As we get older, most of us add a multivitamin to our regular collection of medications. Is this wise? Is your multivitamin giving you enough protection from oxidative damage, or actually adding a little bit extra oxidation?

Multivitamins are the most widely consumed pills in America. The number of ingredients in these multivitamins has grown in recent years as new herbal remedies, minerals and nutrients become popular and are added to the formula. While a multivitamin is better than nothing, does it provide the amounts of important vitamins and nutrients that are needed to prevent the diseases and disorders of aging? Most multivitamins are formulated to include 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) of many vitamins and nutrients. But what does a RDA really mean?

How were the RDA's formulated?

Like everyone else, I was sure that the rationale behind these RDAs was the sum of years of scientific investigation on how these vitamins, minerals and nutrients could help us stay healthy and fit. When I took a closer look about 15 years ago, I was very surprised by what I found. Many RDAs were derived from landmark studies that looked at nutritional diseases, diseases caused by a lack of a specific vitamin, mineral or nutrient. For example, the RDA for vitamin C was determined by the minimal amount of this vitamin that would protect a group of medical students (human guinea pigs) from getting scurvy - a condition found in 19th century seamen and not found in today's aging population, even those on long cruises.

The RDA for vitamin C is 60 mg - not formulated based on 20th century living, but on a 19th century disease! What is needed today is not how much vitamin C it takes to protect us from a very rare 19th century disease, but the amount of vitamin C that will protect us from the common cold, cataracts, heart disease and specific cancers.

Like vitamin C, many RDAs were formulated as the minimum amounts of vitamins and minerals to protect against certain vitamin deficiencies, rather than the optimum amounts necessary for good health. Therefore, while the RDAs may protect us from rare diseases of the 19th and early 20th centuries, they may not be the best guides for successful aging in the 21st century. Don't despair; there is a glimmer of hope. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, which formulates the RDAs, is now developing Daily Reference Intakes (DRIs) for vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are directed at maximizing health and preventing diseases.

Are you taking daily oxidant supplements instead of antioxidants?

Many multivitamins contain iron and copper, two potent oxidants. Your goal for good health should be consuming antioxidants , not oxidants . While iron supplementation may be advisable for menstruating women or individuals with iron deficient anemia, there is no good reason for healthy men and non-menstruating women to take iron. If you are battling oxidation, why add a potent oxidant like iron to your diet? Also remember that having iron pills around the house can be dangerous - they are the leading cause of accidental poisoning in children who have wandered into their parent's medicine cabinets.

Throw in the kitchen sink

When I cook carrot almond soup, my specialty, I love to add new ingredients - a little cayenne pepper, basil, honey, white wine, soy sauce, and paprika. Sometimes I add too much and then the next time I adjust to add less. The list on the back of the multivitamin bottle keeps getting longer. Many multivitamin formulations just keep growing and include just about everything to their formulation that can fit into a single pill a day. Besides the RDAs for most vitamins and minerals, they include just about anything that becomes popular... ginkgo, selenium, ginseng, magnesium. I can't find any more scientific rationale for their concoctions than for my carrot almond soup, but I never make any health claims for my soup - maybe I should.

In summary, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good: If you don't eat enough vegetables and don't take any supplemental vitamins, taking a daily multivitamin is certainly better than doing nothing.
The Bad: They rarely contain sufficient amounts of vitamins C and E for adequate antioxidant protection.
The Ugly: They frequently contain iron and copper, two oxidants.

Information provided in this article is for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice furnished by your own physician or other medical professional. This content should not be utilized for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Before taking any health product, you should read carefully all product packaging. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Links

• Click here to read all the articles in this "Oxidative Damage" series
• Zinc and Copper: Seniors May Not Be Getting All They Need
• Complementary Medicine -- Types of Supplements
• The Food Guide Pyramid