Multivitamins- Good or Bad?

Should I take them? How often should I take them?

Multivitamins are the most widely used supplements. Most people believe that taking multivitamins can help you feel better, compensate for bad eating habits, and potentially lower your risk of chronic disease. However, this is not the whole truth.

Studies show otherwise.

Multivitamins are dietary supplements that include a variety of vitamins and minerals. The nutrient composition of multivitamins varies by brand and product because there is no standard for what constitutes a multivitamin.

When it comes to multivitamins, there are broadly two types of studies…

1. One school of thought is of the view that multivitamins reduce your life span and that it’s actually bad for you.

2. Other is of the view that it does you no harm and has no effect on your life span. Neither does it longer your life span nor does it shorten it.

There is really little proof that multivitamins even work.

Even if there is a one percent chance that you may live a shorter life, why put a blind eye to that chance? Multivitamins must only be considered when you are unable to eat enough food due to falling sick.

Your food should be your multivitamin.

That being said, there are certain vitamins that cannot be obtained through food alone, like B12 and D3.

As a result, you'll need to keep a check on your B12 and D3 levels and solely replace these vitamins.

It's imperative to note that a multivitamin can't take the place of a well-balanced, healthy diet. A multivitamin's main aim is to fill in nutritional gaps, and it only contains a small portion of the enormous assortment of nutrients and chemicals found naturally in a diet. It can't provide fiber or the millions of kinds of phytosterols found in food.

What does science say?

Actionable tip for the day

Eating the following foods daily will ensure that you obtain the majority of your vitamins and minerals:

• Consume three cups of fruit each day.

• Consume five servings of vegetables each day.

• Consume three servings (10-15 grams) of nuts per day

• Consume 3 servings of pulses/ lentils or sprouts per day.

Trust this helps,

Roshni Sanghvi.