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Do Vitamin Supplements Really Work?

Your body needs vitamins and minerals for growth and maintenance and it is unable to produce adequate amounts of them. Health-conscious individuals turn to healthy diets and supplementation to meet this need. According to a 2007 national survey, 52 percent of U.S. adults used some sort of supplement in the previous month. With health issues regarding cardiovascular disease, cancers and obesity, Americans are reaching for supplementation to increase their health and decrease their risk of disease.

  1. Bioavailability of Supplements

    • Bioavailability refers to the amount of a nutrient that is actually absorbed by the body. In general, the body better absorbs vitamins and minerals from natural food sources, but this doesn't mean that vitamin supplements are ineffective. For example, Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 are the supplemental version of Vitamin D. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, both of these supplements are readily absorbed. If you are unable to get enough Vitamin D through your diet, then a supplement can help make up the difference. The same holds true for other vitamins and minerals. Some supplements are more readily absorbed than others. For example, calcium citrate is sometimes better absorbed than calcium carbonate.

    Improving Absorption

    • In general, vitamins in supplements are less absorbed than the vitamins in whole foods. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, taking vitamin supplements along with food can increase their absorption. Also, you may consider reducing your amount of caffeine consumption. Caffeine can decrease your vitamin and mineral absorption, especially for calcium, and increase their excretion.

    Additional Considerations

    • Because you can get all of your vitamin and mineral needs through your diet, vitamin supplements are not necessary. However, if you don't eat nutritiously, then you may want to consider a multivitamin. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you consume less than 1,600 calories daily, are a vegetarian or pregnant/breastfeeding, multivitamins can also be beneficial. Other people who should consider multivitamins are postmenopausal women, those who heavily bleed during menstruation, individuals with conditions that affect nutrient absorption and people who had digestive tract surgeries.

    Supplements and Cardiovascular Disease

    • In 2003 a review published by the Annals of Internal Medicine stated that examined, randomized clinical trials did not show definitive evidence in the reduction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among participants who took vitamin supplements. There is a correlation with Vitamin E supplements and CVD rates among animal trials, but the same deduction couldn't be drawn for Vitamin E and people. The study of the impact of multivitamins on the occurrence of CVD was also reviewed, but studies showed mixed results, which led the article to conclude that multivitamins don't provide a "significant benefit in the primary or secondary prevention of CVD."

    Argument for Whole Foods

    • Vitamin supplements are often a great addition to your diet. However, by definition, multivitamins are "intended to supplement the diet" (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act). Vitamins are not substitutes for getting nutrients through whole foods. According to the Mayo Clinic, whole foods provide several vitamins and minerals rather than the few found in vitamin supplements. Secondly, they are a great source of fiber. And lastly, whole foods have nutrients beyond what is provided in supplements, such as phytochemicals. Supplements do not have all the nutrients that the body needs.

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