Study Sheds Light On Benefits Of Multivitamins

Ideally, we'd all eat super healthful diets. But that's not the world we live in, and multivitamins may help bridge the nutritional gaps. Jasper White/Getty Images hide caption

Ideally, we'd all eat super healthful diets. But that's not the world we live in, and multivitamins may help bridge the nutritional gaps.

In an ideal world, we'd all be eating copious amounts of nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables and getting all the essential vitamins and nutrients our bodies need for optimal health.

But, as a nation, we're far from that healthful eating ideal.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans, on average, only eat about one fruit and one or two vegetables on a typical day. This helps explain why millions of people fall short of the recommended intakes of some vitamins and minerals.

For instance, more than 1 in 3 children and teens (ages 9 to 18) don't meet recommended intakes for calcium and vitamin D, according to a study in The Journal of Pediatrics.

So, how might people with less-than-stellar diets plug the gaps of good nutrition?

Fortification efforts, such as the Food and Drug Administration's requirement that folic acid be added to many cereals and breads, have paid off. As this CDC infographic points out, folate levels in women increased by 50 percent between 1993 and 2006. This is critical, since folate helps prevent birth defects.

Another option? Taking a daily multivitamin with minerals may be helpful.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that supplements helped adults meet the recommended intake of certain minerals, such as calcium and magnesium in men and women, as well as iron for women.

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Study Sheds Light On Benefits Of Multivitamins