Fact Sheets no. Healthy people can obtain all the vitamins and minerals they need from eating a variety of foods. Taking supplements does not guarantee protection against disease. Large doses of either single nutrient supplements or high potency vitamin-mineral combinations may be harmful.
Vitamin deficiency is rare unless a person's diet is limited and lacks variety.
Do not take self-prescribed single nutrient supplements without first consulting a physician or registered dietitian. With so much confusion about the food we eat, the following questions and related myths explain the value of food in comparison to vitamin and mineral supplement pills. About 37 percent of American adults take a multivitamin supplement each day because they think the food they eat lacks needed nutrients. With the quality and variety of food available in the United States, however, people can get the vitamins and minerals they need from food. Our food supply provides a unique balance that cannot be duplicated by taking any combination of supplements.