Are Multivitamins Really a Waste of Money? (Spoiler Alert: No!)

It seems like it should be a no-brainer that everyone should take a multivitamin. First of all, it is virtually impossible to get all of the essential nutrients in their recommended doses on a consistent basis, and that’s even if you’re going out of your way to ensure that you’re getting them. 

Second, even if you happened to construct your diet in a way that would seemingly guarantee that you received every nutrient you needed, the methods by which you prepare and consume your food could greatly reduce the quantity of the nutrients that are ultimately absorbed into your system. This is where multivitamins are called upon to fill in nutrient gaps.

As simple as this sounds, there are still people who will try to convince you that multivitamins are a waste of money, and will cite reports that seem to support that premise. So what’s the true story? Are multivitamins an essential component of your nutrition plan, or are they essentially worthless?

Cited studies only deal with mortality

First, let’s deal with the headlines. Medical studies have supposedly found that multivitamins are not valuable, and if you failed to read beyond the headlines inspired by those studies, you might be tempted to believe it. However, if you were to thoroughly evaluate why the claim is being made, you’d realize how irresponsible the reporting is.

The studies evaluating the efficacy of multivitamins are only looking at whether or not multivitamins reduce the likelihood of cancer or cardiovascular disease. The studies do not evaluate whether or not people who take multivitamins are physically advantaged by the vitamin and mineral content in the ways that those micronutrients are intended to benefit them. To that extent, the only question is whether or not their bodies absorb the nutrients as intended.

Absorption rates vary amongst all vitamins

Some people who disparage multivitamins will quote the popular statement that the vitamins and minerals contained within multivitamins are supposedly not absorbed into the systems of the people who take them, thereby resulting in them having “expensive urine” as the nutrients are expelled. In reality, all vitamins and minerals vary in their absorption rates even when consumed through ordinary food sources.

Test results have conclusively shown that when multivitamins are taken with food or drink that accounts for the specific conditions under which each macronutrient is absorbed (i.e., fat-soluble vitamins vs. water-soluble vitamins), the people who ingested multivitamins retained greater levels of essential vitamins in their bodies than people who did not take multivitamins. Moreover, several studies have shown that taking multivitamins has reduced the incidence or severity of a variety of negative health conditions.

Your nutritional safety net

The bottom line is that even amongst relatively healthy populations who go out of their way to maintain a healthy vitamin intake through food, supplementing with multivitamins has been able to raise their levels of those essential nutrients by 10 to 15 percent. This means that even if you go out of your way to eat a nutrient-dense diet, a multivitamin can be an important safety measure to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your nutrient opportunities on a daily basis.

Summary

1. The studies claiming that multivitamins are not beneficial are only focused on the ability of multivitamins to prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease.

2. The nutrients contained within multivitamins are still essential to the optimal functioning of your body.

3. Multivitamins have been proven to be helpful in boosting your body’s vitamin and mineral content when taken as advised.

4. The quantity of vitamins lost to poor absorption or bioavailability is consistent whether those vitamins arrive in the form of a multivitamin or through ordinary food intake.

5. Even amongst individuals who prioritize healthy vitamin intake through natural food, those who supplemented with a multivitamin reported a presence of vitamin and mineral content that was 10 to 15 percent greater than those who didn’t take a multivitamin.