Why am I taking a multi-vitamin when

[Alextown]

according to my "RDA" I'm doing quite well getting my share of nutrients. her it is, 3:40 in the afternoon, I've stll got dinner and they'll be some sort of snack before bed, and here's where I'm at (pulled from Fitday, the percentage is at the end of each line):

Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Nutrient Units Intake RDA % RDA
Vitamin A mcg_RE 900.79 1000 90.08
Vitamin D mcg 9.55 5 190.96
Vitamin E mg_ATE 9.43 10 94.31
Vitamin K mcg 16.82 80 21.02

Water-Soluble Vitamins
Nutrient Units Intake RDA % RDA
Vitamin C mg 157.92 60 263.19
Thiamin mg 1.88 1.2 156.3
Riboflavin mg 2.98 1.3 228.85
Vitamin B-6 mg 2.29 1.3 176.51
Vitamin B-12 mcg 6.49 2.4 270.36
Niacin mg 30.5 16 190.62
Folate mcg 382.85 400 95.71
Trace Minerals
Nutrient Units Intake RDA % RDA
Iron mg 19.94 10 199.43
Zinc mg 11.74 15 78.24
Selenium mcg 140.88 70 201.26
Copper mg 0.717 --- ---

Major Minerals
Nutrient Units Intake RDA % RDA
Calcium mg 1323.5 1000 132.35
Phosphorus mg 1252.8 700 178.97
Magnesium mg 255.01 420 60.72
Sodium mg 2172 --- ---
Potassium mg 2497.8 --- ---

why should I bother to take the vitamin as well? Seems like overkill now that I look at a "normal" day of eating..

[ZachL]

Think of it as insurance. But in truth, its not a hard and fast rule that you must take a multi-vitamin. For some people who consume many calories in a balanced diet, they have everything they need in food.

[Kevin Larrabee]

[ QUOTE ]
Think of it as insurance. But in truth, its not a hard and fast rule that you must take a multi-vitamin. For some people who consume many calories in a balanced diet, they have everything they need in food.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very well put.

A multi-vitamin can really help you out if you don't eat a decent variety of fruits and vegetables where you may be lacking. Also if you don't have access to diffrent kinds of fruits and vegetables like I am restricted to at school.

-kevin

[Alextown]

yeah, I guess. It just struck me when I saw it in my stats. I'd really be curcious to see how much is really used/absorbed then when taking the vitamins. And at what level does some vitamins become counter-producive, or even if it does get like that

[Kevin Larrabee]

Do you break up the dosing? For example the mega mens serving is 2 pills. I take one in the am and one at 10pm or so to spread out the dosing and keep the vitamins in my system.

-kevin

[DKing]

Keep in mind that the RDA is the minimum requirement, not what is optimal. So just because you meet it doesn't mean a bit more won't help.

Danny

[Alextown]

yeah, the US RDA is low when it comes to what my body really needs. I'll just continue on taking them, but I'm going to research this more. If I turn up anything useful, I'll bump up the thread.