Read on, friends.
Why are They Important?
Basically, in order to keep everything in your body running properly, several nutrients are need. These are generally broken into two groups: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are the big three that everybody worries about. Namely: fat, protein and carbohydrates. (Macronutrients can, of course, be broken down further into smaller categories that we won't go into here.) But then we have all the other odds and ends which are lumped together as micronutrients. Included in this group are vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are vital to numerous bodily functions including, but not limited to, bone health, nerve function, heart health, muscle contraction and hormone production. The list could go on and on.
For the most part, people get all the vitamins and mineral they need from a healthy, balanced diet. Unfortunately, healthy, balanced diets are becoming extinct. Which increases the need for supplementation, according to some health professionals. But true deficiencies in these nutrients are very rare in the U.S. Bodybuilding.com contends that athletes and active people will require more vitamins and minerals than sedentary people and they are probably right. Activity causes our bodies to use, and subsequently, lose these vital nutrients. Certain health conditions can also cause vitamin or mineral deficiencies. The exact symptoms will depend on the affected vitamin or mineral. But, in these cases, supplementation won't cure the cause of the deficiency.
Do they work?
To a large extent, that depends on you. More specifically, it depends on your expectations. If you are waiting for drastic changes in your mental and physical well-being, you will likely be disappointed. But multivitamins are more about maintenance. Think about it this way: In order to run properly, you car needs several fluids. Oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant and transmission fluid are all important. If one of these gets low, your car will probably continue to run for a while but it may make some new noises or get lower gas mileage. When you change the oil and fill up all those fluids, you won't notice anything major in your car's performance but the benefits are there. And your car will probably be with you longer.
Multivitamins play a very similar function. These supplements encourage healthy aging and help your body to maintain itself despite all the crazy stuff you do to it. This Australian study found that multivitamin use improved memory and decreased the risk of cognitive decline. Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that multivitamins can increase telomere length in women which, essentially increase the lifespan of cells and can slow the aging process. Several studies have shown that taking a multivitamin when pregnant decreases the risk of many birth defects.
Side Effects
It's not all good news, though. One Swedish study linked multivitamin use with an increased risk of breast cancer in women although an American study conducted the same year claimed that multivitamins have no effect on breast cancer. So, while the doubt is out there, it's still unclear.
It is possible to overdose on multivitamins, as benign as they might seem. Various substances in them, such as iron, are necessary in the body but only in small doses and toxicity is possible. The risk is even higher in children. Allergies are also possible in multivitamins.
How to Select a Multivitamin
These side effects can be avoided, however, by doing your research and carefully selecting your supplement. Many vitamins have been found to contain amounts of various vitamins and minerals that differ from what they have printed on the label and some even contained lead. Consumer Search is a great place to start when researching which multivitamins to take.
As a general rule, don't be suckered into the trap of megadosing. Taking large amounts of any substance can be dangerous or just a waste of money. Look for supplements that contain no more than 100% of any given vitamin or mineral and if it falls below that number, don't feel like it's a lower quality. If you're a healthy person who eats a normal omnivorous diet, you should be getting a majority of your micronutrients from your food. Specifically, avoid large amounts of vitamin A. Megadoses of vitamin A are linked to liver damage, birth defects and bone fragility. If you're buying for a child, make sure to buy them a children's formula.
To summarize, here's a checklist:
- No more than 100% of the RDA of any given substance
- Don't ignore store brands
- No more than 5,000 IU of vitamin A
- Ignore "special formulas" - this includes things that tout increased energy or memory. These claims are unsupported and these formulas generally cost much more.
- Do not give children adult doses.
