This blog post will walk you through: should we take vitamins by a pill.
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G 70 percent of those age 65 and older—take a multivitamin or another vitamin or mineral supplement regularly. The total price tag exceeds $12 billion per year—money that Johns Hopkins nutrition experts say might be better spent on nutrient-packed foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. In an editorial in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine titled “Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements,” Johns Hopkins researchers reviewed evidence about supplements, including three very recent studies:.
The Vitamin Verdict
They also noted that in prior studies, vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements appear to be harmful, especially at high doses. “Pills are not a shortcut to better health and the prevention of chronic diseases,” says Larry Appel, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research. “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.”
The exception is supplemental folic acid for women of child-bearing potential, Appel says.
“Folic acid prevents neural tube defects in babies when women take it before and during early pregnancy. The amount of iron in a multivitamin may also be beneficial for women of child-bearing potential, Appel adds. “If you follow a healthy diet, you can get all of the vitamins and minerals you need from food.”.
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Nearly half of us take a vitamin and/or mineral supplement every day according to Mintel. Many of us aren’t taking them to treat a deficiency – we’re popping pills in the belief they will boost our health.
What Are Multivitamins?
Multivitamins are supplements that contain many different vitamins and minerals, sometimes alongside other ingredients Given that there’s no standard for what constitutes a multivitamin, their nutrient composition varies by brand and product Most multivitamins should be taken once or twice per day. Multivitamins are available in pharmacies, large discount stores, and supermarkets, as well as online.
They’re available in various forms.