Multivitamins and ABCs of Nutrition: You know less than you think
Written by Gloria Tsang, RD of HealthCastle.com
Published in January 2008
(HealthCastle.com) Sixty-seven percent of Americans believe they are very knowledgeable or somewhat knowledgeable about multivitamins, according to a survey released by the not-for-profit National Women's Health Resource Center. However, many do not know which vitamins and minerals are essential for the body, or which vitamins and minerals are responsible for specific functions in the body.
ABCs of Nutrition: You know less than you think
When asked which vitamin or mineral is essential for calcium absorption in the body, more than a third of those surveyed said they were not sure. (The answer is Vitamin D.) And most surprisingly, when asked to identify vitamins and minerals that are not essential, only 44% correctly recognized that arsenic – a poison! – is not an essential nutrient.
In fact, about a quarter of Americans (24%) believe they get the vitamins and minerals they need through diet alone. And although 51% of the individuals surveyed said they take a multivitamin, most of them do not know which vitamins and minerals are essential for their bodies.
Multivitamins - Yay or Nay?
"It depends," experts said. We reported that a National Institutes of Health panel of experts released a statement about multivitamins on May 17, 2006. The experts concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support a recommendation either for or against taking multivitamins, leaving many of us puzzled.
Bottom Line
Taking a multivitamin daily is important to ensure optimum nutritional status for a certain population – particularly pregnant and lactating women, or those with specific chronic diseases. For people older than 50 (men and women), a multivitamin or calcium/Vitamin D supplement may be warranted, as foods alone may be not able to deliver adequate calcium and Vitamin D to meet their increased needs. For safety reasons, always choose a multivitamin that is gender-appropriate and age-appropriate. Always speak to your doctor or dietitian before starting a new supplement.
Since fortified foods are widely available, the NIH expert panel recommended choosing a multivitamin with ingredients less than 100 percent of the daily value (% DV) to avoid toxicity.
(HealthCastle.com) Sixty-seven percent of Americans believe they are very knowledgeable or somewhat knowledgeable about multivitamins, according to a survey released by the not-for-profit 
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