In the United States, 52 percent of people report taking at least one dietary supplement and collectively they spend $28 billion a year on them. It seems easy — pop a few multivitamins after breakfast and cover yourself for any vitamins or minerals you might be missing out on. But if anything, we should have learned by now that the easiest solutions are never as glorious as they seem.
Studies have found that not only are multivitamins usually a waste of time and money, but they can also be harmful. Here are the main reasons to stop taking them:
1. Most multivitamins have no effect
A recent systematic review of 179 research papers on the impact of multivitamins found that regularly consuming multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium and vitamin C, had no impact on reducing heart disease, stroke or premature death rates. The only supplement found to have a positive impact was folic acid, which can reduce heart disease and stroke occurrences.
However, even here, the impact was very low — it would take 111 people taking folic acid supplements for one case of heart attack or stroke to be prevented. That is, each person taking the supplement only has a 0.9 percent of a chance of benefiting from it. For stroke, people would have a 0.5 percent chance of benefiting. Meanwhile, high levels of folic acid may actually increase the risk of prostate cancer.
2. You could die (though it isn’t likely)
While very occasionally folic acid supplements might help someone, they can also increase the risk of early death in about the same number of people (one in 200, or 0.5 percent). Likewise, studies of antioxidant supplements found an increased risk of early death for one in 250 people taking them.
3. You could get sick
Meanwhile, other studies have found that people who take megavitamins are more likely to develop lung cancer and heart disease. Those taking vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene are more likely to get intestinal cancer.
4. By taking vitamins instead of eating whole foods, you’re missing out
Whenever people experience health problems due to their nutrition intake, it’s almost always due to supplements rather than to natural foods. Supplements don’t have the value of plant foods and don’t contain any of the phytonutrients that vegetables do. Vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, and whole grains all contain these natural chemicals which protect them from fungi, bugs and other threats as they grow. When we consume these chemicals, we too benefit from their ability to prevent disease and keep our body working smoothly.
Some of the main phytonutrients are carotenoids, ellagic acid, flavonoid, resveratrol, glucosinolates and phytoestrogens. Carotenoids, for example, can help lower the risk of prostate cancer and protect you from cataracts and age-related eye degeneration (here, spinach is a great source). Ellagic acid is great for protecting against cancer; flavonoids are important for combating asthma; resveratrol may extend life (according to studies conducted on animals) and phytoestrogens may lower the risk of endometrial cancer and bone loss in women.
5. The illusion of more is better is a dangerous illusion
Steven Salzberg, a professor of medicine who has written about Americans’ obsession with vitamins, points out that even with the above information, many people are reluctant to give up multivitamins. “I think this is a great example of how our intuition leads us astray. It seems reasonable that if a little bit of something is good for you, then more should be better for you. It’s not true. Supplementation with extra vitamins or micronutrients doesn’t really benefit you if you don’t have a deficiency,” he says.
This logic is particularly true for multivitamins — with people taking them assuming they’ll cover all of their vitamin needs. But for people who actually do have a vitamin deficiency, it’s usually in just one vitamin. A minority of women, for example, suffer from iron deficiencies, and a doctor may recommend supplements in that case — but they should only take iron supplements, not multivitamins.
What to take instead
A diet rich in vegetables, legumes and protein sources, like eggs, is typically going to be good enough. But the following foods are extra-rich in vitamins and are full of taste and cooking potential as well.
- Turmeric: It brightens up your curries and stir-fries, as well as your chai teas. Turmeric is a great source of iron, manganese, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, copper and potassium.
- Brazil nuts: These large and somewhat bitter nuts are still more pleasant to eat than a multivitamin and they contain all of your selenium daily intake needs. Only eat a handful a day, or you might actually consume too much selenium.
- Kale: Kale, along with other leafy vegetables like chard, contains high levels of vitamins B6, C and K1, as well as iron, potassium, manganese and copper.
- Shellfish: Not my cup of tea, but worth it, with high levels of B-vitamins, as well as iron, potassium and selenium.
- Sardines: A lot of people don’t like them — though trust me, they are pretty brilliant when grilled. Sardines are one of the highest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and a small serving will cover your vitamin B12 intake completely. They also have selenium, phosphorus, vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B3, iodine and copper.
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— Tamara Pearson