Multi Vitamins

I don't take anything.  I get everything I need from what I eat at meals.

When I was a full-time missionary from 1998-2000 I took a multi vitamin every day.  Our Mission President had a PhD in Health Education and was pretty up to date on the current recommendations in 1998.  We were told that a balanced diet with lots of whole food and a multivitamin was the current recommendation.  An interesting thing happened around 2000 though.  The recommendation changed.  Our Mission President told us that modern food had become increasingly vitamin fortified to where a multi vitamin was no longer recommended for the masses and should only be used on an individual basis to address specific deficiencies. 

I personally look at vitamins with caution because I feel I am better off to get my vitamins from whole foods than a pill.  Many of the vitamins in the pill form (or our fortified foods) are not absorbed and just pass through your system.   

There are plenty of places to log your diet and to get an analysis of any nutrients that you are missing.  You could try to track your diet and see how well you are doing and if you have any specific deficiencies that you can't get from adjusting your diet then find a multi vitamin that will compensate for what you are not getting. 

For the longest time I was like Curtis, didn't take anything and relied on balanced meals to provide all the vitamins. 

However, as I've gotten a bit older, Dr. Wife has made it clear that I need to take a Centrum 50 each day.  I'm not convinced I need to be taking a multi-vitamin but not about to go against "the Doctor."

I take Natures Way 'Alive!' Ultra Potency daily vitamin. I have been taking vitamins for many years, decades actually. For the last 4 years I have been plant based vegan. I now allow a little dairy in the way of yogurt into my diet. I eat mostly vegetables, nuts, seeds, berries, legumes and fruit. I also occasionally use Udo's Oil 3-6-9 to supplement my healthy fats profile.

My most recent blood tests from Nov. 17 show perfectly normal levels for B12, Iron, Protein, D3, etc. In recent X-Rays and MRI scans (broken elbow 14', knees and chest 15') bone density showed perfectly healthy. Thus my calcium levels have obviously been adequate. 

While I tend to agree that vitamins are passed through the body and can be partially filtered out, I do believe that it does help bolster a healthy diet and in the case of unhealthy diets it can certainly help prevent nutritionally related health issues. 

Since I do not eat pre-packaged foods, I do not benefit from 'fortified' foods. (exception being almond milk)

Should one take a daily vitamin? I would say it certainly cannot hurt, but it really depends on your personal nutritional needs and beliefs.