# Occasional vitamins/supplements better than none at all? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566 "2006-07-07T22:39:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/1 "2006-07-07T22:39:49Z")
Daily I try to take a multi-vitamin and three omega-3 capsules. But I don’t always do it. Is taking these things occasionally better than not taking any at all? Or am I wasting my money? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/2 "2006-07-07T22:48:28Z")
Are you deficient in a particular vitamin, or do you eat a poor diet? ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/3 "2006-07-07T22:55:56Z")
Why do you ask? :dubious: I am allergic to most fruits and vegetables, I am breastfeeding, I like having the extra folic acid in case I get pregnant again I don’t eat much fish because of the mercury issues, so I take the omega-3 supplements. Those are some of the reasons. Can you help me with my OP? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/4 "2006-07-07T23:00:33Z")
> [@Stainz](#): > > Why do you ask? :dubious: > > I am allergic to most fruits and vegetables, > I am breastfeeding, > I like having the extra folic acid in case I get pregnant again > > I don’t eat much fish because of the mercury issues, so I take the omega-3 supplements. > > Those are some of the reasons. Can you help me with my OP? Those are good reasons to take vitamin supplements. Most people don’t need them at all as they get all the vitamins they need from their diet, so taking them occasionally wouldn’t do any harm or much good (the water soluble vitamins would just pass straight through). That’s why I asked. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/5 "2006-07-07T23:04:14Z")
Thanks, but do you have any information about my original question? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/6 "2006-07-07T23:07:02Z")
check out this current thread for some evidence-based reports on appropriate use of supplements and vitamins. [Vitamin/Supplement regimen? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=378620) ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/7 "2006-07-08T01:51:56Z")
Thanks QtM, BUT I still don’t see a quick, easy answer to my question. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/8 "2006-07-08T02:00:35Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a study that used a sporadic protocol for supplements. It may be that we just don’t know right now. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/9 "2006-07-08T02:48:30Z")
> [@Stainz](#): > > Thanks QtM, BUT I still don’t see a quick, easy answer to my question. I do. If you don’t need vitamins/supplements regularly (and the vast majority of people don’t), then you don’t need them occasionally, either. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/10 "2006-07-08T02:51:47Z")
Oops, hit enter too soon. And if you do need them, regular is better, but half the time is better than none. With your particular issues mentioned, and not knowing anything else about your health history and lab tests, it’s a wild-ass guess that taking what you do 4 days out of 7 is _probably_adequate for the _average_ person in your situation. That’s based on the fact that you’re nursing and want to get pregnant again. However, why not ask your doc? ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/11 "2006-07-08T03:37:35Z")
Thanks QtM … (My doctor is very … laidback about everything … he’s nice and all, but I think unless you have cancer or diabetes or something, he doesn’t take anything else very seriously). ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/12 "2006-07-08T22:00:21Z")
> [@Stainz](#): > > Thanks QtM … > > (My doctor is very … laidback about everything … he’s nice and all, but I think unless you have cancer or diabetes or something, he doesn’t take anything else very seriously). If he’s not answering your questions, have you considered looking for another doctor? (Sorry to continue the unwanted advice about your life. :)) ---
**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occasional-vitamins-supplements-better-than-none-at-all/363566/13 "2006-07-08T22:52:17Z")
The problem I have with this area of concern is that the focus is on disease, rather than on health. The basic school of thought seems to be that if you don’t have beriberi, then you’re getting enough thiamine in your diet. But there aren’t any studies being done on the levels needed for optimum health and body composition. Thiamine is needed to metabolize stored body fat, so where are the studies showing the optimum level of thiamine for those working to reduce body fat? You may be getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet to avoid deficiency diseases, but that doesn’t _necessarily_ mean that you’re getting the levels needed for optimum health.