CLAIM: 

Stop taking multivitamins as you can get dependent on them and they offer no health benefits

FACT: 

Most research studies show little to no benefit from multivitamin use; however, some dieticians say that  multivitamins can be a useful addition for individuals with restrictive diets, and busy lifestyles. 

A YouTube video with over 3 million views and more than 2,000 comments has been doing the rounds on social media, which urges people to not take multivitamins, as it can cause dependency and is not beneficial.

“If you consume multivitamins, then stop it from today itself," says Bhawesh Gupta, a dietician, in the video posted by his channel called DietTube India.

"A lot of brands approach me for multivitamin promotion, who’re willing to offer me a lucrative deal for even a single video. You would have never noticed me promoting multivitamins. Because the thing that I myself do not recommend, I will never promote that on my page," he says, while adding that many people "develop a dependence on multivitamins."

"They think that once they’ve consumed a multivitamin, they would never experience any nutrient deficiency. But in multivitamins tablets, mostly vitamins and minerals are underdosed. If you are deficient in Vitamin D, B12, Magnesium, Calcium, and Iron then multivitamins are useless. Further, in multivitamins some vitamins and minerals interfere in each other's absorption, because of which one is not able to absorb the vitamins and minerals present in multivitamins a 100%," he adds.

Gupta goes on to urge people to stop taking multivitamins and instead "fix one’s overall diet and after that supplement the nutrients you are deficient in."

First Check looked into the claims closely, so that you don't have to.

What are multivitamins?

In today’s hectic life, missing out on the warmth of home-cooked meals has become common. To make-up for the missing nutritional content—vitamins and minerals—many healthcare providers advice their patients a short-term or prolonged use of multivitamins.

Due to the lack of standardization as to what constitutes a multivitamin, there’s no clarity around their composition.

"Because of the lack of a standardized MVM (multivitamin)  definition, a product could be considered a MVM even if it includes a vast majority of nonvitamin or nonmineral ingredients as long as it contains a few vitamins and minerals,” according to a 2013 study.

The multivitamins are generally designed to help meet the recommended daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals needed for the body to function well. The multivitamins could be broad spectrum that contain all or most vitamins and minerals. Or they could contain only some of them in substantially higher amounts than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).

The RDA is the average daily amount of nutrients that is enough to meet the needs of nearly all healthy people in a specific age, sex, life stage, or physiological condition.

Finally, there are specialized multivitamins for purposes like boosting energy or improving athletic performance.

Are multivitamins safe?

Regulations for supplements vary widely between regions, but consumer safety is a priority. In India, multivitamins are governed by the Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, and Prebiotic and Probiotic Food) Regulations, 2022. The regulations prohibit claims about preventing, treating, or curing health conditions unless the product is sold as a drug.

However, early this year, the government admitted that the norms on health supplements were not adequate, and formed a high-level panel to recommend a framework. Submitting its report last month, the panel suggested bringing health supplements under drug laws, and greater scrutiny of their claims.

Should you take multivitamins?

Individuals found deficient in Vitamins D, B12, and B6 should take specific supplements, not necessarily multi-vitamins. Strict vegans are found deficient in Vitamin B12; older adults are found lacking in Vitamin D, and individuals with renal/ kidney disorders are found lacking in Vitamin B6. For all others, a balanced diet over any other form of supplement is strongly recommended.

However, there is some disagreement whether they are beneficial for general use.

There is no evidence to suggest that taking multivitamins provides significant health benefits. They do not reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer. They  also do not lower the risk of mental decline.

According to a study published in 2013, in Annals of Internal medicine, “the most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, and they should be avoided”.

These observations are further corroborated in a study titled, “For healthy adults, taking multivitamins daily is not associated with a lower risk of death”.

“The analysis showed that people who took multivitamins did not have a lower risk of death from any cause than people who took no multivitamins. There was also no mortality from cancer, heart disease, or cerebrovascular diseases,” the study found.

Further, excess of vitamins such as vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin can lead to feelings such as dizziness, nausea, headaches, and the like.

Bharathi Kumar, a dietician at Fortis Hospital in Bangalore told First Check, however, said that multivitamins can be a useful addition for individuals with restrictive diets, and busy lifestyles.

“The use of multivitamins has become increasingly popular as a way to supplement one's diet and maintain overall health. Multivitamins contain a combination of essential vitamins and minerals that can help fill nutritional gaps and support immune function, energy production, and overall well-being,” she said.

“While multivitamins should not replace a balanced diet, they can be a useful addition for individuals with restrictive diets, busy lifestyles, or those who struggle to get enough nutrients from whole foods alone,” Kumar added.

Also read: EXPLAINER: What are fixed dose combination drugs and why are they a health risk - First Check

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