Should You Take a Multivitamin?

Multivitamins are sold as nutritional insurance — a small daily premium against the chance you missed something. The recent evidence is unsentimental. In population trials of generally healthy adults, multivitamins do not reduce mortality, cancer, or cardiovascular events. They cost money. They are not free of risk. Where supplementation makes sense is targeted. Vitamin D, in latitudes where winter sun is scarce. B12, for anyone fully plant-based. Iron, for people with documented low ferritin — and only then. Folate before and during pregnancy. Omega-3s for people who don't eat fish. None of these come bundled in a meaningful dose in a single daily tablet. So the question is not "should I take a multivitamin" — it's "is there a specific nutrient I should pay attention to?". A bloodwork panel beats a guess.