It’s not just the people in San Antonio, TX, who are spending their money on multivitamins. People across the United States spend about $12 million every year on multivitamins. Half the general population takes multivitamins and for the population over 65, that percentage goes from 50% to 70%. There are a plethora of multivitamins from which to choose. In fact, it’s a multimillion dollar industry that grew dramatically during the covid-19 epidemic with a 19.6% sales growth for women, a 33.7% growth for men and a 37.2% growth for children from the end of 2019 to the end of 2020.
Do multivitamins provide benefits?
Three recent studies were reviewed by nutrition experts at John Hopkins and concluded that multivitamins may be a waste of money. The total number of people in the three studies was over 457,000. One studied the potential to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. One followed people recovering from a heart attack and the potential for a future heart attack and death. The third studied the effect of multivitamins on reducing mental decline. All three studies showed the same results. Taking multivitamins, compared to a placebo, did not reduce the risk of coronary disease, cancer or mental decline. It also did not increase life expectancy or reduce the risk of a second event after a heart attack.
Healthy eating has proven far more beneficial.
There are a lot of reasons healthy eating is far superior to taking a vitamin and mineral supplement. Even though some foods contain nutrients that can help prevent some conditions, like heart disease, and others can help bring relief from illness or disease, isolating the nutrient doesn’t bring the same results. That occurs for a number of reasons. One of those is the synergy of phytonutrients and vitamins. The total benefit of the combination of phytochemicals, like anthocyanin, is greater than the benefit of each individually. Most vitamins don’t contain phytochemicals, like anthocyanin, which gives color to red, blue and purple fruits and vegetables.
Absorption is a problem with many multivitamins sold.
Vitamins are created to have a longer shelf life, but to do any good, they have to disintegrate quickly, within 20 minutes. Most multivitamins don’t, so they’re often intact and flushed out in fecal matter. One of the reasons is the binders and fillers used. Another is the hard coating many have to prevent moisture from entering. One final problem with taking multivitamins is that they often have sweeteners, particularly liquid vitamins and chewable ones. The sweeteners can block absorption of some vitamins.
- You can overdo vitamins. High doses of vitamins can be dangerous, particularly if taken over a prolonged period. You can’t overdo vitamins when they’re in the food you eat.
- Not all vitamins are bad or unnecessary. As people age, their body may be less able to absorb certain vitamins. Vitamin D is another vitamin that’s often deficit, particularly for people living in northern areas.
- There are some multivitamins that are better than others for your body. Normally, the ones that are most beneficial can also be extremely expensive. It’s far more economical to eat healthier.
- Another vitamin that’s often recommended for women of child bearing age is folic acid. Taking folic acid before and during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects.
For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio