Multivitamins Vs. Individual Vitamins: Which Is The Healthier Option?

You've likely heard advice to "take your vitamins." But with more supplements constantly appearing on the market and an aisle of vitamins at the store, each distinctively labeled to promote various health benefits, figuring out which vitamins you should be taking may feel like an unsolvable conundrum. According to WebMD, approximately half of adults in the United States take some form of vitamin, whether individual vitamin, multivitamin, or supplement. However, each person on the planet is unique, and so is their health. This means that when it comes to choosing vitamins and supplements, your individual health will determine which option is right for you. Since you don't want to take a vitamin that could cause an imbalance in your body, even if you hear that the vitamin has a lot of great health benefits, knowing the benefits and drawbacks of multivitamins versus individual vitamins can help you make the decision that is best for your health.

Deciding if you should take a multivitamin or an individual vitamin comes down to whether or not you're getting enough of the daily amount of the nutrients you need to keep your body at its best. Vitamins are meant to be taken when there are gaps in nutrition, such as a known deficiency of a specific nutrient, per WebMD. To figure out if you need to take a vitamin, you'll want to look at your overall diet and if you're meeting recommended daily values. 

A good rule when it comes to figuring out if you should take an individual vitamin is to consider the individual nutrient deficiencies you may have or how you may benefit from the vitamin. You'll want to be certain not to overdo it, though, as taking too much of any one vitamin or nutrient can cause potential toxicity in your body (via Total Shape). For instance, iron is an individual vitamin that can be taken when someone has an iron deficiency, such as women who experience low iron levels during their menstrual cycles or while pregnant, but taking too much iron could cause toxicity in the bloodstream. This is why it's important to determine if your body is nutrient deficient or if your vitamin levels are up to par before taking extra vitamins.

Some of the most common vitamin deficiencies adults experience are iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, per Healthline. Luckily, there are many at-home tests that you can use to determine if you have a deficiency, as well as options to test for deficiencies at your doctor's office. Purchasing an at-home vitamin deficiency test can be a good idea for anyone, but it could be particularly helpful for people who are experiencing symptoms of a deficiency. While different deficiencies come with their own unique symptoms, commonly shared symptoms of many vitamin deficiencies include lethargic behavior, trouble with concentration and memory, frequent headaches, nail breakage, mood instability, unexplained weight loss, and generally feeling weak.

Of all American adults who take some sort of vitamin or supplement, approximately a third choose a multivitamin, as reported by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Multivitamins are comprehensive vitamins that are usually taken orally and sold over-the-counter in the forms of tablets, liquid pills, powder capsules, or as liquids or powders to be mixed into food or beverages. Multivitamins are a good option for some people who may have nutritional deficiencies or eat an unhealthy diet, but they aren't necessary for everyone to take, since many people get enough nutrients and vitamins through their regular diet. 

A diet rich in whole foods like vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and lean proteins will be more likely to fulfill your daily nutritional needs. In this case, you may not need to take a vitamin at all. For people who don't consume a balanced diet on a regular basis, or if a person is on a liquid diet, then they may not get the nutrients they need to meet the daily recommended amounts, and a multivitamin may be able to fill that gap. Of course, working alongside your doctor or a nutritionist to determine if you have nutritional deficiencies is always the best way to go about making your vitamin decision.