Should I Be Taking a Multivitamin?

There are some habits, such as drinking coffee, having a glass of red wine at dinner, or taking multivitamins, that seem to be constantly up for debate. One day, you read an article that suggests doing all of the above is totally fine, and another day, you’re left wondering if you should switch up your routine. The world of supplements and multivitamins is especially confusing. And unfortunately, the question of whether we should take a supplement doesn’t have a simple yes-or-no answer.

To get to the bottom of the multivitamin debate, we reached out to Lizzie Benge, M.D., a sleep medicine physician and faculty member at Harvard Medical School, who frequently counsels her patients on how to begin a supplement routine to benefit their health. 

“While multivitamins can provide essential nutrients, they aren’t universally beneficial for everyone,” Dr. Benge says. “Most healthy individuals can get the vitamins and minerals they need from a balanced diet.” That said, a few specific groups can benefit from adding vitamins into their daily routine, including those with dietary restrictions (such as vegans or vegetarians), people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, folks with conditions that affect nutrient absorption (such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease), and women over 50 who may need more calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. To ensure you’re taking the right balance of vitamins, see your doctor for a blood test so they can determine which, if any, you’re deficient in.

On the other hand, some people should avoid multivitamin use, Dr. Benge says, including those with certain medical conditions (such as kidney disease), people taking medications that can possibly interact with certain ingredients in supplements, and those who are already getting significant nutrients from their diets. “It's a good practice to always consult a health care provider before starting a vitamin or supplement,” Dr. Benge adds. “Just because something is available for purchase over the counter does not mean it is a safer or more benign substance to put in your body as compared to prescribed medications.”