Vitamin Supplements Efficacy

Discussions center on the effectiveness of vitamin supplements and multivitamins, debating their benefits primarily for those with deficiencies versus potential harm or lack of value for the general population, often contrasting with whole food sources.

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Keywords

iodine.htm PMC9459956 PMC10143675 www.ncbi nlm.nih IM DALY wikipedia.org B12 youtube.com supplements vitamin deficiency iron diet levels nutritional pills taking supplement

Sample Comments

ajay-b Nov 11, 2020 View on HN

Wouldn’t they not be beneficial for vitamin deficiency ?

layer8 Jun 7, 2025 View on HN

They are talking about vitamin supplements specifically.

Wasn't this only about supplementation?

arcticbull Nov 11, 2020 View on HN

Right, sure, that aligns with what I suggested. That if you have a nutritional deficiency, they may be useful, but 86% of Americans take vitamins or some other nutritional supplements, but only 20-something percent of them have been diagnosed with any kind of condition indicating they may need them.The analysis needs to come from the other direction: take one vitamin, and prove it does something. Don't load people up with 20 vitamins and hope. Here's a great breakdown of the state o

kimmik Jan 27, 2023 View on HN

What was in that multivitamin you took? Interesting anecdote but I worry you are throwing the baby out.

sydthrowaway Jun 20, 2022 View on HN

What supplements help for this?

vvpan Aug 4, 2023 View on HN

General problem with "supplements" I imagine.

stabbles Nov 5, 2025 View on HN

Funny how the first suggestion is supplements, the second whole foods.

dundarious Sep 1, 2023 View on HN

Would it not be more accurate to say, “they must be avoided in vitamin supplement form”?

wodenokoto Jun 24, 2021 View on HN

Why “a little bit” of vitamins? I would expect “top of recommendations if not more”