Question: I recently started taking a multi-vitamin just to fill in the gaps in my nutrition. I am healthy, don’t eat many sweets or fatty foods, so my diet is pretty good. Is there any downside to taking a multi-vitamin?
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
Most multi-vitamin use is a waste of money. Taking a daily multi-vitamin offers little benefit to healthy people with no vitamin deficiencies.
Some vitamins, taken in excess, can even be harmful. Episodic use may be appropriate for some people, but chronic use discouraged in otherwise healthy individuals.
The only exceptions are during pregnancy, when prenatal items are advised to use for fetal health, and replacement multivitamins for those with deficient diets or certain health conditions.
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