Multivitamins, do they work?

[dr dave soul monsta]

The streoids are a big NO NO
Vitamins yes if taken by the RDA no worries (Recomended Daily Allowance)
taken in exess is only a waste as they will ony saturate and not be absorbed into the system ans as pointed ou previously may cause harm

[darwinian]

Nobody on a normal healthy diet needs multivitamins.
Those who need them are generally very poor or have very poor diets for other reasons (such as alcoholism).

[dr dave soul monsta]

Very few people eat a normal healthy diet these days

many processed foods contain little or no natural vitmins due to manufactur process most are enriched with vtamins, calciums etc as an selling point

[PeteC]

Very few people eat a normal healthy diet these days

many processed foods contain little or no natural vitmins due to manufactur process most are enriched with vtamins, calciums etc as a selling point

I agree. Who gets five servings of vegetables and five servings of fruit per day? That's really tough to do under any circumstances. You don't even get that much served to you in hospitals, zoos perhaps? My understanding is that you can't play catch up either, i.e., eat a truck load once every two weeks. A multiple per day won't hurt and it may help. I'm a big fan of Vitamin C when I have a cold, seems to knock it out quickly and prevents them when taken regularly. Pete

[buksida]

Nobody on a normal healthy diet needs multivitamins.
Those who need them are generally very poor or have very poor diets for other reasons (such as alcoholism).

Hence my question, I don't exactly get a daily dose of protein, iron, fish, liver, 5 fruits and vegetables, beta carotine, calcium, cocaine and m&m's and I wouldn't call myself an alcoholic either.

[migrant]

I started with multi vitamins a few years back. I eat pretty healthy, not a heavy drinker, but I think it has helped.

One can overdose on certain vitamins, but unless your diet is extreme, and contains very large doses of certain vitamins, then most multi's have enough leeway so no problems. My doctor had said it was a good back up.

[Guess]

The streoids are a big NO NO
Vitamins yes if taken by the RDA no worries (Recomended Daily Allowance)
taken in exess is only a waste as they will ony saturate and not be absorbed into the system ans as pointed ou previously may cause harm

That about sums it up in a nutshell. To specifyin more detail:


Vitamin. Any of the organic compounds required by the body in small amounts for metabolism, to protect health, and for proper growth in children. Vitamins also assist in the formation of hormones, blood cells, nervous-system chemicals, and genetic material. The various vitamins are not chemically related, and most differ in their physiological actions. They generally act as catalysts, combining with proteins to create metabolically active enzymes that in turn produce hundreds of important chemical reactions throughout the body. Without vitamins, many of these reactions would slow down or cease. The intricate ways in which vitamins act on the body, however, are still far from clear.

Which is the real answer to the OP. Currently we are just acting on a trial and error basis but learn more everyday.

Hormones. Chemicals that transfer information and instructions between cells. Often described as the body’s chemical messengers, hormones regulate growth and development, control the function of various tissues, support reproductive functions, and regulate metabolism (the process used to break down food to create energy). Hormones act more slowly than electrical impulses but the effects typically are maintained over a longer period of time. PMT is one of the most well known hormone related symptom and its purpose is still unknown to research although it could be a mechanism that has eveolved to regulate the number of human babies born to one mother.

It is hormones that are considered to cause periodical changes for women and irrational behaviour in men. There is a link between hormone prodcution and vitamin levels in the body.

Steroid research & knowledge is in its infancy and in many cases as stated already on this topic can be highly dangerous.

The summary is. All of these are essential for life. All required vitamins can be obtained in balanced quantities in a good diet for a healthy person although some people including myself have a problem with Vitamin D which requires supplimentation. This can only be discovered by a physician after detailed blood analysis so do not try to be your own doctor. If you are a English/American breakfast, Pie chips and gravy person then you probably do not get sufficient vitamins, and suppliments are advisable. I believe though for anybody in doubt it is OK to take the recommended dose of a multivitamin. You probably don't need it but all you have to lose is money. Do not excede the dose even with apparently harmless readily avbailable vitamins like Vitmain C.


As for Steroids. Avoid them at all costs. Production of these should be strictly monitored. Many athletes have suffered long term side effects from their usage as mentioned above. Flo Jo almost certainly died young as a result and Olga Corbett looked about 60 on her 40th birthday.

[karrinahogan]

I take a multi vitamin, and Cod Liver oil for my joints.
Even though I do eat fruit and veg, I dont think taking vitamins does any harm, and can only add to what I am eating anyway.