# Teach me about multivitamins **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171 "2011-10-19T19:18:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/21 "2011-10-20T19:23:51Z")
The other thing I found from taking a multivitamin - I used to get a head-throat cold about 4 to 6 times a year; since I started multivitamins, I rarely get more than 1 cold a year… despite climate and sick coworkers. A multivitamin can help, if here is something you are not getting enough of; it can’t hurt, and if you buy a bulk item, like the Costco vitamins I buy - they work out to around 10 cents / day. I don’t expect them to be magical, but every little bit helps. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/22 "2011-10-20T19:27:14Z")
> [@isaiahrobinson](#): > > I agree. A recent study reported on [here](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6399773.stm) by the BBC seemed to find a link between taking multivitamin tablets and shortened lifespan. It’s only one study and it’s not conclusive, but it highlights the fact that it’s best to try not to take daily pills of anything unless it really is necessary. If your doctor was recommending you supplement with a specific vitamin then obviously you should take his advice; if he’s not then that’s strange, and I’d recommend asking him again which specific vitamins he thinks you should be taking. That link pertained only to some antioxidative vitamins. Further, the link states: > [@](#): > > However, Dr Ann Walker, of the Health Supplements Information Service, said the findings of the study were “worthless”. > > She said some of the studies which had been examined by the Copenhagen team involved patients who were already seriously ill. > > "How sensible scientists can suggest that a modest intervention of a single antioxidant supplement, can have a major effect in reversing life-threatening pathology, where patients already have advanced cardiovascular disease, is ridiculous. > > “Vitamin, mineral and dietary supplements not only have proven health benefits, they are essential to the maintenance of good health and can help bridge the nutritional gap for many people in the UK whose diets are often lacking in essential nutrients.” ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/23 "2011-10-20T21:08:40Z")
I go through periods of taking vitamins, or the vitamin du jour after reading some article exotolling the wonders of vitamin D, or whatever. It never fails, after I start taking vitamins, for some reason, I come down with the flu or a horrendous cold (like the one I have now). It puts me off vitamins. I know it’s just a coincidence, but it seems like my taking vitamins does nothing to ward off sickness or make it less intense ☹ so then I say hell with it until time goes by and I start all over again…That said, I don’t think doctors are supposed to recommend a specific brand of anything, are they? Aren’t they supposed to say, oh, anything on the drugstore shelf OTC is good. (I firmly believe a lot of vitamins and OTC potions like cough syrup are near useless or might as well be placebos, provided you follow directions and don’t swallow a bottle a day.) I seem to recall a kerfuffle when some doctors were shilling their very own brands of vitamins, that is, they had put money into companies that made vitamins and told patients that this brand was the very best. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/24 "2011-10-20T22:41:26Z")
Before you buy … > [@](#): > > According to a recent study surveying over 60 different multivitamins, “there was almost no connection between price and quality.” > [ConsumerLab ran the vitamins through the ringer](https://www.consumerlab.com/news/multivitamin_review_report/6_16_2011/) and found numerous problems. One sample was contaminated with lead, others had less of the ingredients inside than listed on the label, and some had levels of vitamins and minerals exceeding the recommend daily dose. That could lead to harmful side effects. [http://consumerist.com/2011/10/are-you-overpaying-for-vitamins.html](http://consumerist.com/2011/10/are-you-overpaying-for-vitamins.html) Consumer Reports says Costco Kirkland brand is the best value —\> [http://www.consumerreports.org/health/natural-health/multivitamins/overview/index.htm?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristLinks](http://www.consumerreports.org/health/natural-health/multivitamins/overview/index.htm?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristLinks) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/25 "2011-10-20T23:14:27Z")
Eat a varied diet. Food provides plenty of vitamins. When I’ve been overworked, and/or am eating like crap for long periods, I’ll pop a multiple, because it’s hard to know if I’m deficient in anything; it certainly can’t hurt much, and might even help. But if I’m eating normally, and conscientiously, I don’t see the point. Otherwise, unless you have a pathologic deficiency or a dietary constraint, you really just need to eat… food. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/26 "2011-10-21T01:25:07Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > That link pertained only to some antioxidative vitamins. Further, the link states: > > "However, Dr Ann Walker, of the Health Supplements Information Service, said the findings of the study were “worthless”. > > She said some of the studies which had been examined by the Copenhagen team involved patients who were already seriously ill. > > "How sensible scientists can suggest that a modest intervention of a single antioxidant supplement, can have a major effect in reversing life-threatening pathology, where patients already have advanced cardiovascular disease, is ridiculous. > > “Vitamin, mineral and dietary supplements not only have proven health benefits, they are essential to the maintenance of good health and can help bridge the nutritional gap for many people in the UK whose diets are often lacking in essential nutrients.” I noted it was only one study and that it’s not conclusive. All they found was a correlation between taking certain multivitamins and a shortened lifespan; that doesn’t prove causality. However I’m not convinced at all by the “Health Supplements Information Service”. It’s not government-run and there’s no information on its website as to who set it up or funds it. If you look at its [press release](http://www.hsis.org/pressoffice/releases.html) page it essentially spends its entire time issuing press releases about how various different vitamin supplements are “essential”. It sounds to me like a shill organisation funded by the multivitamin industry itself, which to be honest is what I had suspected just judging from the tenor of Dr. Ann Walker’s comments alone - I mean, to say the study is “worthless” and “ridiculous”? To say “dietary supplements … are essential to the maintenance of good health”? Please. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/27 "2011-10-21T12:34:01Z")
I read a scholarly paper recently that showed higher mortality in the group taking vitamins than in the control group. The authors explained that the group taking vitamins included enough people taking them for a serious reason, thus altering the stats. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/28 "2011-10-21T13:05:53Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I know it’s just a coincidence, but it seems like my taking vitamins does nothing to ward off sickness or make it less intense ☹ That’s because it doesn’t! (Apart from possibly [zinc](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12462910)). ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/29 "2011-10-21T14:05:20Z")
I eat a varied diet, but I’ve always had trouble getting enough iron. For the last six months, I’ve been diligent about my multivitamin. It’s worked brilliantly. The random bruises I usually get have stopped appearing, my hair and nails look wonderful, I haven’t had a single cold, and I’ve got a lot of energy. It costs about as much as a drink at a bar a month, but has the potential to do me some good. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/30 "2011-10-21T14:12:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I read a scholarly paper recently that showed higher mortality in the group taking vitamins than in the control group. The authors explained that the group taking vitamins included enough people taking them for a serious reason, thus altering the stats. Cite: [http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/171/18/1625](http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/171/18/1625) ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/31 "2011-10-21T21:13:25Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I read a scholarly paper recently that showed higher mortality in the group taking vitamins than in the control group. The authors explained that the group taking vitamins included enough people taking them for a serious reason, thus altering the stats. The study group was older women, mean age 61.6, and calcium showed a lower mortality than the control group. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/32 "2011-10-23T00:22:17Z")
Sorry for the delay, as I’ve been out of contact with the 'net for a few days, but I just wanted to come back and say: Thanks, all! ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/33 "2011-10-23T21:06:58Z")
For all those saying “Just eat a varied diet”, please note that Keeve came back and said that s/he is going to be having GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY. It is well-established that people who have gastric bypass surgery DO need vitamin supplementation because their gastrointestinal tract doesn’t absorb nutrients normally after the surgery (by design). People can have harmful health problems from skipping the vitamin supplements that their gastric bypass surgeon recommended, so I absolutely do agree with following whatever recommendations the doc makes about this. This thread is an example of why it’s so dangerous to give/get medical advice over the internet. If you were a doctor seeing Keeve as a patient, you’d take a history and know that he is getting ready for a gastric bypass surgery. However, on the internet, it’s very easy to miss part of the story that could make a crucial difference. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/34 "2011-10-23T22:03:14Z")
^ which is why I added: > [@cmyk](#): > > Otherwise, unless you have a pathologic deficiency or a dietary constraint, you really just need to eat… food. Which a medical reason (both proactive or reactive) would fall under. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/35 "2011-10-24T00:16:06Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > For all those saying “Just eat a varied diet”, please note that Keeve came back and said that s/he is going to be having GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY. It is well-established that people who have gastric bypass surgery DO need vitamin supplementation because their gastrointestinal tract doesn’t absorb nutrients normally after the surgery (by design). People can have harmful health problems from skipping the vitamin supplements that their gastric bypass surgeon recommended, so I absolutely do agree with following whatever recommendations the doc makes about this. > > This thread is an example of why it’s so dangerous to give/get medical advice over the internet. If you were a doctor seeing Keeve as a patient, you’d take a history and know that he is getting ready for a gastric bypass surgery. However, on the internet, it’s very easy to miss part of the story that could make a crucial difference. Yes, **Keeve** will need to take certain supplements _after_ the surgery, when the ability to absorb certain nutrients normally will have been affected. I believe by the far the most significant issue with bariatric surgery is B12 absorption. My ex-wife had such surgery and now need to take regular injections of B12. Just taking it by mouth is no use, because the problem is that the part of the digestive tract that absorbs B12 is removed or bypassed by the operation. I do not think she has to take any other supplements specifically because of the surgery. She takes calcium, but that is something a lot of people, especially women, need to do anyway. (Incidentally, although an essential nutrient, calcium is not a vitamin. The same goes for iron and zinc and other minerals that have been mentioned, and that people often take, and occasionally actually need, as supplements.) What is odd, however, is that **Keeve** has been advised to take multivitamins before the surgery, and apparently has been told that this will build up a store in the body for afterwards. That is pretty much nonsense. As others in the thread have already said, many vitamins (and mineral nutrients too) do not really get stored in significant amounts at all, and those that do are often the ones that can be toxic at excessive doses (although, admittedly, that is hardly likely to be a problem with taking recommended doses of OTC multivitamins). Even if a store is built up of certain vitamins that will be malabsorbed after the surgery, it will not last for very long. In short, although it is more than likely that **Keeve** will need some regular vitamin supplementation _after_ the surgery (most probably B12, perhaps others too), it seems very unlikely that taking multivitamins _before_ the surgery will help with that situation, and it does make me wonder whether this doctor really knows what s/he is talking about. (Of course, the doctor may know something of relevance about **Keeve** ’s particular medical situation that we do not, but frankly, it is hard to imagine what that might be, unless it is something quite unrelated to the upcoming surgery.) ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/36 "2011-10-24T01:58:22Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > What is odd, however, is that **Keeve** has been advised to take multivitamins before the surgery, and apparently has been told that this will build up a store in the body for afterwards. That is pretty much nonsense. I’ll be seeing my doc on Thursday, and will certainly ask him about this. Thanks, again, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171/37 "2011-10-24T06:06:15Z")
It could simply be that **Keeve’s** doctor is just being cautious, and making sure **Keeve** isn’t low on a vitamins/minerals for the surgery and the following recovery. Just eat a few Freds and a Barney or Wilma, and you should be fine. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-multivitamins/600171.md?page=1)