Personal Care Corner

Why take a Multivitamin?

by Brenda Guettler, from the May 2004 newsletter

Ideally we would all get our essential vitamins and minerals from our diet, but according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), most of us simply do not. With this finding JAMA now recommends multivitamin use as one way to promote better health. In the study “Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults” the authors see the “low cost of taking a multivitamin as ‘insurance’ against sub-optimal nutrient intakes” (Fletcher & Fairfield, 2002).

Multivitamin use can have varying short- and long-term health benefits. Some short-term benefits can include increased energy, stress reduction, and enhanced immune function. Long-term benefits such as cardiovascular health, decreased risk of osteoporosis, improved eye health and brain function have been linked with multivitamin use as well.

Looking for a multivitamin can be a bit overwhelming because there are so many choices. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when deciding what is right for you.

1. Would I prefer a vitamin formulated for my gender/age group? You might want to consider this because men, women, and different age groups have different vitamin/mineral requirements. For instance, “women require higher calcium and vitamin B6 levels than men, while men tend to require higher magnesium levels” (Murray, 2001).
2. What dosage can I commit to? In other words do you need the convenience of a one-a-day or can you commit to taking a few throughout the day? A one-a-day can provide good nutritional support but it cannot deliver the high potencies of a 3 or 6 per day. So depending on your needs this is something to consider.
3. Do I desire a vegetarian/vegan multivitamin? Some vitamins are derived from an animal source, so be sure to ask if you are unsure and this is something that is important to you.
4. Am I taking any prescription medications that my multivitamin might interact with? If the answer is yes please check with your health care provider before taking anything new.

As you look at the multivitamins you might be wondering why some of the potencies exceed the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). Supplement labels present this information as % Daily Value. Do we really need 670% Daily Value of vitamin E? While this does seem excessive at first, note that the RDI is the “amount to maintain normal nutrition and prevent deficiency disease” (Beck, 2004). For example, the RDI for Vitamin E is 30 International Units (IU), the amount in 1 cup of almonds, while the Optimal Intake Range is 400-800 IU. The Optimal Intake Range is the amount needed for a substance to have health-promoting benefits. “Potent and science-safe nutrient potencies go beyond minimal 100% Daily Values to deliver: protective long-term health benefits as confirmed by medical research, increased energy production, improved stress management, and enhanced immune support” (Beck, 2004).

The Co-op has many multivitamin choices. These choices range from age-specific and gender-specific to antioxidant-rich, one-a-day, 3 to 6-a-day, food-based, vegan, and prenatal, etc. Hopefully you will find the multivitamin that is right for you. Please remember to contact your health care provider to assist you in making the best choice.

References:
Beck, S. et al. (2004). The Science Behind Multivitamins: Prudent Disease Prevention or Health Risk? Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems.
Fairfield, K. & Fletcher, R. (2002). Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults. JAMA, 287(23), 3116-3126.
Murray, M. (2001). The Truth About Multiple Vitamins. Mind Publishing.

Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective contributors, except were otherwise noted.

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