Are Multivitamins Really Worth It?

Working in the hospital is a humbling experience. It makes one to see life in a very different perspective. This post was inspired by a patient. I was having a typical Wednesday morning at work, with a smile in place while quoting the medication bills to the patients when I came across a woman. With the usual smiles I said: “Madam, your bill is two thousand naira”, then I moved on to the next patient as I thought the woman had gone to pay at the cash point. A barely audible murmur by the woman: “Please I don’t have enough money” drew my attention back to her. I got her prescription and realized that majority of her drugs were multivitamins…I mean those very expensive multivitamins. I clerked her to find out what the matter was and I got the shock of my life. This woman has been on these multivitamins for a very long time just for the reason of increased vitality. On further questioning I got to know that she hardly affords her daily meals but goes to any length to get these multivitamins (borrowing, inclusive).

Let’s get oriented
Multivitamins are nutritional supplements that include a combination of vitamins and often minerals. Originally designed to protect against micronutrient deficiencies resulting from inadequate dietary intake, multivitamins’ application has been broadened over time. Now not only do you have vitamins to supplement nutrient deficiencies, but products with specialized formulas which are claimed to meet a variety of goals including: increasing performance, aiding in weight loss, protecting against cancer and other diseases. Can vitamins do all that or is it just a bogus marketing game by pharmaceutical companies?

Multivitamins have found their uses since time immemorial in the medical field. The administration of Vitamin B12 and folic acid to a patient with megaloblastic anaemia can be likened to dew drops on parched leaves. This goes to say that multivitamins can be life saving in some circumstances. Despite the above information, I strongly advise against the routine use of multivitamins, particularly in patients that can’t afford them comfortably like the case of the woman we met in the beginning. A plate of well garnished diet would have benefitted the woman better than the pills. Exceptions to this are seen in patients who are a part of a special population (like pregnant women) that have been proven to benefit greatly from these multivitamins.

Most of the vitamins needed by the body can be derived from diet in someone that eats right. Why then do we prefer to spend more on drugs when we can invest a little percentage of the money on diet? Moreover it’s been shown that synthetic vitamins can have slight structural and functional differences from the natural vitamins which makes it less effective than the natural. Now, from a biased point of view, why would I want to take drugs when I can achieve a better result with a palatable meal? Now I can hear someone say…A pharmacist? Indifferent to drugs?? I’ll like to remind you that those multivitamin tablets don’t contain only the vitamins, they are also made of other excipients which are metabolized by the liver. I know you don’t like the idea of stressing the liver.

The popular notion is that multivitamins are relatively harmless and can be taken at any dose, well I’m sorry to burst your bubble but some vitamins when taken at very high doses can cause more harm than good. Even if it was harmless, what is the point of taking very high potency vitamin C (a water soluble vitamin, which isn’t stored in the body) when it will just be excreted the next minute.
Multivitamins are beneficial but shouldn’t be seen as a magic drug. Multivitamins don’t guarantee good health, but to a larger extent, a good lifestyle and diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can.

Post Scriptum: Arguments, both for and against the post are welcome