Multivitamins

[Sovich]

I've been a bit ill off and on this year. My family is trying to make me down multivitamins because they're convinced I'm lacking in nutrients. I was under the suspicious that multivitamins are not helpful and even dangerous to a degree. Seems like more bullshit peddled to people.

Thoughts?

[Deleted]

My experience with vitamins is that you better not take the concentrated ones, becuase those can have some side effects.
Just take the ones that are supplementary to your daily life if you really lack nutrients otherwise.

Still would be better to watch what you eat more and try to eat as diverse as you possibly can and make sure you get at least 10 mins of sunlight a day.

[Antiganon]

I've been a bit ill off and on this year. My family is trying to make me down multivitamins because they're convinced I'm lacking in nutrients. I was under the suspicious that multivitamins are not helpful and even dangerous to a degree. Seems like more bullshit peddled to people.

Thoughts?

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor.

Vitamins provide essential nutrition, and there is no reason to be opposed to them on an ideological level. No matter your opinion on homeopathic medicine, you need basic nutrients like Vitamin A/B/C/D, Calcium, Potassium, Fiber, Iron, etc.

If you eat a properly balanced diet, there is likely no need for vitamins. If you don't, the right vitamins can shore up nutritional deficiencies (to a certain degree - e.g. you are lactose intolerant, so you take Vitamin D and Calcium to make up for it).

Be aware that most vitamins are not vetted to any kind of standard, and that too much of certain vitamins can have serious health risks.

[XDurionX]

Without a medical indication, supplements do more harm than good, yes.

[Ozzyorcborne]

Not meaning to go off topic but have you consulted a doctor and had a full checkup including blood work? That might help confirm if you need them or not.
Back on-topic, Multivitamins can be dangerous if you overdo it but can help if you are lacking or feeling unwell.

[Wolfman31]

Multivitamins are completely bogus, if not flat out harmful. Back in the 70's, some quack doctor came up with the whole thing with faulty science just to make a ton of money, and he did. Don't buy multivitamins. Every vital nutrient you need is found in natural whole foods. If you feel like you're lacking in nutrients, it's probably because you're eating garbage processed food that's been stripped of any nutritional value. Eat some steamed vegetables with a light olive oil dressing. Nature's multivitamin.

[Deletedaccount1]

I've been a bit ill off and on this year. My family is trying to make me down multivitamins because they're convinced I'm lacking in nutrients. I was under the suspicious that multivitamins are not helpful and even dangerous to a degree. Seems like more bullshit peddled to people.

Thoughts?

As someone who knows a lot about supplements, I think it depends on the multivitamin. Virtually everyone is lacking in some nutrient or hormone and the only way to know is to get your blood work done. Most people don't care enough about their health to do that but it's a good idea.

Some cheapo brands of multivitamins won't do you any good but if you pay a little more and buy something like GNC Mega Men's you are getting a lot of bang for your buck. Personally I don't take one though and instead take a greens powder, fish oil (with vitamin d-3) and a sleeping supplement with some nutrients put in it.

[McFuu]

Multi-vitamins are double edged. If you were on a diet where you are running a caloric deficit, chances are the vitamin will be helpful. If you also suck at eating, ie people who think ramen is appropriate all day, the vitamin is useful. If you have a decent diet chances are you get pretty much all you need and at best the vitamin gives you more to shit out.
Even if you go to a doctor and they say you are deficient in something, they are going to tell you to just eat a banana for breakfast. They are not going to prescribe a vitamin unless you have actual issues with absorbing.

[Thoughtful Trolli]

There's a chance your problem is your body can't handle something and adding more of that thing to it will hurt you.

If you haven't gotten a piss test to see if there's protein in your piss (bad) then you're in no position to instantly decide there can be no harm with taking a multi-vitamin.

Remember, whoever created that multivitamin doesn't care about shit. They'd sell you snake oil for money if you're dumb enough, and that's exactly what they're still doing with this multivitamin.

If you want advice from the internet, they say cheese milk and potatoes have everything your body needs, so just eat a big plate of that.

[thatmikeguy]

Humans cant absorb most of what the multivitamin is made from for the value stated, this is why some had crazy amounts listed. The problem with that is you can possibly absorb a much larger amount of some one thing, because it's not regulated well, and as the sources change the bottle does not. There have been tests done on name brand vitamins that had none or many times the amount listed.

So for what you can't absorb.. It's as Sheldon said, What you have there is...

Eat your non gmo veggies.

[Celista]

During undergrad I took a nutrition class, and our challenge for a week was to create a "balanced diet" that hit 100% daily values for all the major vitamins and minerals, while also hitting a target calorie range (not going over/under). We plugged everything into a program for nutritionists and it was still VERY hard. Most people don't plan out their meals so carefully. Our foods used to be much more vitamin/mineral rich, but overfarming and water purification processes have removed a lot of those necessary vitamins/minerals from our foods.

A friend of mine is a dietitian (who was coincidentally in the same college class I just mentioned) and the three things she recommends to most people are: 1. a good multivitamin 2. magnesium supplement (because magnesium is not in most multivitamins) 3. potassium salt. Most people get enough calcium in their diet but not magnesium, and sodium but not potassium.

But she and likely most other nutritionists will tell you that getting your nutritional needs met through food sources is best. But supplements help when diet falls short.

[Deleted]

How can humans be so afraid of health issues and take meds when they don't even have symptoms.

[willtron]

Some vitamins are fat soluble so can be dangerous outside the recommended dose. Water soluble you just piss out so it's fine.

I personally take them and have a good diet, because some vitamins like D are quite easy to become deficient in.

[Rustedsaint]

I personally take a multi vitamin every other day but then my daily meals are kinda messed up, (lunch at 9am constantly will do that you)

[Louisa Bannon]

If you have concerns, just take a multi like centrum or one-a-day. It almost certainly can't do much harm and might help. There's a chance that vitamins are pure bullshit, but there's also a chance that taking a vitamin might give you a placebo boost. You think it works so it does.

[Unhinged]

Multivitamins are an expensive way way to make your piss more colourful. Eat a proper diet and they are pointless, even a bad diet doesn't need them.

[ro9ue]

I take the gummy bear multivitamins. Mostly because I like gummy bears.

[Deleted]

Dunno if multivitamins are meds - but talking about humans and afraid of health issues? At the same time, millions just eat shit, get fatter every day, heart diseases, strokes are the number one killer, we smoke, we drink....doesn't sound like many of us don't care at all about our health

Well it becomes interesting when these kind of people then additionally take vitamins!

Also it's indeed not uncommon to have vitamin deficiency - but then there will be symptoms and your doctor will judge what caused it.

[Independent voter]

We've been eating a lot of beans and rice. It's supposed to have nearly everything you need at least that's what this article on NPR said. I guess it's missing B12 though. The article suggested reducing the amount of rice, we eat half and half. And it said to eat brown rice instead of white so we're going to try that too.

Science used to say you had to eat beans and rice in combination but apparently they've recently found that you can eat them separately, your body will store amino acids for a time waiting for complimentary amino acids.

[Kpmk]

Multivitamins are completely bogus, if not flat out harmful. Back in the 70's, some quack doctor came up with the whole thing with faulty science just to make a ton of money, and he did. Don't buy multivitamins. Every vital nutrient you need is found in natural whole foods. If you feel like you're lacking in nutrients, it's probably because you're eating garbage processed food that's been stripped of any nutritional value. Eat some steamed vegetables with a light olive oil dressing. Nature's multivitamin.

Oh no, not the evil processed foods! Lol, no offense dude, but you sound like a total wacko