Are multi-vitamins good for you?

[suzieQ]

I was thinking about taking a multi-vitamin cause I'm not so sure that I get all of the nutrients I need in a day. Is this a good idea or is this a risky thing to do?

[enviroTodd]

While the ideal way to be able to obtain all of the nutrition that we need is to eat whole foods in their natural, organic, non GMO forms, the majority of us aren’t able to balance our diets to the degree that we will get all of our required nutrients at their optimal levels every day of the week. For that reason, while multivitamins may not be ideal, they are a good way to supplement a diet that is lacking in some way.

To decide whether or not they are good for you, you should speak with a doctor to find out which ones are best suited to your needs for supplementation. Also, pay attention to the nutrients in what you are eating. If your diet has been complete in a day, you may not need it. Don’t just blindly take them. Also, take care not to take them within a certain length of time of your prescription medications, if you are taking any. You may need to wait a few minutes or even an hour or two between medications and multivitamins or they could interact.

[TroyBurger]

Personally, I don't think they are good for the average person because you should be getting most of the vitamins and minerals that you need in a day from your food. Even if you aren't getting all of them, you should still be getting some, which means that if you take a multi-vitamin you could be over-dosing on certain nutrients, which might not be the best thing for your body. As enviroTodd has said, talk to your doctor before taking one of these. You might find that you only nee a few vitamin supplements and not the whole package.

[Bean]

It totally depends on your diet and what you need. I think you'll probably need to journal your foods to know what you're actually getting from your foods before you start. I don't think they do any harm though if you use them normally.

[suzieQ]

Hmmm, guess I'll be bringing this up with my doctor the next time I see her haha. Thanks for your honest opinions guys.