One of the most consistent routines I remember having as a child was taking my vitamins each night. I remember there were two kinds: a sweet, gummy-bear like one and a sour-patch-kid-like one. It was my favorite part of the day, where I felt like I had tricked my parents by getting to eat candy right before bedtime. As I grew older, these became a less frequent part of my daily routine, until I stopped taking them completely. Thinking back, is there a reason that my parents gave them to me? Everytime I walk into a CVS or a Target, I see rows of different brands of vitamin gummies that are always claiming to rejuvenate me and make me healthy. So, let’s evaluate the benefits of these gummies.
The short answer is no, you do not need multivitamins to stay healthy. Physicians acknowledge the benefit of vitamin supplements in the case of malnutrition, or other disorders that affect vitamin absorption. However, the dose of vitamins that your body needs is also provided from a healthy, balanced diet. In other words, there is no need to take a daily vitamin supplement. A Johns Hopkins study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, included 450,000 participants and found that daily vitamins did not reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer. Another study that spanned twelve years concluded that multivitamins did not reduce the risk of mental impairment of participants (Guallar et al., 2013). If you are concerned about getting all of the minerals and vitamins you need, it doesn’t hurt to take a multivitamin, though it is always better to get those nutrients through three well-rounded meals a day.
References
Guallar, E., Stranges, S., Mulrow, C., Appel, L. J., & Miller, E. R., 3rd (2013). Enough is enough: Stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements. Annals of internal medicine, 159(12), 850–851. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-159-12-201312170-00011