An editorial published in the December 2013 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine says that using supplements and multivitamins to prevent chronic conditions is a waste of money. Are they right? Multiple studies over the years have provided conflicting results making the consumer quite confused.
Traditional multivitamins are falling out of favor among Americans, while supplements such as vitamin D, fish oil and probiotics are gaining ground.
No clear answers yet:
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is deliberating whether vitamin
supplements make any difference in the average person's risk of heart disease or
cancer. The government advisory group said in December 2013 that there's not
enough evidence to tell for at this time.
I agree: There is still not enough evidence to tell whether taking
a multivitamin and multi-mineral pill pill each day reduces the risk of major
diseases or helps people live longer. It is very difficult to do a long term
study since after a few months or years many participants in the study will stop
taking their pills altogether or forget to take them daily, or some may be
taking other types of supplements or medications making interpretations of the
studies quite challenging. Plus, there will be different results based on what
is contained within the pills. Each product on the market has a different dosage
for vitamin A, Bs, C, D, and E. How do we know whether it is better to take 50
mg of vitamin C a day or 500 mg? Each product also has a different dosage of
minerals. How do we know what the right dosage is for ideal long term benefits?
Furthermore, each person has a different need or benefit depending on their
diet, their activity level, and the content of the soil from which their produce
comes from. To add to the confusion, some products contain synthetic vitamin E
whereas others have natural vitamin E. Could this also make a difference? This
whole issue is extremely complicated and no clear answers are available at this
time.
Bottom line: I can't suggest with confidence whether someone
should or should not take a daily multivitamin/mineral pill. However, if you
feel better taking one, that is a different story and by all means continue.
Choosing the best multivitamin
supplement
There are hundreds of multivitamin supplement products on the
market, and choosing the best can be difficult. One option is to
have a couple of different ones and to alternate their use. Buy a product that is balanced, not too high on some nutrients and low on
others. It is impossible to tell which is best suited for you
until you try them and see which one you like or which one makes you feel
your best over the long run. Also, take a break from use at least 2
days a week. I do not see the need to take a pill each and every day.
MultiVit Rx - I have formulated a one source
multivitamin supplement that has a good amount of antioxidants, and a reasonable
and balanced level of B vitamins, not too high and not too low. Many people
report better energy and better mood when taking these pills. Most people do
fine taking one pill a few times a week, others prefer taking 2 pills.
High Quality Daily Vitamins and Minerals -
Manufactured by a FDA-approved and GMP-certified facility.
Find out the benefits of MultiVit Rx
multivitamin supplement.
Supplement Facts:
Vitamin A
Beta Carotene
Retinyl Palmitate
Vitamin C with Rose hips (ascorbic acid)
Vitamin D
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols)
Vitamin B-1(thiamine hcl)
Vitamin B-2 (riboflavin)
Niacinamide
Vitamin B-6
Folic acid
Vitamin B12
Biotin information,
Biotin vitamin is also sold as a separate
supplement.
Pantothenic acid (d-calcium pantothenate)
Calcium (citrate)
Iodine (potassium iodine)
Magnesium (oxide)
Zinc mineral
Selenium (amino acid chelate) - Selenium is a mineral that people require in
small amounts; food sources include grains, certain nuts and some meats and
seafood, such as beef and tuna.
Copper (amino acid chelate)
Manganese (carbonate)
Chromium (amino acid chelate)
Molybdenum (amino acid chelate)
Potassium (carbonate).
You can purchase a
Potassium supplement at this internet vitamin company.
Green Tea (leaves)
Inulin (Jerusalem artichoke plant fiber extract-inuflora)
N-Aceytl-L-Cysteine
Inositol
PABA (para aminobenzoic acid)
Rutin
Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex
Choline (bitartrate)
Beta-Glucan 1/3-Beta, 1/6-Glucan (insoluble form from cell walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
Lycopene (from tomato)
Lutein (from marigold extract)
Astaxanthin
Zeaxanthin helps with
vision
Octacosanol
Curr Aging Sci. 2014. Vitamins in the prevention or delay of cognitive disability of aging. Preservation of brain integrity, which is partly influenced by nutrition, presumably is the main target in the attempt to delay the development of disability of aging. Optimal micronutrient status would moderate the deterioration in brain integrity. The human brain is probably the most vulnerable tissue affected by a long-term unbalanced nutrition and is particularly vulnerable to reactive oxygen species and to oxidative stress, because of its high oxygen requirement, its iron storage capacity and its elevated polyunsaturated fatty acid content, and because of its low synthesis capacity of endogenous antioxidants. Most of the tolerable upper intake levels for the micronutrients, published by authorized institutions, were set without considering the long-term effects of overdosing. Excessive intake of almost all the micromutrients, particularly for a long period of time, produces adverse effects. In most of the elderly people prevail an insufficient intake of one or more micronutruients. Therefore, until an efficient laboratory system for evaluating blood levels is established, a moderate 'multivitamin' supplementation at an amount of about half the American RDA for most of the micronutrients is suggested.
Q. I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate an
answer to before I take a MultiVitamin. I have 73 years and presently I only
take 1 medication, 5mg.Norvascdaily. Can I also take MultiVit Rx each day with
the Norvasc? My sister is 86 years old and recently was prescribed to take
Aricept (5mg),and Namenda 5mg. Can she also take and maybe benefit from a
multivitamin pill daily while taking those medications?
A. It is difficult to predict a response or reaction in any one
individual, but, as a general rule, most people have no problems taking a
mutivitamin-mineral pill 3 or 4 times a week. They are not needed to be taken
daily.
Other Multi Vitamin products sold online
Controlled Labs, Orange Triad, Multi-Vitamin, Joint, Digestion & Immune Formula,
270 Tablets
Yum-V's, Multi Vitamin, for Adults,Raspberry Flavor, 60 Jelly Vitamins
Garden of Life, MyKind Organics, Prenatal Multi, Whole Food Multivitamin, 180
Vegan Tablets
Benefits and side effects
Does a multivitamin supplement for a man differ from a product for a woman?
Not as much as one thinks. There may be differences
in iron, calcium and a few other nutrients, but there are more in common than
there are differences. Women's multivitamin need is therefore not too different
from a man's except the dosages of the individual nutrients would be less. If it
says to take 4 capsules on a bottle, then 3 would be fine for a woman.
What effects should I
notice form a multivitamin with mineral pill?
Unless you are very sensitive, you probably will not
notice any major effects from most products on the market. Feedback from MultiVit Rx
indicates people notice being mentally sharper, more alert, and with clearer vision,
but most importantly having more all day energy.
How do I know which is the best multivitamin for me?
It is impossible to know what vitamins your body is
marginally lacking or which is the best multivitamin for you. Since it is nearly
impossible to tell which is the best multivitamin for you to purchase, you may
consider alternating 2 or 3 different ones.
Is there any such thing as an all inclusive
multivitamin or supplement that will eliminate the
need for, and inconvenience of a cabinet full of varied tablets? In short, a
single daily dosage?
There is no such pill. The human body is too
complicated and so much depends on diet, the person's individual body
chemistry, and many, many other factors.
What do you think of websites that do a best multivitamin
review, comparison or rating?
Since each person is unique in their requirement, it
is difficult to know which multivitamin is ideal for each individual. Plus, the
websites reviewing other products may have their own agenda.
Are liquid multivitamins better?
Since most multivitamin capsules are well absorbed,
I don't see the urgent need to take a liquid multivitamin supplement unless a
person has serious issues with absorption. Furthermore, since many good
multivitamin supplements have several times the RDA of nutrients, even if
absorption is not perfect, one still would get enough of the important nutrients. Some multivitamin and multimineral supplements have too high doses
anyway, so absorbing less is actually preferable. A liquid multivitamin supplement
may be appropriate for those who have difficulty swallowing pills or those who
prefer to pour some in their shake or other drinks.
As far as health reasons, I don't see the advantage of a liquid multivitamin
supplement over a capsule.
Do I need to take an
antioxidant and multivitamin together or is the latter alone enough?
Since there are countless multivitamin bottles out
there, it depends which one you are taking. As a rule, though, it would probably
be okay to take additional antioxidants if your multi is weak.
Cancer
Although studies have shown conflicting results, the latest on in JAMA, 2012,
shows a slight reduction in cancer rates.
Duke Med Health News. 2013. Long-term multivitamin use may be cancer preventive in middle-aged and older men. Findings are part of first large-scale trial linking effects of common multivitamins with prevention of chronic diseases.
Fertility
Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2013 June. The effect of micronutrient
supplements on female fertility. Benefit of micronutrient
supplementation on female fertility. Reports of randomized trials are
rare. Most studies are focused on multivitamin supplementations. For
some micronutrients, a positive impact on fertility could be shown. This
article reviews the available clinical studies as well as the
pathophysiological background of possible effects and summarizes the
potential benefits of selected micronutrients on female fertility. Apart
from lowering the malformation risk by periconceptional supplementation
of folic acid, substitution with different micronutrients, particularly
folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, iodine,
selenium, iron, and DHA might have a positive impact on infertility
treatment. The multivitamin formulation should take the pathophysiology,
clinical studies, and upper limits into account.
Multivitamins and longevity
Q. Does taking a multivitamin supplement daily increase longevity? What do
studies say?
A. I have not seen such a good study. When such studies are done, researchers have pooled information from
users of various multivitamin products, not one standard multivitamin product.
Each multivitamin product should be considered as a unique formula and not
lumped together with other multivitamin products. Until a prospective study is
done with a specific formula for at least a 10 to 15 year period, we will not
know if taking a particular multivitamin formula influences longevity. Keep in
mind that the majority of multivitamin products have synthetic vitamin E, and
many may have B vitamins or other vitamins that are not provided proportionally.
Q. A well-respected medical newsletter [Harvard Men's
Health Watch] carried an article in 2008 about daily multiple vitamins,
concluding that people should no longer take them because recent studies
indicate that the folate they contain raises the risk of colo-rectal cancer.
They are proposing that the amount of folate in daily multiples and also added
to cereals be reduced. Until then, stop taking daily multiples. Do you have any
thoughts or opinion on this subject?
A. In my opinion, more research needs to be published before we
determine the role of folate from multivitamins and the influence on colon
cancer.
The influence of folate and multivitamin use on the
familial risk of colon cancer in women.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2002.
Low intake of folate and methionine and heavy alcohol consumption have been
associated with an increased overall risk of colon cancer, possibly related to
their role in methylation pathways. We estimated the relative risk (RR) of colon
cancer according to a history of colorectal cancer in a first-degree relative
and categories of folate, methionine, and alcohol intake in a prospective cohort
study of 88,758 women who completed family history and detailed food frequency
questionnaires. During 16 years of follow-up, colon cancer was diagnosed in 535
women. The inverse association of folic acid with colon cancer risk was greater
in women with a family history. Our results suggest that higher intake of folate
and methionine, regular use of multivitamins containing folate, and avoidance of
moderate to heavy alcohol consumption may diminish the excess risk of colon
cancer associated with a family history of the disease.
Heart Failure
Micronutrient supplementation improves heart function and quality-of-life
in elderly patients with chronic heart failure. Researchers investigated the
effects of long-term multiple micronutrient supplementation in 32 patients older
than age 70 years with stable heart failure. After an average of 295 days, the
patients who had been assigned to get micronutrient supplements experienced
significant improvements in cardiac pumping ability. Also, patients taking
micronutrients had an increase in their quality-of-life score, whereas the
participants who had been given placebo supplements had a decrease in their
quality-of-life score. The differences in overall quality-of-life score were
mainly due to improvements in scores for breathlessness on exertion, quality of
sleep, and daytime concentration among the patients taking micronutrients. The
multivitamin supplement included zinc, copper, and selenium, along with Co-Q10.
European Heart Journal, November 2005.
The effects of a multivitamin/mineral supplement on
micronutrient status, antioxidant capacity and cytokine production in healthy
older adults consuming a fortified diet.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2000
Multivitamin treatment significantly increased, compared to placebo) plasma
concentrations of vitamins D, E, pyridoxal phosphate, folate, B12, C, and improved the riboflavin activity coefficient,
but not vitamins A and thiamin. The multivitamin reduced the prevalence of
suboptimal plasma levels of vitamins E, B12, and C. Neither glutathione peroxidase activity nor antioxidant capacity (ORAC)
were affected. No changes were observed in interleukin-2, -6 or -10 and
prostaglandin E2, proxy measures of immune responses.
Supplementation with a multivitamin formulated at about 100% Daily Value can
decrease the prevalence of suboptimal vitamin status in older adults and improve
their micronutrient status to levels associated with reduced risk for several
chronic diseases.
HIV
Maternal multivitamin supplements containing vitamins
B, C and E reduce the risks of motor developmental delays in infants born to
HIV-positive mothers in developing countries.
Preeclampsia
Women who are considering becoming pregnant may significantly reduce
their risk of developing preeclampsia by taking a multivitamin supplement
regularly three months before conception and during the first trimester of
pregnancy. Women who use them regularly have a reduction in
preeclampsia risk, particularly for women who are not overweight prior to
pregnancy. Because multivitamins contain many nutrients, it is difficult to know
the exact mechanism by which the risk of preeclampsia is reduced.
Emails
There seems to be a differing of opinion between whole food and
synthetic vitamin products on the market. Is there a difference between
synthetic and whole food multi-vitamin products? Does the human body recognize
synthetic vitamins the same as a whole food supplement? Does Multivit Rx contain
all factors necessary for a positive nutritional effect on the body?
When one evaluates a vitamin, such as vitamin C
(ascorbic acid), the chemical structure is the same, whether it is extracted
from a fruit or made synthetically in the lab. Other vitamins, such as
vitamin E, come in
several forms, and the synthetic version dl-alpha-tocopherol may not be as
beneficial as the natural form, d-alpha-tocopherol, plus vitamin E comes in many
other forms. Each vitamin and nutrient needs to be looked at individually. As a
rule, if a chemical lab is able to make the pure chemical structure of the
vitamin, then it should be as good as one extracted from nature.
I was searching the internet and came across a
website that sells individual made supplements. This is what they say, "LifeScript
is the premiere provider of Personalized Vitamins. We recommend the exact
vitamins and nutritional supplements you need to achieve optimal health. When
you complete our online health survey, we analyze specific data about your
lifestyle, health concerns and daily diet to generate your unique Personalized
Vitamin Profile. That information is then converted into a personalized vitamin
program just for you." What is your opinion on this?
In my opinion, it is impossible to determine through
an online survey what a person's daily requirement would be of the countless
nutrients and vitamins and minerals required by the body. There are innumerable
variables that are involved, including physical activity, sleep patterns, diet,
season and temperature, hormone levels, other supplements and herbs used,
medicines used, mood, personality, smoking, alcohol use, and most important,
genetics. And the requirements for nutrients by the body change with time. Even
with a complete physical exam and blood studies it would still be extremely
difficult if not impossible to determine optimal nutrient requirement, if any.
Therefore, in my opinion, any website that promises that they can provide your
optimal nutritional needs through pills by taking an online survey cannot be
relied on.
My multivitamin already has a lot of pantothenic acid and B12 in it. Are the same vitamins being present in Mind Power RX going
to create an overdose ?
There is no concern with overdose of these two B vitamins,
however it is a good idea to not take them together since each product is strong
enough by itself. It is a good idea to alternate different supplements rather
than using the same ones, such as the same multivitamin, all the time. You may
wish to try Mind Power Rx by itself one day and see how it makes you feel before
combining with your multivitamin if you wish. Each person has a different
response, hence we can't give any precise answers.
Have recently heard fermented nutrients are
much more utilizable and effective which New Chapter and Garden of Life
Multi-vitamins contain. Is this true or do you have any information on this for
of multivitamins?
We have not seen any studies in humans with " fermented "
multivitamins. At this point it appears to be a marketing gimmick.
I am a 53 year old male. I understand that
taking a women's multivitamin is actually good for you. Is this true? Could you
please tell me the pros and cons of taking a woman's multivitamin.
There are hundreds or thousands of different multivitamin brands
on the market, men's and women's multivitamins. Each is different than the other
in terms of vitamin and mineral dosage, the inclusion of other nutrients or
herbs. Therefore there is no way to say whether a woman's multivitamin is good
for a man.
I am taking Multivitamins Rx and I have to say
they are excellent. However, while searching the net, I found the following
product which seems even more interesting: Opti-men by Optimum Nutrition. I will
be trying it as soon as I use up the 2 remaining bottles of Multivitamin Rx. It
would be great, if you would consider developing a Multivitamin specifically for
men in a similar fashion.
There are thousands of multivitamin products on the market, and
it is a good idea to try different ones to see which ones work best for your
particular needs. We are not familiar with Opti-men by Optimum Nutrition.
I take your multivitamin product MultiVit Rx. Love your stuff. One capsule a day gives me wonderful sense of vitality.
Just need advice what supplement is best for a 2
year old boy.
I prefer focusing on a healthy diet with lots of fresh
vegetables, juices and fruits and a wide variety of whole foods and fish. As
such no supplements would be necessary. Plus, research is not available to
determine what supplements are helpful for children in the long run and whether
imbalances could occur if certain vitamins and nutrients are given in a dosage
that may not be acceptable to the body at that age. It is preferable to focus on
organic and whole foods until the teenage years. However, if you really wish to
give a multivitamin, occasional use of a children's multivitamin would be
acceptable. Fish oils or cod liver oil would also be a good option if the child
is not eating enough fish.
I am considering changing to your Multi-Vit. I
currently take a multivitamin formulated for women. Why do you not have the
multivitamins for men and women? I love your website.
As far as multivitamins, there is not convincing evidence that
the requirements for women and men are vastly different except in terms of iron
and calcium. If some women need iron and calcium in higher amounts, they can
take these supplements separately in the dosage they require. Otherwise, as far
as the basic vitamins and minerals such as the B vitamins, A, C, E, magnesium,
zinc, etc, there is no evidence that the dosage required in men or women is
significantly different. Women would take a lesser dosage (fewer capsules) since
their body weight is less that the body weight of men. The ideal dosage of
vitamins and minerals has not yet been fully identified and it is difficult to
determine ideal amounts as a group since each person has a uniquely different
diet.
Are you the doctor who developed and provides Biovaxin. I am not sure of the spelling but am interested in this product if
available.
I have no affiliation with this product.
I would like your input of mass produced multivitamins,
like One A Day for women 50+, I have osteoporosis and I'm questioning the
quality of this product.
I prefer not to comment on products that are not formulated
by me, I have no way of knowing the quality of the thousands of other
multivitamin products on the market.
Do you have, or have you formulated a multivitamin that
can be absorbed orally? My wife has no colon and only a few feet of her small
intestine. My understanding is that vitamins are primarily absorbed via the
intestinal track and not through the stomach lining.
Sorry, at this time we do not have a sublingual formula.
We must move beyond the concept of preventing vitamin
deficiencies and inadequacies to establishing health and, further, to creating
optimal physiological functions. Each essential vitamin possesses different
concentration thresholds for its variety of effects and the required balance
necessary to achieving each has yet to be fully defined. Higher numbers of elderly lead to a dramatic shift in
demographics, accompanied by an increase in non-communicable diseases such as
cancer, cardiovascular disease and dementia. All these conditions are thought to
be modifiable by diet to some degree and mounting evidence indicates that
improved intakes of certain vitamins can slow their progress.