Health Benefits, Nutrients per Serving, How to Take Them, When to Take Them, and More

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

In this Article

• Health Benefits
• Health Risks
• Amounts and Dosage

Taking a multivitamin or mineral supplement is a daily routine for more than half of all American adults. 

Eating a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains should provide the vitamins your body needs. However, it’s not always possible to eat healthy meals. If that’s the case, taking supplements might help.

Multivitamins are designed to fill nutritional gaps. There are different brands and formulations, and each will list the percent daily value (DV) or recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of the nutrients in one serving.

A label that lists 100% DV of vitamin D means the formula provides 100% of the vitamin D you need each day. This is based on a 2,000-calorie diet, so if you eat more or less, you’ll need to make some adjustments.

The following populations should discuss taking a multivitamin with their doctor:

Postmenopausal Women

Calcium and vitamin D supplements can help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. 

Age 50 and Over

Vitamin B12 helps form red blood cells, supports brain and nerve function and makes DNA. The body doesn’t absorb all the B12 it needs from food, so a supplement might be necessary, especially if you’re over the age of 50. 

Adults Taking Specific Medications

Certain prescriptions can deplete the body of important minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Others prevent your body from absorbing some nutrients. Ask your doctor if you need extra supplements.

People With Malabsorption Conditions

Diseases that prevent your body from digesting food increases the chance of malabsorption. These include:

• Celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and cystic fibrosis
• Gastric bypass surgery
• Illnesses that cause diarrhea or vomiting
• Alcoholism or alcohol abuse

Adults not in these groups should consider taking a regular multivitamin. Vitamins are necessary for many of your bodily functions. Taking a multivitamin can offer the following health benefits:

Maintains Organ and Vision Health

Look for a supplement containing mixed carotenoids and beta-carotene — those are the raw materials your body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for vision, immune function, and communication between your cells. It also plays an important role in maintaining the health of your heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.

Healthy Growth of Fetuses

Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects during the first months of pregnancy and is essential for women of child-bearing age. The recommended RDA is 400 micrograms or 100% DV. Check your pantry, as some cereals and products contain folic acid. 

Support Skin Health

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that fights free radical damage and helps the body make collagen, which heals wounds and keeps your skin smooth and healthy. A multivitamin with 250mg will meet DV/RDA requirements for most people.

Promote Bone and Muscle Function

Vitamin D helps your muscles function properly and allows your body to absorb calcium from food to keep your bones healthy. Check with your doctor if you don’t spend much time outdoors in the sunlight, have dark skin, or are overweight, as you may need to take additional supplements. 

Immune System Support

Vitamin E and vitamin D support your immune system and protect your cells from damage that can lead to diseases.

For most people, there isn’t much risk associated with taking multivitamins. However, you should speak to your doctor before you take one. Combining a multivitamin with other vitamin supplements, vitamin sources, or medication can cause serious health complications.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate multivitamins. Look for brands with the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) on the label to ensure you’re getting a high-quality formula.  

Organ Damage

Check the iron levels in your multivitamin. In men and postmenopausal women, this mineral can accumulate in the body and cause organ damage. Look for an iron-free preparation and eat iron-rich foods like chicken, small amounts of red meat, dark leafy greens, and fortified-grains instead. 

Liver or Bone Damage

Avoid multivitamins with high levels of retinol, listed as acetate or palmitate on the label. Retinols can be harmful to your bones and liver. 

Kidney Stones

Consuming more than 1,200 mg per day of vitamin D can increase the risk of developing kidney stones.

Multivitamins vary widely, based on the brand or formulation. Each bottle or box will have a detailed label that lists all the vitamins and minerals in each supplement.

Most brands create a multivitamin that is tailored to the DV for men, women, children, and pregnant women. You should find a multivitamin that meets the DV recommended for your demographic. For example, Centrum’s multivitamin for women contains 100% of the DV of iron while their multivitamin for men only has 44%.

One serving size is one or two tablets daily. Read the label carefully to avoid taking too much or too little of the daily recommended amount. 

There aren’t any hard and fast rules for the best time of day to take a multivitamin. Some people choose to take it in the morning, while others wait until lunch or even dinner. If you have a sensitive stomach, you should consider taking your multivitamins with a meal to avoid nausea or cramping. 

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Multivitamin/mineral Supplements – Consumer

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What are multivitamin/mineral (MVM) dietary supplements?

Multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements contain a combination of vitamins and minerals, and sometimes other ingredients as well. People refer to them by many names, including multis and multiples or simply vitamins. Each of the vitamins and minerals in MVMs have a unique role in the body. For more information about each one, see our individual vitamin and mineral fact sheets.

MVMs cannot take the place of eating a variety of foods that are important to a healthy diet. Foods provide more than vitamins and minerals. They also have fiber and other ingredients that may benefit health.

What kinds of MVM supplements are available?

Many types of MVMs are available in stores and online. Companies choose which vitamins and minerals—and how much—to include in their products. There isn’t a standard MVM or a standard list of ingredients.

Among the most common MVMs are basic, once-daily products that contain all or most vitamins and minerals in amounts close to what is recommended.

Some MVMs contain higher-than-recommended amounts of some vitamins and minerals. These products may come in packs of two or more pills to take each day.

Manufacturers promote some MVMs for specific purposes, such as better athletic performance or energy, weight control, improved immunity, or eye health. These products often contain herbal and other ingredients (such as green tea, coenzyme Q10, probiotics, or glucosamine) in addition to vitamins and minerals.

The recommended amounts of nutrients vary by age and sex and are known as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and Adequate Intakes (AIs). However, supplement labels use the Daily Value (DV) for each nutrient, which is often, but not always, similar to the RDA or AI for that nutrient. The %DV for each nutrient will show you how much (what percentage) a serving of the product contributes to reaching the DV.

What are some effects of MVMs on health?

Here are some examples of what research has shown about taking MVMs to increase nutrient intakes, improve health, and reduce the risk of disease.

Increase nutrient intakes

Taking an MVM increases the amounts of nutrients you get each day. This can help you get recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals when you cannot or do not get enough of them from food alone. But taking an MVM can also raise the chances of getting too much of some nutrients, such as iron, vitamin A, zinc, niacin, and folic acid, especially if you take a product that contains more than the recommended amounts of some nutrients. For information about recommended amounts, see our individual vitamin and mineral fact sheets.

Some people take an MVM as a form of dietary or nutritional insurance. Yet people who take MVMs often consume more vitamins and minerals from food and beverages than those who don’t.

Health promotion and chronic disease prevention

It is difficult to determine whether MVMs provide health benefits because studies often use different products, making it hard to compare their results. Also, many MVMs are available, and manufacturers can change their composition at will, so it’s hard for researchers to study whether specific combinations of vitamins and minerals affect health. Also, people with healthier diets and lifestyles are more likely to take MVMs, making it hard to identify any benefits from the products alone.

Scientists have studied whether taking MVMs affects the risk of health problems and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, lung disorders, psychiatric disorders, and the risk of death. Most studies have found that taking MVMs has little or no effect on these health outcomes.

Cancer

Overall, it’s unclear whether taking an MVM affects cancer risk.

One large study found that male physicians aged 50 and older who took a basic MVM for about 11 years had a slightly reduced risk of developing cancer—but not of dying of the disease—compared with those who took a placebo. In another large study in men and women ages 60–65 years and older, those who took a basic MVM for about 3.6 years did not have a lower risk of developing cancer, except for lung cancer. Other studies found conflicting evidence. For example, various studies have found that MVMs might increase, decrease, or not affect the risk of breast cancer in women. Some studies suggest MVMs might reduce the risk of colon cancer, but increase the risk of prostate cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia in men.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD)

Overall, MVMs appear to have little or no effect on the risk of CVD.

Most studies in men and women comparing MVMs to a placebo have found that the MVMs do not reduce the risk of CVD, including heart attacks or strokes or resulting deaths. Most other studies of people who take MVMs on their own have found that these products do not protect against CVD either.

Cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

A specific combination of vitamins and minerals can slow down vision loss from AMD, an eye disease that can blur your central vision.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) showed that people with AMD and/or cataracts who took a daily supplement of high-dose vitamin C (500 mg), vitamin E (400 IU), beta-carotene (15 mg), zinc (80 mg), and copper (2 mg) for about 6 years had a lower chance of developing advanced AMD. They also had less vision loss than those who did not take the supplement. However, the supplements did not reduce the risk of getting AMD or the risk of cataracts. A later study showed that the supplement was equally effective without beta-carotene.

Pregnancy and birth outcomes
Prenatal MVM supplements can help a pregnant person get enough nutrients, especially key nutrients such as folic acid and iron. Pregnant people who are at risk of malnutrition might be less likely to have a baby that is premature or has a low birth weight or small size if they take an MVM during pregnancy. But for pregnant people who already get enough of all nutrients, MVMs might not make any difference.

Other outcomes

Several studies have examined the link between MVM use and conditions such as osteoporosis, lung diseases, psychiatric disorders, and even risk of death. Most found that MVMs have no effect on these health outcomes. Two studies found that MVM use for one to three years in older people (average age 71 to 73 years) improved cognitive function, memory, and related mental skills.

Should I take an MVM?

People who don’t get enough vitamins and minerals from food alone, are on low-calorie diets, have a poor appetite, or avoid certain foods (such as strict vegetarians and vegans) might consider taking an MVM. Health care providers might also recommend MVMs to patients with certain medical problems.

Some people might benefit from taking certain nutrients found in MVMs. For example:

• If you might become pregnant, getting 400 mcg/day of folic acid from fortified foods and/or dietary supplements lowers your baby’s risk of birth defects of the brain and spine.
• If you are pregnant, a daily prenatal MVM can help ensure you get enough folic acid, iron, iodine, and vitamin D during pregnancy. Your doctor might also recommend separate supplements of iodine and choline, which are often missing or in too small amounts in prenatal MVMs.
• If you are pregnant and eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, your doctor might suggest other nutrients including vitamin B12 and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
• Breastfed babies might also need a vitamin B12 supplement if their nursing parent is low in B12 or eats a vegan diet.
• Breastfed and partially breastfed infants should receive vitamin D supplements of 10 mcg (400 IU)/day, as should non-breastfed infants and toddlers who drink less than 1 quart per day of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk.
• If you are older than 50, get recommended amounts of vitamin B12 from fortified foods and/or dietary supplements because your body might not absorb enough of the B12 that is naturally found in food.

Can MVMs be harmful?

Taking a basic MVM is unlikely to harm your health. But if you consume fortified foods and drinks (such as cereals or beverages with added vitamins and minerals) or take other dietary supplements, make sure that the MVM you take doesn’t cause your intake of any vitamin or mineral to go above the upper limits. (For more information on upper limits, see our individual vitamin and mineral fact sheets. )

Smokers, and perhaps former smokers, should avoid MVMs with large amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin A because these ingredients might increase the risk of lung cancer.

If you get too much vitamin A during pregnancy, your baby may have an increased risk of birth defects. This risk does not apply to beta-carotene (the form of vitamin A in plant foods, such as carrots, and some dietary supplements).

Do MVMs interact with medications or other dietary supplements?

Basic MVMs don’t usually interact with medications, with one important exception. If you take medicine to reduce blood clotting, such as warfarin (Coumadin® and Jantoven®), talk to your health care provider before taking any MVM or dietary supplement with vitamin K. Vitamin K lowers the drug’s effectiveness and doctors base the dose partly on the amount of vitamin K you usually consume from foods and supplements.

Which kind of MVM should I choose?

Talk to your health care provider about whether you should take an MVM and, if so, which one is best for you. Basic MVMs provide many vitamins and minerals close to the recommended amounts. However, the amounts of calcium and magnesium in these MVMs are usually low.

Also, you might consider choosing an MVM designed for your age, sex, and other factors (such as pregnancy). These MVMs may contain a combination of vitamins and minerals better suited to your needs. For example, prenatal MVMs often provide vitamin A as beta-carotene. Most children’s MVMs provide nutrients in smaller amounts that are right for them. MVMs for seniors usually provide more calcium and vitamins D and B12 and less iron than MVMs for younger adults.

MVMs and healthful eating

People should get most of their nutrients from food and beverages, according to the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Foods contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other components that benefit health. In some cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements are useful when it is not possible to meet needs for one or more nutrients (for example, during specific life stages such as pregnancy). For more information about building a healthy dietary pattern, see the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate.

Where can I find out more about MVMs?

• For general information on MVMs:
  • Office of Dietary Supplements Health Professional Fact Sheet on Multivitamin/mineral Supplements
  • Office of Dietary Supplements Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD)

• For information on recommended intakes of vitamins and minerals:
  • Office of Dietary Supplements Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets
  • Nutrient recommendations: Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)
  • Online DRI tool
  • Daily Value (DV) tables

• For more advice on choosing dietary supplements:
  • Office of Dietary Supplements Frequently Asked Questions: Which brand(s) of dietary supplements should I purchase?

• For information about building a healthy dietary pattern:
  • MyPlate
  • Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Disclaimer

This fact sheet by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) provides information that should not take the place of medical advice. We encourage you to talk to your health care providers (doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.) about your interest in, questions about, or use of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health. Any mention in this publication of a specific product or service, or recommendation from an organization or professional society, does not represent an endorsement by ODS of that product, service, or expert advice.

Updated:
June 6, 2023
History of changes to this fact sheet

Why take a multivitamin every day: doctors named 6 reasons

Why take a multivitamin every day: doctors named 6 reasons

Shared: Internet Publications

Other version

A multivitamin is a medical product that contains a group of vitamins designed for one dose. But after all, we consume the necessary nutrients with food, why else take synthetic ones every day?

In response to this, doctors name 6 reasons, especially highlighting vitamins for women.

Why vitamins from food are not enough

Yes, we get a lot of nutrients from fruits and vegetables, but not enough. Why is this happening? Medical studies have shown that 76% of adults do not eat enough fruits, and 87% of people do not eat enough vegetables. This is due to different eating habits, seasonality of products and not knowing which vitamin is in which. But this is not a sentence.

To make up for the deficiency, multivitamin complexes are needed, and that’s why we need them every day.

Beauty care

For women, vitamins are of particular importance. Vitamin B ₃ , C and biotin are needed for beautiful and thick hair; A, C, D improve skin quality, promote the production of natural collagen.

But one vitamin complex may not be enough if a woman has a history of problems with internal organs. For example, yellowing skin is not a signal from the body about beriberi, but that you should immediately pay attention to the liver.

Age changes

There is a process of natural aging of the body. With age, it becomes more difficult for him to absorb nutrients from food. Various factors are superimposed on this: stress, digestive problems, a limited diet. Multivitamins solve these problems by adding the right vitamins to the norm.

Heart support

Taking multivitamins has a good effect on the heart – it needs B 9 for its normal functioning0031 1 , B ₂ , B ₆ , K ₁ , niacin (B ₃ ), CoQ10 and magnesium. There are special B-complexes that contain them.

While B vitamins are chemically distinct, they often work together in a variety of biochemical processes in the body, such as cellular energy production, healthy red blood cell synthesis, and neurological processes.

Immunity booster

When the body receives a sufficient amount of vitamins C, D, E, a person retains his own strong immunity.

Visual acuity

Eye health requires vitamins A, C, E, niacin (B ₃ ) and selenium. The intake of multivitamin complexes has a positive effect on vision – with age, the sharpness and the cherished “unit” remain longer with age.

Improvement of general well-being

Taking a B multivitamin increases energy, promotes well-being, and reduces stress and anxiety.

It is important to remember that each body is unique and may be deficient in different vitamins. Therefore, when choosing a complex, do not rely on the recommendations of friends. Consult a doctor, take a blood test. This is the only way to choose a vitamin complex for good. And be healthy!

Do children need vitamins?

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Do children need vitamins?

Are vitamins and children created for each other

Vitamins are one of the most important components of a child’s nutrition. They are involved in metabolism, tissue repair, are needed for growth, intellectual development, and immunity.

How can I get my vitamins?

Some vitamins are synthesized in the body. Vitamin D is produced in the skin, while vitamin B is produced by the intestinal microflora. Others come with food. But even an excellent appetite and the highest quality products cannot fully compensate for the deficit. So, for example, to satisfy the daily requirement for vitamin A, a one-year-old baby must eat one large egg or 400 grams of cottage cheese. An infant will receive a sufficient amount of vitamin C with 100 grams of citrus fruits or 60 grams of green onions. And to get the norm of vitamin D, the child needs to be kept completely undressed in the sun for at least 15 minutes every day. It is obvious that such “recommendations” cannot be implemented.

Who should take extra vitamins?

Until now, it was believed that if a preschooler or schoolchild eats a varied diet, does not follow a therapeutic diet, then he does not need additional sources of vitamins. However, the quality of the food is increasingly questioned. Fertilizer, storage, processing of products reduces the content of useful substances in them.

Vitamins in complexes or separately are recommended for children who:

– capricious in food: do not like vegetables, do not eat meat, etc.;

– suffer from food allergy to gluten, intolerance to lactose, cow’s milk protein, etc.;

– have symptoms of any vitamin deficiency;

– often suffer from infectious diseases;

– have pathologies that prevent the absorption of substances from food;

– are subjected to additional physical or mental stress.

Vitamins for life
These vitamins play a vital role in the development of a child from 1 to 3 years old.

D (calciferol)

Daily allowance 10 mcg. Affects the growth and development of bone and muscle tissue, the accumulation of calcium and phosphorus in the bones. The development of intestinal cells, kidneys, the work of the heart, is involved in the synthesis of certain hormones.

A (retinol)

Daily allowance 450 mcg. It has an effect on the health of the mucous membranes and skin. Participates in the work of the digestive, immune and excretory systems, as well as in the growth of bones, hair, teeth, is responsible for visual acuity.

C (ascorbic acid)

Daily allowance 40 mg. Improves the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, wound healing, growth of bones, teeth and hair. Participates in the formation and health of connective tissue. Strengthens immunity.

E (tocopherol)

Daily allowance 6 mcg. It has antioxidant properties, affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Strengthens the walls of blood vessels and the heart muscle, participates in the absorption of other vitamins.

K (phylloquinone)

Daily allowance 15 mcg.