lot if you don't know what the problem is.

I'd guess if you're pretty healthy and you just want peace of mind, you probably can't hurt much by taking a multiple that doesn't go overboard with megadoses of every vitamin and mineral. I think that's where the concern comes from. When people take insane doses for no real reason.


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## Sacrieur (Jan 14, 2013)

Tinydancer20 said:


> I don't mean to go all weird on you but some of those studies are funded by drug companies that basically profit off of people getting sick. Think about it. Cough medicines, cold medicines, and such. Vitamins strengthen your immune system and if your immune system is strong, guess what? You will hardly ever catch a cold or flu. They want people to get sick so they sell more medicine. Think of the average diet a person eats. Not many people get 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. A lot of people just eat crap. If these people were to start taking a multivitamin to supplement their crappy diets, they would be overall healthier and wouldn't get sick as much.


Except that if you did have the cure, you could sell it and earn a huge profit. Unlike what some people think, you can't just throw research at something and then magically pop out a solution.

Healthy people still get sick. And there's plenty of research into curing influenza/rhinovirus. It has lead to the development of tamiflu.

The number of diseases we have "cured" is actually quite phenomenal ever since the development of vaccines.

There's no conspiracy. Influenza is just that hard to cure.


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## Kakumbus (Mar 27, 2012)

Tinydancer20 said:


> I don't mean to go all weird on you but some of those studies are funded by drug companies that basically profit off of people getting sick. Think about it. Cough medicines, cold medicines, and such. Vitamins strengthen your immune system and if your immune system is strong, guess what? You will hardly ever catch a cold or flu. They want people to get sick so they sell more medicine. Think of the average diet a person eats. Not many people get 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. A lot of people just eat crap. If these people were to start taking a multivitamin to supplement their crappy diets, they would be overall healthier and wouldn't get sick as much.


Actually flu is just like an allergic reaction and doesn't need you to have a strong immune system so vitamins do nothing.

Source: http://www.cracked.com/article_19856_5-ridiculous-medical-myths-you-probably-believe.html


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## laura024 (Aug 11, 2006)

There's no need to take a multivitamin if you have a balanced diet. You can get actually get toxic doses of the fat soluble vitamins, which can ultimately kill you.


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## Tinydancer20 (Jun 17, 2013)

Uhh You're not gonna die from a multivitamin ..


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## Tinydancer20 (Jun 17, 2013)

Multivitamins aside, low vitamin d is a major deficiency
Everywhere . many people are deficient because 
they don't get enough sun. If you're pale and never go
Outside then you're most likely deficient.


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## Kandice (Jan 26, 2017)

It's better to get vitamins from food, but if you can't or you body isn't processing the vitamins then taking supplements can be helpful. If you're just taking vitamins just because and you have a good diet then the excess is just going to go out of your urine. If your body doesn't need it, it will throw it out


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## The Library of Emma (Mar 3, 2016)

i suggest avoiding the ones with calcium carbonate. It's the equivalent of eating chalk, and has to be filtered out by your kidneys (some studies have linked it to kidney stones). 

Dicalcium phosphate is the kind you want, but that means avoiding 80% of the vitamins on the market, so...


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

Only things I supp with are vitamin d, glucosamine (in a super hopeful attempt it will help my neck), omega 3. Only important ones there are D really, because its so overcast here in the UK in winter, plus I get **** all sunlight as my sleeping schedule goes to ****.


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