ITV’s Dr Amir Khan has issued guidance for those taking multivitamins. During a video appearance on Lorraine, which the NHS GP also shared on Instagram, he highlighted a common mistake made by people who take vitamin supplements.
Dr Khan explained: “Lots of people are not going to be happy about this, but there is no real evidence that taking a multivitamin every day if you have a nutritionally balanced diet has any beneficial effect. There’s no evidence that it reduces your risk of heart disease or any other kind of illnesses because you’re taking that multivitamin.”
“The one exception I always say is vitamin D during the winter months because we don’t get that from food, we get that from sunlight mainly, and there isn’t enough of that around, but everything else should be getting from food. The exceptions are pregnant women who need folic acid and sometimes iron for baby development.”
Dr Khan also noted that people over 60 may require supplements due to slowed absorption, as well as individuals with malabsorption or gut issues such as Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or those with a diagnosed nutritional deficiency.
The expert emphasised the importance of including healthy foods in our diets instead of relying on multivitamins, reports the Mirror. He said: “The kind of foods you should be focusing on are dark green leafy vegetables, really nutrient dense. If you’re not vegetarian or vegan, liver and eggs are super healthy and have lots of nutrients in them.
“Nuts and seeds, sweet potatoes are really good as well, and obviously omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, like salmon and tuna, and walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds. They will do you the world of good. So get your nutrition through food, don’t pull out those pills, go and have some walnuts instead.”
In his caption, Dr Khan clarified that he’s not suggesting people alter their routines if they’re content with them, stating: “Lots of people take multivitamins daily to help supplement their diet and nutrition- and if you feel it works for you, that’s good no need to change.”
“I know it feels healthy taking that supplement and in the past I’ve been guilty of it myself – but we should really focus on getting vitamins and minerals from wholefoods – that way you get all the other wonderful nutritional benefits these food have,” he added. His post concluded: “The evidence may change in the future and there is the very real question about whether our food still holds the nutritional value it once did – but for now focusing on a diet made up of lots of plants and whole foods is probably best.”