Q: At the beginning of the year, many people start taking vitamins or supplements to improve their health. Are these products actually helpful, or are they mostly a waste of money?
A: This is a question family physicians hear often, especially in January. The answer is that supplements can be useful in certain situations, but for most people, they are not a substitute for healthy habits and are often unnecessary.
For individuals who eat a reasonably balanced diet, the body usually gets the vitamins and minerals it needs from food. Whole foods provide nutrients in forms that are better absorbed and used by the body than what is found in most pills or powders. In those cases, taking multiple supplements rarely leads to noticeable health benefits.
There are times, however, when supplements make sense.