Why do we take our daily multivitamin? Here are three excellent reasons…

Working on multiple levels

Why do we take our daily multivitamin?

Simple, right? We want to ensure proper vitamin intake.

But I don’t know anyone who seriously thinks of their multi as an anti-heart disease pill. It’s obviously not a magic anti-cancer pill. And it won’t make up for a lack of sleep or physical activity. It won’t grow hair where hair doesn’t grow.

In short, it’s not a miracle pill. It’s a tool.

That said, if your multi provides good potency, then it’s far more valuable than naysayers would have you believe.

Vitamin-deficient logic

Recently, I came across a takedown of multivitamins by Mother Jones columnist Kiera Butler. And it provides a perfect platform to show why multivitamin use is essential.

I’ll run down the three key shots Ms. Butler takes…

Shot One: She quotes nutritionist Marion Nestle who says that multis aren’t necessary because vitamin deficiency is rare in the U.S.

I’m actually shocked that someone of Nestle’s stature would say that. Yes, cases of rickets and scurvy are rare. But those are the extremes of vitamin deficiency.

Nutritionists are in wide agreement that vitamin D deficiency is a chronic problem. And that deficiency appears to play a role in many diseases.

Your body eliminates vitamin C quickly. So it’s also difficult to keep C levels sufficiently high from day to day.

Vegetarians risk B-12 deficiency if they don’t use a supplement.

And in spite of heavy folic acid fortification throughout our food supply, additional folic acid supplementation reduces birth defects.

Plus that, many drugs are known to deplete vitamin levels. So how should our drug-obsessed society deal with that? Eat more? Hmmm… Maybe THAT’S not such a good idea. Or we could just keep it simple with a daily multivitamin.

Shot Two: Butler cites two studies that concluded multis don’t protect against heart disease or lung, breast, and colon cancers.

Okay, first, neither of these studies was a placebo-controlled intervention study. It’s ridiculous to use questionnaires about multi use to determine prevention against serious conditions like heart disease and cancer.

But certain vitamins and minerals in multis DO support heart health. They also help strengthen the immune system to fight cancer and other chronic diseases.

The larger point these studies miss is that we take multis for a variety of health issues. We take them to support cognitive health, vision health, bone health, digestive health, and prevention of type 2 diabetes, to name just a few.

Shot Three: Multis may not be safe.

Oh brother. Butler provides a link to a National Institutes of Health website about multivitamin/mineral supplements (MVM). In a section titled “Can MVMs be harmful?” I found this quote: “Taking a basic MVM is unlikely to pose any risks to health.”

‘Nuff said. But I have to say it… Hilarious.

It’s our good fortune that we have an easy way to ensure our vitamin and mineral intake is up to par. But heed the lesson of the Centrum Silver study. A daily multi adds up to almost nothing unless you take a high quality supplement.

Sources:
“Do Multivitamins Really Work?” Kiera Butler, Mother Jones Magazine, March/April 2012, motherjones.com