Q&A: Do I need a multivitamin?

How do I know whether I need to take a multivitamin? —K.B., Charlottesville, Va.

In general, a multivitamin is necessary only if you don’t get all the nutrients you need from diet alone. Such deficiencies can stem from poor eating habits, a very low-calorie or strict vegetarian diet, or advancing age, when illness, loss of appetite, dental problems, depression, limited finances, or other factors can compromise the ability to eat healthfully. In all those cases, a multivitamin supplement can help plug the gaps. In addition, the body’s ability to absorb two key nutrients—vitamin D (from sunlight) and vitamin B12 (from food)—diminishes with age, so people older than 50 often need 600 to 1,000 international units of vitamin D and at least 2.4 micrograms of B12 every day from a supplement,as part of a multivitamin, or from fortified foods. Other people with special nutritional needs who should definitely take a multivitamin include anyone who is pregnant, likely to become pregnant, or breast-feeding; anyone with a disorder that impairs digestion or absorption, such as colitis, ileitis, or pancreatitis; or anyone with a chronic, nutrient-depleting illness, such as cancer or AIDS.

This article first appeared in the November 2007 issue of Consumer Reports onHealth.

Comments

[FEDERICO A. PEREZ R.]

Excellent answer, particularly for those above 50 years of age.