Are multi vitamins useless?

[Triforceofcourage]

Many say that it is pointless to take them but just as many say they are useful. I still take one every morning. What is your opinion?

Tri

 

[YetioDoom]

I take one every morning. I have no idea if they are actually effective.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: YetioDoom
I take one every morning. I have no idea if they are actually effective.

they make my pee yellow!

 

[Saint Nick]

i have never taken vitamins... well, when i was younger yes.

 

[Gibsons]

If you have a good diet, they're redundant. If you don't have a good diet, they certainly can't hurt.

 

[Eli]

If you aren't getting 100% RDV of your vitamins and minerals, taking one certainly isn't going to hurt anything.

 

[DaShen]

I switched from Centrum to Mega Men and I felt a huge difference in my energy level, so I know it does something.

 

[dullard]

Ideally, you wouldn't need one. But few people get all nutrients they need from the food they eat. Thus multi-vitamins can help. It would be better if you could eat perfectly at every meal on every day. But that just isn't realistic.

However, multi-vitamins are usually overdoses. You are already getting most of the nutrients you need from food. Suppose you are already getting 85% of a vitamin. Taking a multi-vitamin with 100% of that nutrient means you are at 185%. You are taking more than is considered necessary and healthy. Overdosing on some fat-soluble nutrients can be very unhealthy.

My best opinion is to take a multi-vitamin once or twice a week. Take it on the day that you eat unhealthy crap. That way, you get all the nutrients you need and you aren't overdosing.

On a whole though, vitamins are overrated. If you don't have scurvy, then you are getting enough vitamin C. You'd know it if that happened. If you are otherwise healthy, a multi-vitamin won't do much good.

 

[Miramonti]

A study came out a year ago or so saying that vitamin takers have higher cancer rates...it was fairly hush hush until confirming data comes out, probably in a few years. It won't be pretty if its the same results as the original study.

 

[dug777]

i like taking them, don't really care if they do any good actually

 

[Saint Nick]

Originally posted by: jjsole
A study came out a year ago or so saying that vitamin takers have higher cancer rates...it was fairly hush hush until confirming data comes out, probably in a few years. It won't be pretty if its the same results as the original study.

i figure anything in life can give you cancer :roll: thats just my philosophy.

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: jjsole
A study came out a year ago or so saying that vitamin takers have higher cancer rates...it was fairly hush hush until confirming data comes out, probably in a few years. It won't be pretty if its the same results as the original study.

Curious.... happen to remember where or by whom it was published?

 

[oboeguy]

Unless you eat terribly, they are probably redundant. OTOH, if you have a even modestly active life, they are probably a good thing. I'll have one before and after a big bike ride. The association of NBA trainers, BTW, recommends them. In fact, they recommend chewables because they tend to be absorbed more quickly (I have a conditioning book put out by this group, "Power Conditioning" NBA something-or-other).

 

[MrMaster]

Use to take tons of vitamins when I was a kid. Just in the past few months are started taking a multi vitamin after not taking them for 10 years.

There is no cure all but a combination of better eating, taking my vitamins and working out has made a huge diference in how I feel. I think it has helped me so far. No summer cold yet which is something I usuallyo get.

 

[bandana163]

If they only contain the RDA then they're almost useless.

Vitamins can only be overdosed if you consume an excessively high amount of one or two (not including C and E, you can take 10000+mg of C every day and have no problems) and you don't consume the appropriate (higher than usual) amount of the others. The input ratio is important. Taking lots of vitamin A,B,D,E and no extra C could cause the exact same things the lack of Vitamin C would do.

 

[leftyman]

in order to maintain my superhuman abilities i take a flintstone chewable daily

 

[Schadenfroh]

Is it better to take them in the morning or at night?

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: jndietz

Originally posted by: jjsole
A study came out a year ago or so saying that vitamin takers have higher cancer rates...it was fairly hush hush until confirming data comes out, probably in a few years. It won't be pretty if its the same results as the original study.

i figure anything in life can give you cancer :roll: thats just my philosophy.

I heard that people who drink frappuccinos quickly tend to develop cancer

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: jjsole
A study came out a year ago or so saying that vitamin takers have higher cancer rates...it was fairly hush hush until confirming data comes out, probably in a few years. It won't be pretty if its the same results as the original study.

I'd be really curious to see the studies on that.

My best opinion is to take a multi-vitamin once or twice a week. Take it on the day that you eat unhealthy crap. That way, you get all the nutrients you need and you aren't overdosing.

My only problem with that is that if I don't take things on a regular basis, I forget to take them at all.

 

[Saint Nick]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: jndietz

Originally posted by: jjsole
A study came out a year ago or so saying that vitamin takers have higher cancer rates...it was fairly hush hush until confirming data comes out, probably in a few years. It won't be pretty if its the same results as the original study.

i figure anything in life can give you cancer :roll: thats just my philosophy.

I heard that people who drink frappuccinos quickly tend to develop cancer

ARE YOU SERIOUS AHHHHHHHHHHH

:laugh:

 

[Mucho]

Originally posted by: Gibsons
If you have a good diet, they're redundant. If you don't have a good diet, they certainly can't hurt.

More or less what my doctor said

 

[acemcmac]

I try to take them whenever I have a particularly bad set of meals in a row

my diet sucks and has little variety, mostly because of financial constraints.

 

[jpeyton]

Yes they make your pee yellow, but they also fill out an inconsistencies in your diet.

Will your body need 300% of vitamin B2 everyday? Probably not. But your body can use B2 everyday and if you are not getting sufficient amounts in your diet, a multi-vitamin will fill the gap.

Don't trust the federal RDAs. They are useless, just like the food pyramid. Content labels for food are great, but don't even bother looking over at the % RDA column because it is total hogwash. Spend a few hours of research online and you can easily discover a better "RDA" for your situation in life.

And the reason companies might put more vitamins than your body can use into a multi-vitamin pill? Simple. Your body simply doesn't absorb vitamins as well in the pill form as it does using other delivery methods. But instead of designing a more effective (and expensive) form of delivery for multi-vitamins, a simpler solution was to simply make them more potent.

 

[MrKneecap]

Supplements just give you expensive piss.

I still take mine though, just in case... =P