Every so often high-impact headlines broadcast how multivitamins are a waste of money or even bad for you. There are multiple issues with such headlines that hit the news every so often. I have listed some of the key points below:

1 – there are multiple synthetic, poor quality supplements in the market that have no health benefits, but equally there are those that have gone through rigorous testing with a choice of natural ingredients for improved bioavailability, remembering that the bioavailability also depends on the gut health and other circumstances of the individual.

2 – Looking at many of these studies in more detail, they expect multivitamins to prevent cognitive decline, cancer, cardiovascular events, and death. Well, wouldn’t that be the magic pill? There is no such single pharmaceutical drug that would prevent such serious diseases and it is unreasonable to expect a multivitamin that is designed to help to balance selected vitamin and mineral levels to have such powers over a vast variety of other simultaneous health, dietary, and lifestyle influences.

3 – Commonly the studies supporting these headlines are funded by pharmaceutical companies that have long campaigned against the nutritional supplement industry. Enough said.

What can you do?

– Eat a varied, healthy diet with good, clean, organic/free-range ingredients. Food always comes first, as does the active lifestyle!

– Don’t waste your money on cheap, synthetic supplements! Talk to your nutrition professional to find out if supplements are right for you and if so, they will advise on the most suitable choices for you and your circumstances.