Do I need a multivitamin?

Multivitamins are combinations of vitamins that often also contain minerals and sometimes include other ingredients such as herbs. Most multivitamins contain a variety of ingredients. However, not all formulations are 'complete' multivitamin-multimineral supplements (i.e. provide a significant quantity of each vitamin and mineral), and there are regulations in the UK that define what must be present in a supplement in order to claim they are 'complete' in this way.

People take multivitamins for a number of different reasons:

• To ensure they are receiving all the nutrients their body needs each day, in combination with a healthy diet
• To help maintain overall health and fitness
• To help maintain vitality and help maintain good health as their age increases
• If they are athletes who need to ensure a regular supply of essential nutrients
• As a nutritional insurance policy to supplement what an individual may consider to be a poor diet
• When their diet may be lower in certain nutrients e.g. during slimming
• To help combat the effects of smoking on nutritional status