Why take specific vitamin pills rather than a multi? (doctor, fish oil, sublingual)

[Visit a Library]

Is there a disadvantage to taking a multi rather than an individual C, D, etc.?

Furthermore, the multis I have are the same size as some of the pills taken for individual doses of C, magnesium, and others -- why is that? Do they simply do something to compress more stuff into a multi, where as the individual dosage pills are not compressed just to save on the cost of manufacture?

[southernnaturelover]

The dosage in multi's is usually just enough to get the RDA. For example, most multi's have 60mg of C, while a C-only pill will have 500 or even 1000mg.

[AnonChick]

Well the recommended daily requirement of vitamin C in generally healthy people under age 50 is 60mg. There's no reason to take megadoses of vitamin C, especially since anything over what your body needs, is peed out into the toilet (or the nearest tree).

If there is something wrong with your body, and it's not absorbing vitamin C properly for some odd reason, then sure, you might need to up your C intake. But you're already getting 60 mg, the minimum for normal people, in that vitamin. So add a tangerine to your menu daily, and you'll have that need for more covered.

Individual vitamins are for people who aren't taking a multivitamin, but who do have deficiencies in one or another nutrient.

There is no reason or need for an otherwise healthy individual to take seperate vitamins and minerals. A multi will do just fine.

[suzy_q2010]

Most people probably do not even need the multi.

Taking vitamins separately just ups the profit for those that sell them.

[sfcambridge]

Agree that most people do not need a multivitamin. If you are eating a balanced diet, most people get what they need from that.

Actually there is a recent study out that says that people who take multivitamins are more likely to die then people who don't! Of course, there are many variables that go into why people take vitamins, but most people take them even when they are not prescribed by their doctors. What is problematic is that vitamins/supplements etc.. are not regulated by the FDA, so you cannot be sure if the dose/purity/efficacy is what the bottle claims.

If you are pregnant, you require higher doses of some vitamins (ex. folic acid) so multivitamins targeted for pregnant moms are crucial.

Most people that actually require vitamin replacement will NOT find sufficient amounts in a multivitamin. That's why they take a specific vitamin pill instead.

Also, sometimes vitamins interfere with each other's absorption. For example, calcium and iron interfere with each other so it is better not to take them together in one pill if you need supplementation, but to take them separately at different times of the day.

All women need to make sure they get enough vitamin D and calcium in their diet, or else start vitamin replacement. The amount in a multivitamin is not usually sufficient.

Men who have cardiovascular disease often are told to specifically take vitamin B12, folic acid and B6 supplements.

Women with anemia need to take higher doses of iron then those found in MVI, which often don't even have iron in them. And actually the majority of menstruating women are mildly anemic!

B12 deficiency is common in vegans, so they need a higher dose just of B12.

But the VAST amounts of vitamins that people buy and take are not under the recommendations of their doctor, and for reasons that individuals decide themselves. That is unfortunate, as there can be problems with vitamins.

For example, high doses of vitamin E are now known increase risk of DEATH.

STUDY SHOWS HIGH-DOSE VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENTS MAY INCREASE RISK OF DYING

My parents had vitamins/supplements at home that had doses of vitamin e in this danger range. Do you?

[cb at sea]

What a waste of money! If you eat a varied diet, you'll get all the vitamins you need. You only need a very, very wee bit! A normal, healty diet (over a weeks time) will take care of your vitamin needs.

[AnonChick]

Not me. I just take a standard issue childrens' chewable vitamin, every day that I remember to take it. Which means - around 4-5 days a week. I take only one (on the days I remember to take it). I only started taking them a year and a couple of months ago, because I had gained weight, was out of shape, and felt like crap. Plus I'm of an age when it's time to start taking calcium for bone support. I tried tums, but couldn't stand the taste. I can't swallow big pills so non-chewable aren't an option. They're too big. Caramels/candy supplements are nasty.

And so - chewable childrens' with extra calcium, is my current "drug" of choice. And working out at the gym I joined last year a few times weekly, plus trying to eat less crap and more spinach (I was borderline anemic most of my life), and drinking more water.

Last physical, was just a couple of weeks ago. CBCs, Triglycerides, cholestrol, iron, thyroid, muscle tone, lungs, heart rate, blood pressure - all normal. Not even borderline high, or borderline low. Right smack dab in the middle of normal.

I've lost 25 pounds, a significant number of inches, several points on the "BMI" thing, feel less tired during the day, hardly achy at all, and I'm not even getting the usual horrendous searing white-hot blazing sharp cramps during my period anymore.

The multivitamins mostly just ensure that even on days I overload on carbs and don't get enough nutrition, I'll still have a minimum of what my body needs to maintain and/or improve my health.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

What a waste of money! If you eat a varied diet, you'll get all the vitamins you need. You only need a very, very wee bit! A normal, healty diet (over a weeks time) will take care of your vitamin needs.

Vitamin D is pretty difficult to get enough. Unless you have fair skin. If you are darker, the whole "go outside for 15 minutes" doesn't really work. So it is recommended for people who are darker, as well as older, to supplement vitamin D.

I know, my vitamin D levels were really low, and I did a regimen of intensive supplementation for a few months to get my D levels up to normal, and have been prescribed 2000 IU daily.

Also, some other fairly common chronic problems (hypothyroidism for example) also lead to vitamin deficiencies (iron, D, and calcium for example)

I recommend getting tested, and be sure to consider your ethnic group and history as well, some of the advice on supplementation hasn't been well tested for diverse populations, so your needs can vary greatly based on your gender or ethnicity.

[Visit a Library]

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

Agree that most people do not need a multivitamin. If you are eating a balanced diet, most people get what they need from that.

Actually there is a recent study out that says that people who take multivitamins are more likely to die then people who don't!

Are you familiar with a documentary called Food Matters?

Welcome to 'Food Matters' - You Are What You Eat | FOODMATTERS®

I'm part way through it, and thus far some of the points made have been:

1. Most people do need vitamins, because most of our food is severely deficient in nutrients. Your great grandfather's oats weren't what they are today.

2. The "don't take vitamins because they may kill you" hit pieces are mostly contracted by big pharmaceuticals. There have only been a very minute number of deaths possibly caused by too many vitamins, but to this day, there's no proof of one single death caused by too many vitamins.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by Visit a Library

Is there a disadvantage to taking a multi rather than an individual C, D, etc.?

Furthermore, the multis I have are the same size as some of the pills taken for individual doses of C, magnesium, and others -- why is that? Do they simply do something to compress more stuff into a multi, where as the individual dosage pills are not compressed just to save on the cost of manufacture?

This is a quote from Dr. Oz in yesterday's Parade Magazine:

Ideally, we’d get all of the vitamins we need from the foods we eat, but few of us actually do. That’s where multivitamins come in. Choose one that supplies 100 percent of your daily allowance, and avoid megadosing. If you’re postmenopausal or a man, you can skip the iron. You may also want to take 600 milligrams of calcium (for strong bones), 400 milligrams of magnesium, and 1,000 IU of vitamin D3.

In addition to this, I would suggest a sublingual B12 if you are over 50 or a vegetarian, and a fish oil supplement with 1000 mg of EPA/DHA per day. You might also increase the vitamin D3 to 2000 IU.