The Truth About Multivitamins

Welcome to another edition of the Doctor’s Note where we talk about what’s on our minds when it comes to your health.

This week I tackled a question I hear all the time: Should you take a multivitamin? Despite what some health “experts” or major studies might say, I firmly believe that high-quality multivitamins play a vital role in optimizing health. While these studies often claim vitamins don’t prevent heart disease, cancer, or cognitive decline, my decades of experience in clinical practice—and seeing my own long-term patients thrive into their nineties—tell a different story. Multivitamins help fill nutritional gaps that are incredibly difficult to avoid, even with a solid diet. After years of skepticism (and thinking my vitamin-taking patients were wasting their money), I’ve come full circle, realizing that deficiencies often go unnoticed until they cause major issues. Plus, some vitamins—like vitamin D and vitamin C—have overwhelming evidence supporting their benefits, especially when it comes to immune function and chronic disease risk.

Not all multivitamins are created equal, though. Regulation is almost non-existent, so quality, dosage, and ingredients matter tremendously. Many commercial brands use low doses, synthetic fillers, and cheap forms that your body can’t even efficiently absorb. For example, B vitamins need to be methylated for many people to use them correctly, especially if you have the common MTHFR gene mutation. My own Super Multi is formulated with high-quality forms and optimal doses—like 5,000 IUs of vitamin D with K2 (the right, absorbable form), ample vitamin C, natural vitamin E, methylated B vitamins, trace minerals like lithium orotate, and absolutely no cheap fillers or artificial colors. It’s not about expensive urine or over-supplementation; it’s about closing the gaps modern food and lifestyles just won’t fill.

PODCAST NOTES

• Mainstream studies and health organizations often argue that multivitamins don’t prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, or cognitive decline. However, the practical evidence from working with thousands of patients over decades suggests there are health benefits—my patients who consistently took vitamins often exhibited healthier outcomes and maintained vitality well into their later years. This real-world evidence can sometimes tell us more than underfunded, poorly controlled, or short-term studies.

• One of the most important roles of multivitamins is filling the nutritional gaps that even a relatively healthy diet can’t always satisfy. Our modern food supply is depleted by over-farming, processed foods, and sometimes even our healthiest efforts fall short. For those wanting “optimal” health—not just to avoid deficiency—multivitamins can be a helpful insurance policy, plugging holes that could otherwise go undetected for years.

• Vitamin D is arguably the single most crucial vitamin for most adults. The government’s recommended daily allowance is only 600 IUs, but in clinical practice, I find most people need at least 5,000 IUs—especially when you consider the link between low vitamin D and increased risk of infections, autoimmune conditions, and poorer outcomes in illnesses like COVID-19. Importantly, for optimal absorption and function, vitamin D should be paired with K2, particularly the MK-7 form, which also supports heart and bone health.

• The benefits of vitamin C, long promoted by Nobel laureate Dr. Linus Pauling, are continually being reinforced by new evidence. High-dose vitamin C, especially administered intravenously, has shown promising results in cancer patients, sometimes even doubling lifespan in tough cases like pancreatic cancer. Daily oral vitamin C remains foundational for immune health and resilience, especially given our increased exposure to stress and pollutants.

• The vitamin and supplement industry is largely unregulated, making it crucial to pay close attention to the forms and sources of your vitamins. Many supermarket brands are notorious for providing the cheapest, least bioavailable forms at dosages too low to make a real difference. Worse, these products are often loaded with fillers, binders, artificial colors, and sometimes ingredients sourced from countries with questionable quality controls.

• One of the biggest overlooked issues in vitamin supplementation is whether your body can actually utilize what you’re taking. For example, B vitamins must be methylated for proper absorption and utilization, especially in individuals with the MTHFR genetic mutation—a surprisingly common trait. Taking the wrong form of B vitamins not only prevents you from getting benefit; it can sometimes be outright harmful.

• Many fillers and additives commonly found in commercial multis, such as polyethylene glycol, artificial dyes, polyvinyl alcohol, and even titanium dioxide, have questionable safety and little place in a healthful regimen. These may contribute to negative reactions or sensitivities, and certainly do not support the idea of “clean” supplementation. My formulations avoid all such unnecessary and potentially harmful substances.

• For the average adult looking to maximize health and resilience, I recommend three foundational supplements: a potent, carefully formulated multivitamin with high doses of D and K2, a quality magnesium supplement (ideally taken at night using the most effective and gentle forms like threonate, glycinate, and malate), and a pure, reliably sourced omega-3. Together, these address the core gaps and support major physiological systems such as immunity, sleep, cognitive function, and heart health.

Building optimal health isn’t about blindly following what large studies say—it’s about looking at what works in real patients, real lives, and real bodies. If you want to stay healthy and vibrant as you age, a quality multivitamin is one of the smartest steps you can take—just make sure you’re getting the right forms, in the right doses, without any unnecessary fillers.

Stay educated. Stay healthy. 

Till next week.