Do vitamin tablets help?

[SirTenenbaum]

Hi everyone. I remember watching a PBS show with Alan Alda about diet and lifespan. There was an experiment with monkeys and different diets. The experiment showed that there was no difference in lifespan when a group of monkeys had a normal diet with vitamin supplements and another group had a normal diet without supplements. In other words, the supplements had no effect on life span. If this experiment is correct, does it mean that vitamin supplements don't have an effect on bodybuilding and exercise too?

Here's the transcription: http://www.pbs.org/saf/transcripts/transcript1003.htm (Use [CTRL + F] to find the word "vitamin" for the relevant part.)

[fitnessk]

I have read many articles that say that Vitamins are not overly helpful. It is best to obtain the vitamins you need through a good diet. I think the body responds much better to "natural" vitamins than supplements.

[Popatar]

I have read many articles that say that Vitamins are not overly helpful. It is best to obtain the vitamins you need through a good diet. I think the body responds much better to "natural" vitamins than supplements.

Yep. Although I am guilty of taking multi vitamins. I think the average person can get away without them, but for active individuals multi vitamins can go a long way.

[Isabellas2007]

I like to take vitamins, but not in the multi-vitamin form. This seems like it is a little bit of overkill to me and generally does not absorb into the body to well. So I try to take each vitamin as a separate item. For me personally I know the studies say these do not help, but I like to have them and generally I feel more energetic and do not even have to take Five Hour Energy to get this boost!

[Stefano13]

Vitamins are essential for those who make intense physical exertion during exercise, because they help the recovery and boost the immune system.

[Stefano13]

They work, especially if you lack these vitamins, but if you already have these vitamins in your system then you won't absorb them, and just excrete them through your urine.

[Shaggz235]

They work, especially if you lack these vitamins, but if you already have these vitamins in your system then you won't absorb them, and just excrete them through your urine.

This pretty much sums it up. Every now and then you will get news coverage about how multis will kill you or are harmful, but in reality they some how are able to calculate that it increase risk of death by a rather tiny percentage.

[themanikin]

people seem to get the wrong idea about what a multivitamin is for its not to give you every vitamin on the ingredient list its to make sure you have enough of the vitamins in your system and give you the ones your diet is lacking

[NauticNeighbors]

Yes I use Fish Oil tablets
and I have experienced clearer skin and
a higher metabolism.

[dmeagher]

Yes I use Fish Oil tablets
and I have experienced clearer skin and
a higher metabolism.

Have you lost weight or gained a lot of strength since starting taking fish oil?