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Multivitamins are supplements that contain multiple vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients in varying amounts. Ingredients vary by product.
Multivitamins are intended to supplement the diet by providing nutrients that might be lacking in foods. There's no standard definition for multivitamins in the US. Supplements are often called a "multivitamin" if they contain three or more vitamins and/or minerals.
People most often use multivitamins for improving general health and well-being. They are also used for vision loss, heart disease, cancer, memory, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.
Don't confuse multivitamins with prenatal vitamins. These are not the same.
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In patients at high risk of developing advanced AMD, taking specific multivitamins may reduce loss of vision acuity and reduce the risk of disease progression.
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- Cardiovascular disease (CVD). Taking multivitamins does not appear to reduce the risk of primary or secondary CVD or cardiovascular events.
Login for details - Overall mortality. Most clinical research shows that taking multivitamins does not prevent mortality in adults or children.
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- Alzheimer disease. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial in patients with Alzheimer disease.
Login for details - Breast cancer. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing breast cancer.
Login for details - Cancer. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing or treating cancer.
Login for details - Canker sores. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial in patients with canker sores.
Login for details - Cataracts. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing cataracts.
Login for details - Cognitive function. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for improving cognitive function; research is conflicting.
Login for details - Colorectal cancer. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing colorectal cancer.
Login for details - Ebola virus disease. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial in patients with Ebola virus disease.
Login for details - Esophageal cancer. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing or treating esophageal cancer.
Login for details - HIV/AIDS. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial in children or adults with HIV/AIDS.
Login for details - Hypertension. It is unclear if oral multivitamins reduce the risk of hypertension.
Login for details - Lung cancer. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing lung cancer.
Login for details - Myocardial infarction (MI). It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing either a primary or secondary MI.
Login for details - Osteoporosis. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing osteoporotic fractures.
Login for details - Prostate cancer. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing prostate cancer; most of the available research has found no benefit.
Login for details - Quality of life. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for improving quality of life.
Login for details - Stress. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for reducing stress.
Login for details - Stroke. It is unclear if oral multivitamins are beneficial for preventing stroke.
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When taken by mouth: Multivitamins are likely safe when used in amounts that don't exceed recommended vitamin and nutrient intakes. But be careful when taking a multivitamin along with other nutrient sources. This can cause some people to get too much of certain nutrients. See specific ingredients for more detailed safety information.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Multivitamins are likely safe when taken by mouth at recommended nutrient doses for pregnancy and breast-feeding. But be careful when taking a multivitamin in addition to other nutrient sources. This can cause some people to get too much of certain nutrients. See our monograph on prenatal multivitamins for additional information about specific multivitamins used during pregnancy.Elderly: Elderly people who are taking multivitamins should use products that come in small tablet form. This may reduce the risk of choking. Many multivitamin tablets are quite large. Elderly people tend to have trouble swallowing large tablets.
See specific ingredients for interactions with medicines.
See specific ingredients for interactions with herbs and supplements.
There are no known interactions with foods.
Multivitamins are typically taken by mouth once daily. The ingredients vary greatly between different types of products. There's no standard regulatory definition for multivitamins in the US, and some are created for specific populations, including older adults and children. Speak with your healthcare provider to find out what type of multivitamin product might be best for you.
Multis, Multiples, Multivitamin, Multivitamin-multimineral supplements, MVIs, MVMs, MVMM, Suppléments Multivitaminiques et Multiminéraux, Vitamines Multiples.
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