Are Multi-Vitamins bad for you?

Are multi-vitamins bad for you? Anything good or bad about a particular brand? Do you really need them or are they just a marketing ploy?

In moderation they are good. If you eat a typical western diet it is recommended to take a multi vit that is contains 100% of your recommended dail alowance. However too much can be counter productive or even fatal. For instance too much vit E can thin the blood and even promote hemoraging if you are a regular user of anti coagulants like warfarin or aspirin.

I notice when I do not take a multi vitamin for a few weeks I tend to get a crack on the side of my mouth.

This happened a few times, thus now I just take the damn vitamin and then I don't have that happen.

Real or imagined effects, don't know, but eh, I only buy the grocery store brand multivitamin on sale too.

Your body needs vitamins. Varies depending on factors such as age, sex and how physically active you are. Are they bad? Your body needs vitamins. However, it has to be done in moderation. Taking too much of anything can spell trouble. Do you need to take a multi-vitamin? Of course not you can get everything you need from the local grocery store, but most americans do not get their recommended daily amount from the foods they typically eat...which is why they take a multi-vitamin pill. Marketing ploy? maybe some of that =)



[edit on 103131p://24u49 by Lucid Lunacy]