Take a fresh look at your lifestyle.

Multivitamins, supplements may not be as good as they sound

Joy Anyim

Multivitamin or dietary supplements are everywhere. They come in different shapes, sizes, colours, tablets, capsules, liquid, powder or ever chewable gum.

Some are very expensive, others relatively cheap. While some are imported, others are locally produced.

The market for multivitamins has grown rapidly, with many people believing the quality of diet does not matter as long as they consume multivitamins. This is, however, not true.

A healthy diet, fruits and vegetables cannot be substituted for multivitamins. Although some multivitamins contain a good number of vitamins and minerals that may be beneficial to the body, they are not enough to ditch healthy food and lifestyle for multivitamins.

According to Dr. JoAnn Manson, a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, “Multivitamins can be a distraction from healthy lifestyle practices that confer much greater benefits, hence, supplements are never substitutes for a healthy diet.”

For overall good health, 16 minerals are essential, many of which aid enzyme reactions or function as signalling molecules or structural elements.

The body needs these nutrients for reproduction, maintenance, growth, and regulation of bodily processes.

In a study published online by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, on May 28, 2018, it was found that the four most commonly used multivitamin supplements – Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Calcium and Vitamin C – did not protect against cardiovascular disease.

Similarly, in an editorial in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine entitled, ‘Enough is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamins and Mineral Supplements’, John Hopkins researchers reviewed evidence about supplements where it was established that multivitamins don’t reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline or decline early death. The researchers concluded that Vitamin E and Beta Carotene supplements appear harmful especially at a high dose.

The Managing Director of John Hopkins Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Larry Appel, summarizes the debate on the use of multivitamins saying, “pills are not a shortcut to better health and the prevention of chronic diseases. Other nutrition recommendations have much stronger evidence of benefits—eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugar you eat.”

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But there are exceptions as in some high-risk groups. Multivitamins prescribed by a doctor can be helpful in such some cases. For example, adults diagnosed with osteoporosis may require extra Vitamin D and Calcium beyond what they get in their regular diet. Also, people with B12 deficiency almost always need a supplement.

Also for women of child-bearing potential,  folic acid may not be out of place. Appel says. “Folic acid prevents neural tube defects in babies when women take it before and during early pregnancy. That’s why multivitamins are recommended for young women.”

Some other medical conditions may also call for the use of supplements as prescribed by a doctor. “Other than this, I don’t recommend other supplements, because if you follow a healthy diet, you can get all of the vitamins and minerals you need from food,” Appel maintains.

It is, therefore, important to state that for whatsoever reason you decide to take multivitamins, always consult a doctor as you may not necessarily need to take some when you eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Do not take the talk for it especially when marketers come telling you about a new multivitamin in the market, or you even see one in your favourite supermarket. Also, do not take the labels, as they could also be deceitful.  Some multivitamins may not contain as much as their labels indicate.

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