Not everyone manages to eat the recommended 250 grams of vegetables and 200 grams of fruit per day, and some try to make up for that with a multivitamin. But does it actually work?
Missing the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) now and then isn’t a big deal. Every person is different and has slightly different vitamin needs. The RDI is set to meet the needs of almost everyone. Still, it’s important to aim to meet these recommendations as much as possible—vitamins and minerals play roles in countless bodily processes, and deficiencies can lead to unpleasant symptoms.
For some vitamins, taking supplements is even officially recommended. For example, vitamin D is advised for women over 50, men over 70, young children, people with darker skin tones or who cover their skin, and those who rarely go outside. Vitamin B12 is important for people who eat little or no animal products, and folic acid is recommended for women trying to conceive.
Certain medications can also increase your vitamin needs, since long-term use may affect metabolism or how your body absorbs and uses vitamins and minerals.
On the flip side, some supplements don’t offer the same health benefits as their natural sources. For example, fish oil capsules don’t protect against cardiovascular disease the way actual fish does.
Also, the dosage in supplements is not always appropriate. The RDI for vitamin C is 70 milligrams, but many supplements contain 1000 mg. That’s unnecessary and not absorbed by the body. For vitamin C, the excess is excreted and relatively harmless. But that’s not true for all vitamins: too much vitamin B6 can cause numbness, and too much magnesium can lead to digestive issues.