{"id":91347,"date":"2025-10-22T16:05:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T16:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/91347\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T16:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T16:05:10","slug":"whether-you-should-take-a-multivitamin-or-individual-supplement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/91347\/","title":{"rendered":"Whether You Should Take A Multivitamin Or Individual Supplement"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated5 min read<\/p>\n

When your supplement stack starts taking up not one, but two shelves in your kitchen, you might have the thought: Can’t I just take a multivitamin<\/a>?<\/p>\n

As a refresher, multivitamins often contain dozens of vitamins and minerals<\/a>, like B vitamins, calcium, iron<\/a>, and magnesium<\/a>. On the other hand, individual supplements contain a single vitamin or mineral. Both types of supplements have their benefits and drawbacks: Multivitamins tend to be more cost effective, but it can be a lot to take eight individual supplements every night.<\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Vanessa King<\/a>, RDN, is a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Brintha Vasagar<\/a>, MD, is a family physician based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

Ahead, find out the pros and cons of taking multivitamins and individual supplements, and which one you should choose\u2014if either\u2014per a dietitian and doctor.<\/p>\n

MultivitaminsProsThey can help you meet nutrient requirements. \u201cIf your diet isn\u2019t well-balanced or your body has trouble absorbing specific nutrients, multivitamins can help you get the elements your body needs to thrive,\u201d says Dr. Vasagar.They offer extra nutrients. Some people\u2014such as those with health conditions (like inflammatory bowel disease<\/a>) or who are pregnant or breastfeeding\u2014may have increased nutrient needs, and taking a multivitamin can help, King says. Multivitamins can give you those nutrients in just one capsule.They\u2019re (relatively) inexpensive. You can pop one pill and get several nutrients, which is more convenient and cost effective than racking up several bottles of individual supplements, according to Harvard Medical School<\/a>.Related StoriesConsThey\u2019re often unnecessary. If you eat a balanced diet and don\u2019t have a nutrient deficiency, you\u2019re probably getting all the nutrients you need, Dr. Vasagar says.They\u2019re missing some nutrients. Even though they contain a combo of nutrients, multivitamins don\u2019t include everything\u2014for instance, King says they usually don\u2019t include omega-3<\/a> fatty acids, which are essential nutrients that your body can\u2019t produce enough of on its own<\/a>. They may contain excessive amounts of certain nutrients. Multivitamins contain amounts of vitamins that are generally considered safe, but it\u2019s still possible to get too much of certain nutrients, King says. In most instances, the body will process the excess vitamins, and you\u2019ll pee them out, Dr. Vasagar says. However, fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K are an exception\u2014they can build up in the body<\/a> and potentially cause toxicity with symptoms like nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and increase your risk for liver and heart problems, she adds.\"Super<\/a>Thorne Super EPA Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplement<\/p>\n

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Individual SupplementsProsThey can treat specific deficiencies. \u201cIf you\u2019re deficient in one vitamin, it\u2019s best to focus on increasing your dietary intake of that vitamin or taking that specific supplement,\u201d Dr. Vasagar says. A blood test performed by your doctor will identify any deficiencies, and doctors can help you understand how much of a supplement you should take. Similarly, they can help when you need more of a nutrient than a multivitamin provides, King says. For example, during pregnancy, you may need extra iron or folate<\/a>, or as you get older, you may struggle to absorb vitamin B12, D, and other essential nutrients. ConsThey may provide too much of a nutrient. If you\u2019re not deficient, individual supplements could provide too much of one vitamin or mineral, Dr. Vasagar says. This could potentially lead to toxicity, which can result in unpleasant symptoms like the ones named above. You might have to take a lot of pills each day. That could be unpleasant and expensive. \u201cSome find it easier to stick with a multi rather than multiple single nutrients\u201d for those reasons, King says.Related StoriesSo, which type of supplement should you choose?<\/p>\n

If you eat a healthy, balanced diet and don\u2019t have a nutrient deficiency, you likely don\u2019t need to take any supplements at all, Dr. Vasagar says. But a few groups are at a high risk for deficiencies and may need a multivitamin or individual supp: <\/p>\n

Pregnant people. They\u2019re encouraged to take prenatal vitamins<\/a>, a type of multivitamin which typically includes B vitamins, calcium, iron, and more, King says. Doctors recommend these vitamins<\/a> for healthy fetal growth and development, and to minimize pregnancy complications. Babies and children. Pediatricians often recommend<\/a> that babies take vitamin D supplements<\/a>. Kids who eat little to no meat should take a multivitamin with iron, and those who don\u2019t eat animal products should take vitamin B12 and iron, per the Boston Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a>. Children who don\u2019t eat dairy or much calcium should opt for calcium and vitamin D<\/a> supplements, and those who don\u2019t eat many fruits or vegetables, or lack other key nutrients, may need a multivitamin.People over 60. Nutrient absorption can decline as you age, which can lead to deficiencies<\/a>, such as in calcium or vitamin B12. Taking a multivitamin or individual supplements could help, Dr. Vasagar says.People with restrictive diets. If you avoid certain food groups, such as meat or dairy, you may need to supplement nutrients<\/a> like calcium or vitamin B12, either via a multivitamin or individual supplement, Dr. Vasagar says.Related Stories<\/p>\n

Just make sure to check in with your doctor or a registered dietitian if you\u2019re worried about a nutrient deficiency or are unsure which vitamins or supplements to take, King says. <\/p>\n

Best Practices For Supplementation: If you want to take any supp, always read the product label. \u201cSome vitamins may contain megadoses many times greater than your daily needs,\u201d says King. And if you opt for a multivitamin, check that it contains the right amounts of the specific vitamins or minerals you need. Also note that supplements aren\u2019t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the way medications are, she says. Look for items with third-party certifications<\/a> from NSF International, USP, and other organizations; that way, they will have been tested to make sure they contain only the nutrients you need.<\/p>\n

Supplements can definitely be helpful in some cases, King says. But the best way to go? Consuming a balanced diet full of all the nutrients that will help keep you healthily moving and grooving.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Erica Sweeney is a writer who mostly covers health, wellness and careers. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Parade, Money, Business Insider and many more.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"5 min read When your supplement stack starts taking up not one, but two shelves in your kitchen,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91348,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[1974,61684,637,1345,163,85,46,1975,543,61683],"class_list":["post-91347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-content-type-how-to-service","tag-contentid-733e55c0-ec58-4da4-8937-9948435a01dd","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-locale-us","tag-nutrition","tag-shorttitle-should-you-take-a-multivitamin-or-individual-supplement"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91347\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}