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Why take a multivitamin?
The verdict is in. Even if you eat a healthy, balanced diet, the long-term benefits of taking a multi-vitamin are too important to ignore.
There continues to be a substantial amount of data coming from medical researchers and from the large observational studies (Framingham Heart Study, Nurses Health Study, Alameda County Health Study), that show that good nutrition and nutritional supplements play a vital role in wellness and disease prevention.
The aforementioned studies have shown that people who supplement a healthy diet with a multi-vitamin have lower incidences of breast and colon cancers, heart disease, and age related macular degeneration.
More and more people are convinced that diet itself, given the fast-paced and stressful environments we live in today, is inadequate to supply all the nutrients needed and are taking supplements to prevent disease, boost energy, and promote general feelings of well-being.
The National Academy of Science finally recommended that large segments of the population take vitamins. All women of child-bearing age should take a daily folic acid supplement to cut the risk of serious birth defects, and all older adults should take daily vitamin B12 supplements to guard against anemia.
Vitamin supplements are the best way for Americans 51 and older to ensure that they consume enough vitamin B12, according to the academy's recommendations, because 10 percent to 30 percent of older Americans lose their ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food, which can cause anemia, a chronic condition that can lead to serious health problems.
Although both vitamins are available naturally in foods, the academy took the step to recommend vitamins because even people who eat a well balanced diet may have difficulty getting all the nutrients they need from food.
References: The Doctors' Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia
Sheldon Saul Handler, MD, The Washington Post
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