Are multivitamins just expensive pee?

Lets address one of the most common statements patients confidently tell me when I worked in retail pharmacy. Often I come across individuals who state "vitamins are just expensive p*ss, its just a waste of money".

Sadly I hear this statement far too often. Lets address this briefly without too much jargon.

First consider, Vitamins A,D,E and K are fat soluble, this means that we can store these vitamins in our adipocytes and the body will use them, as need be.

The reminder of the vitamins (i.e B, C, Folate) are water soluble and they and even many minerals cannot be absorbed in totality. Hence often you may see when you urinate post-dose you will see concentrated (very yellow) urine. This is possibly where the statement comes form that we "pee" out majority of our multi-vitamin and thus what is the point.

Well the point is relatively simple. A blood test to identify a vitamin deficiency is relatively expensive (it will cost on average the same amount as a year supply of that particular vitamin you are testing for). Taking a multi-vitamin achieves that you "fill the gaps" if you are in-fact low on any vitamin.

If you do the research vitamins pose multiple health benefits to the human body, especially for longevity. If you desire to "maintain" you meat-suit the probability of you keeping it running at maximum efficiency over the years is to ensure it has all of what it may need, and yes that means a lot of water soluble vitamins will be pee'd out, but how else do you want to determine your specific requirements for each vitamin in different periods in your life or exercise cycle?

Who in this day and age can confidently say that they eat a perfectly healthy and balanced diet? or even state they attain the daily recommended concentration of vitamin D? Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in the first world. I know I certainly don't get the recommended daily dose of Vitamin D, working indoors and spending many weekends indoors.

I am also well aware the Vitamin D deficiency does increase inflammation and increases cancer risks. On the same note I am aware that many vitamins are anti-oxidants and that decreased free radical damage that occurs to my body, especially to endothelial cells lining my blood vessels, thus if you consider decreased inflammation plus decreased free-radical damage to endothelial cells in arteries you could likely see the overt correlation attained to decreased probabilities of cardiovascular diseases.

In summary if you cant afford a multi-vitamin its true that it is not a train smash, but if you can, the benefits certainly do out-way the cost savings you could attain by avoiding a good multivitamin.