I tend to follow the advice of people with an MD over that of “knowledgeable friends” - unless one happens to be an accredited, professional dietician. Which aren’t as common as they should be IMO. So if your doc OK’d those, or recommended them, go ahead but stick to whatever guidelines the doc gave you, don’t go overboard because past a certain point more is NOT better.
C and D are the two people are most likely to be deficient in when it comes to industrialized/developed nations. You can avoid C deficiency by eating fresh fruit and vegetables (which have other vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals, and, very important, fiber). Now, if for some reason you can’t get fresh fruit and vegetables, or frozen fruits and vegetables (freezing retains the vitamins, cooking degrades C), or can’t eat them, vitamin C supplements make a lot of sense. The good news is that any C you don’t need your body will dump into the urine. You really have to work at it to get enough to induce diarrhea (which is definitely a sign you need to stop supplementing that one). I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables so I see no need to spend money on something I will literally piss away. But it is cheap and easy to get, and very hard to overdose.
Vitamin D is a bit more problematic. The further north you live (or south, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere), the darker your skin, and in winter you’ll have more trouble getting enough from sunlight. If you compulsively wear high SPF sunscreen it will also prevent you from getting it from sunlight (and some people do need such sunscreens for health reasons). The end result is that some level of deficiency is not uncommon, particularly in winter. But this should be tested by an actual doctor or other qualified medical professional and if needed there should be a plan for the supplement because too much vitamin D can make you sick..
There are some very specific instances where a particular supplement is useful for a particular medical condition - but, again, this should be done via a knowledgeable, medical professional for a specific condition.
Yes, a typical multivitamin you pop daily is unlikely to hurt you (but if you have certain medical conditions it might - which is why “ask your doctor” comes up a lot in these discussions. Here is a link to a thread about the time my own doctor warned me off standard multi-vitamins). But you’d be far better off spending the money on real food, especially fruits, vegetables, and whole grains but also quality sources of protein and mineral from food. Maybe the feeling of “insurance” is important to some people and it’s no worse (and arguably better) than getting something from Starbuck’s every morning.
But your friends recommending 20-30 supplements a day? I think they are foolish (and I’m being polite in my choice of term). First, again, that money would be better spent on real food. Second, it is possible to overdose on certain vitamins and minerals.
A Too much vitamin A can make you sick, cause organ damage, or even be fatal (although that latter seems mostly associated with doing things like eating polar bear liver).
B Scroll down on this link to find the effects and interactions of B-12 when you get too much.
C Effects of too much calcium
D One more time, too much vitamin D
E Scroll down for too much vitamin E, which includes “gonadal dysfunction” and increased risk of prostate cancer
… and, honestly, I’m getting tired of googling, so let’s skip to the end:
Z Too much zinc can make you sick. Too much can also interfere with copper absorption and medication for various diseases/conditions.
The above is not to scare you, it’s to point out why simply taking bunches of supplements is not a good idea. It’s expensive, you may get too much of some things where more is NOT better, and you’d be better off spending the money on, again real food. Probably even one of those “food prep” services for folks who don’t cook/won’t cook/want someone else to do the cooking. Also, throw in some moderate exercise and avoid too much booze and/or drugs, quit smoking, etc., etc. you’ve heard it all before.
The medical industry certainly can suck the money out of your wallet. The supplement industry definitely is on the take. Want to know how to avoid either of those pitfalls?
- Eat a healthy diet composed of real foods and not fads
- Only supplement if it is medically necessary
- Get at least moderate exercise several times a week
- Avoid unhealthy habits whether that’s tobacco, alcohol, overeating, driving without using a seatbelt, etc.
.