Most vitamin supplements are useless, but here are some that you should take

It appears to be straightforward advice: eat your vegetables, get some exercise, and, of course, take your vitamins. Or not.

Decades of research have found no substantial evidence that vitamins and supplements are beneficial.
Recent research, on the other hand, suggests that certain vitamins may be harmful to your health.

Several of them, for example, have been linked to an increase in certain cancers, while others have been linked to an increase in the risk of kidney stones.

And, despite this growing knowledge, a large new study published on Wednesday suggests that Americans’ pill-popping habits have remained essentially unchanged over the last decade.

So here are the vitamins and supplements you should take, as well as those you should avoid:

Multivitamins: Avoid them; a well-balanced diet will provide you with everything you require

For decades, it was widely assumed that multivitamins were essential for good health. Vitamin C is used to “boost your immune system,” Vitamin A is used to protect your vision, and Vitamin B is used to keep you energized.

Not only do you get these ingredients from the food you eat, but studies show that eating too much of them can be harmful.
A large 2011 study of nearly 39,000 older women over a 25-year period discovered that women who took them long term had a higher overall risk of death than those who did not.

Vitamin D: Take it; it helps keep your bones strong and is difficult to obtain through diet

Vitamin D isn’t found in many foods, but it’s an essential nutrient that helps us absorb calcium and thus keeps our bones strong.

Getting enough sunlight helps our bodies produce it as well, but getting enough in the winter can be difficult. Several recent study reviews discovered that people who took Vitamin D supplements on a daily basis lived longer than those who did not.

Antioxidants: Avoid them; too much of them has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers; instead, eat berries

Vitamins A, C, and E are antioxidants found in abundance in many fruits and vegetables, particularly berries, and have been touted for their alleged ability to protect against cancer.

However, research suggests that when taken in excess, antioxidants can be harmful. A large, long-term study of male smokers found that those who took Vitamin A on a regular basis were more likely to develop lung cancer than those who did not.

According to a 2007 review of trials of various types of antioxidant supplements, “treatment with beta carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E may increase mortality.”

Vitamin C: Avoid it; it is unlikely to help you recover from a cold, and you can eat citrus fruits instead

The Vitamin C craze, which began with a suggestion made by chemist Linus Pauling in the 1970s and peaked with Airborne and Emergen-C, is just that: craze.

Numerous studies have found that vitamin C does little to nothing to prevent the common cold. Furthermore, megadoses of 2,000 milligrams or higher can increase your risk of painful kidney stones.
Instead, get your Vitamin C from food. Strawberries are high in this nutrient.

Instead of vitamin B3, eat salmon, tuna, or beets

Vitamin B3 has long been promoted as a treatment for everything from Alzheimer’s to heart disease. Recent studies, however, have called for an end to the nutrient’s over-prescription.

A large 2014 study of over 25,000 people with heart disease discovered that giving people long-acting doses of Vitamin B3 to raise their levels of “good” cholesterol, or HDL, did not reduce the number of heart attacks, strokes, or deaths.

Furthermore, those who took the B3 supplements were more likely to develop infections, liver problems, and internal bleeding than those who took a placebo.

Probiotics: Avoid them because the science isn’t advanced enough for them to provide a significant benefit, and you can replace them with yogurt

Probiotics, which are pricey bacterial supplements that can cost up to $1 per pill but are naturally found in smaller amounts in yogurt and other fermented foods, have grown into a big business, with a market worth approximately $23.1 billion in 2012.

The concept is simple: help the trillions of bacteria that are growing in our gut, which we know play an important role in regulating our health.

However, putting that idea into action has proven to be more difficult.

Probiotics’ effects have been all over the place thus far. They occasionally assist, but not always. So, instead of spending money on a pill that claims to be a cure-all, eat a parfait.

Take zinc: it’s one of the few ingredients linked to cold relief

Unlike Vitamin C, which has been shown in studies to do nothing to prevent or treat the common cold, zinc may be beneficial. The mineral appears to inhibit rhinovirus replication, the bugs that cause the common cold.

In a 2011 review of studies on people who had recently become ill, researchers compared those who had started taking zinc to those who had just taken a placebo. The zinc group had shorter colds and less severe symptoms.

Vitamin E: Avoid it because an excess has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, and you can replace it with spinach

The antioxidant Vitamin E has gained popularity due to its purported ability to protect against cancer. However, a large 2011 study of nearly 36,000 men found that men taking Vitamin E had a higher risk of prostate cancer than men taking a placebo.

In addition, a 2005 study linked high doses of Vitamin E to an increased risk of death. So, if you need more Vitamin E, make a fresh spinach salad instead of taking a pill. This substance is abundant in dark greens such as spinach.

Take folic acid if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant

Folic acid is a B vitamin that our bodies require in order to create new cells.

The National Institutes of Health recommends that women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily because their bodies require more of this important nutrient when they are carrying a growing fetus.

Furthermore, folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy has been linked to lower rates of neural-tube defects, which are serious and life-threatening birth defects of the baby’s brain, spine, or spinal cord.