Multivitamins
Q: Does everyone need to take a multivitamin?
Affinity's medical expert is Michal Slovick, MD, a family medicine physician for Affinity Medical Group in Kaukauna.
A: The best source for nutrients and vitamins is from the food we eat. Unfortunately, most people do not meet their daily nutritional requirements. A daily multivitamin can be a nutritional safety net for people who do not meet their daily requirements or have special nutritional needs. Examples of people who benefit from multivitamin supplementation are strict vegetarians, teenagers, people older than 60, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions.
Many people eat a diet poor in whole, nutritious foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Before considering vitamins, take a closer look at the food you eat. Your body benefits more from natural foods than from supplements. For example, the fiber in broccoli helps to fight cancer and promotes bowel health. Your body needs at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Toddlers often do not get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Approximately 33 percent of toddlers do not eat even one serving a day and another 33 percent consume French fries as their main vegetable.
Clinical studies find little evidence that vitamins prevent chronic disease and cancer. There is more evidence supporting an active lifestyle with a diet low in fat and rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables to combat disease than there is for vitamin supplements. Research also raises caution about excess amounts of vitamins, especially fat-soluble ones like A, E and K, which can accumulate in the body. High levels of certain vitamins can be poisonous.
Your family doctor can help determine which multivitamin meets your unique needs. For example, women tend to need more calcium and vitamin D to help battle bone loss.
Once you know what type of supplement you should take, finding it in the store can be a challenge. Vitamin supplements are a multimillion dollar industry and some stores carry more than 100 different varieties. Here are a few tips when shopping for a multivitamin:
• Avoid supplements that provide more than 100 percent of the daily value (DV) for any vitamin or mineral.
• Choose a supplement with no more than 3,000-3,500 International Units (IUs) of retinol or vitamin A.
• Men and postmenopausal women should choose multivitamins with 50 percent or less of the DV for iron.
• Don't expect to find 100 percent of the DV for calcium or magnesium in a multivitamin. Adding these would make the pills very large.
• Look for the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) symbol, a mark of a quality product.
• Most additives, such as herbs, are unnecessary and just drive up the price of the supplement.
• Supplements designed for certain age groups or sexes tend to be pricier. You can usually find a similar formula in a generic brand.
• Healthy children who eat a varied diet do not need a multivitamin. If you decide to give your child a multivitamin, use only a standard pediatric vitamin. Remember that high doses of vitamins are toxic and they should be kept out of reach.
