The subject of multivitamins in daily diet is that of much controversy, while some doctors opine that with proper eating habits and exercise, there’s no requirement for anyone to take multivitamins as supplements. Others feel that taking these supplements would do the body no harm and actually help ward off certain diseases.
Multivitamins form a billion dollar industry in the United States and this industry is thriving. Why does an individual resort to taking multivitamin supplements in the first place? Many of us are very busy with our work both in the office and at home. This busy lifestyle we lead, does not give us the opportunity to make good eating choices. Most of us, in a hurry would rather eat a hurried breakfast, pick up a quick fast food lunch or even skip a meal as we tackle with our busy schedule. We just don’t have the time to plan our meals and include the right foods that would provide our body with all the required nutrients. Our body requires the right vitamins and minerals to keep it going in good shape or it will succumb to a number of ailments.
Are Multivitamins a Boon or Curse?
Studies by reputed institutions like U.S. Preventive Task Force have shown that multivitamin supplements cannot prevent or be used to treat diseases. Research was conducted on Vitamins A, C, and E, multivitamins with folic acid and antioxidant combinations that are said to prevent cancer and heart diseases and the results found were: While these multivitamins would not cause any harm to your body, they would be of no help either to prevent the ailments. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2000 by Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation or HOPE study clarifies that Vitamin E supplementation has no effect on heart patients.
Do You Need To Take a Multivitamin Daily?
If your lifestyle includes eating lots of different fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, good proteins from lean meats, healthy carbohydrates, and healthy non- saturated fats like Omega-3 oils, and then the need to take multivitamins as supplements is redundant. Your body will get all the minerals and vitamins it requires from these foods. Nature has designed all foods to provide the necessary nutrients for the human body and simply by eating what nature has provided will ensure our body gets nourished and stays healthy.
Years ago, before machines came into man’s life; people were all leading a healthy lifestyle eating what Mother Nature offered to them by way of food. Their lives were full of toil and that meant good physical exercises and healthy foods after a day of hard work. Heart attacks and diabetes, high blood pressure and other ailments like cancer were unheard of. As machines came to play a more important role in man’s life, people got used to a sedentary lifestyle and their eating habits also underwent a major change with fast foods and processed foods appearing as easy options to wrap up a meal.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 suggests that adults often risk being deficient in Vitamin A, C and E along with Calcium and Magnesium and require to take supplements. A study conducted by doctors of Harvard School of Medicine, opine that every adult should take a multivitamin daily irrespective of their health.
This they feel is a safe way to ward off ailments and be healthy. Another study by the same school on 88,000 women who were out on multivitamins for an average of fifteen years showed that they were less prone to risk of colon cancer than their counterparts who took multivitamins for less number of years.
Who Should and Who Should Not Take Multivitamins?
People who are strict vegetarians, the elderly and women who are of child bearing ages should include multivitamins in their daily diet. Many child bearing women are found to develop anemia because of lack of folic acid and this increases the risks at childbirth and causes defects in their developing babies. Strict vegetarians who avoid animal foods have Vitamin B12 deficit and this leads to damage of nerves and faulty cognition. Elders above age fifty are unable to absorb Vitamin B12 efficiently and do require its supplements.
People who are being treated for cancer or have had a history of cancer should avoid taking multivitamins as these supplements would affect their cancer treatment and actually cause the cancer cells to multiply rapidly by providing the nourishment to reproduce. If you are already consuming a healthy diet with fortified foods, then loading your body with added multivitamins supplements will be of no use as they will get washed away.
If indeed you still feel the need to take multivitamins supplements, then ensure you consult your doctor about it and take their advice on this matter. If your doctor certifies that you don’t need to take any multivitamins, then skip it and save your money for better things.
