Ochsner.org

While multivitamins have become increasingly popular over the past few decades, most vitamins should come from a healthy and balanced diet.

Ochsner family medicine physician Dr. Chad Braden said maintaining a healthy diet is the key to proper vitamin intake.

“In general, what I recommend to patients is if they have a healthy, well rounded diet and if they have no other specific medical conditions, they really don’t need to take any particular vitamins,” Dr. Braden said.  “They certainly can for peace of mind, but they should avoid the high dose multivitamins.”

People who do choose to take a multivitamin should stick to well-known brands to reduce the risk of unknown contaminants and ensure that they’re taking the vitamins they intended to take.

“Vitamins are not regulated by the FDA like prescription medications are. There is a greater risk that you may not know what it is you’re buying,” he said.  “You have no way of knowing if what they say on the label is correct or not.”

Dr. Braden said he does recommend certain vitamins to each of his patients to make sure they get the correct daily percentage of calcium and vitamin D.

He also recommends that women who are at childbearing age and women who are pregnant take folic acid supplements daily.

Breastfed infants may need extra iron after six months, which can be added to foods like fortified cereal, Braden said. Breastfed babies also need fluoride and vitamin D added to their diet.

“Older kids, just like adults, typically don’t necessarily need to take multivitamins if they have a well-balanced diet,” Dr. Braden said.  “It depends on the patient, but sometimes there are reasons to take extra vitamins.”

Gastrointestinal diseases often lead to insufficient absorption of vitamins from food, and people who are on strict vegetarian or vegan diets also aren’t receiving necessary vitamins, Dr. Braden said. These people are good candidates to take multivitamins, but proof that multivitamins make a significant difference for the average person has been inconclusive so far.

“In general, for all ages, a healthy diet is the best way to get your vitamins and minerals,” Dr. Braden said.  “If you have special medical conditions you need to talk to your doctor about the appropriate supplements, but in general your vitamins should come from your diet.”

To learn more about functions of the 13 essential vitamins and how you can absorb them through your diet, click here.