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age
30-35,
anonymous
writes: Is it okay for a teen to take a multivitamin? I've heard with women it can cause all sorts of things such as breast cancer etc. But I feel weak and I might not be getting enough vitamins/minerals. So is it safe for me to take one? (I'm 16) I've heard good things and bad things about them. Advice? :) Reply to this Question
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male
reader, Ignacio ramos  +, writes (13 September 2010):
Yes its ok for teen girls and boys to take multivitamins but before you start a multivitamin intake ask your dr. Your body needs all the vitamins and mins. And fiber. And protins. Eat the right foods like rice beans fruts and vegs. Fish. Milk oj. To stay fit work out evry day run walk jog 60 push ups 60 sit ups 30 ab crunhs and stay away from fastfoods and junk food
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (13 September 2010): It is physically impossible to ingest all the vitamins that your body requires daily-- and your body doesn't produce them, so food/supplements are the only way to get them. Every single medical professional/student I have spoken to agrees to this.
ONLY take pharmaceutical grade vitamins. They may be a bit more expensive, but they are more reliable. Grocery store vitamins are regulated by the FDA, meaning the percentages are in relation to edible food. Pharmaceutical vitamins are regulated by the medical society and are meant to be taken on their own.
As a female, it is good to start taking calcium in your teens to prevent later bone disease.
Also, worry not about vitamins. If you ever "take too many", you will just pee them out. There is only a small amount of vitamins that won't pee out, and these are only placed in small portions unless recommeded by a doctor.
So yes, good idea.
-Medical student
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A
female
reader, Sugarbuns  +, writes (13 September 2010):
 Depends on your eating habits. Do you eat fruits, veggies, fish, chicken and drink your milk? If so you probably don't need a vitamin you probably need some exercise that builds strong bones and muscles. If you are a picky eater, and rarely eat much of what I mentioned above, then yes you might benefit from a vitamin but it would be better to change your eating habits. Some vitamins don't break down in your system and you end up wasting money. If you're going to take one, make sure it's chewable. Those are the best.
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (13 September 2010): It is highly unlikely that even with a "balanced" diet that you at least don't have a vitamin D deficiency. Most Americans do because we don't spend enough time in the sun (which activates the forms of vitamin D into the form our body can use). You probably also eat too much salt, fat, and get too much protein. But most vitamins you will take are water soluble and you simply pee out the excess unneeded amounts of the vitamins you don't need (it's why vitamin C makes your pee turn bright yellow). Also the vitamin you take, may not be digested and may pass all of the way through you whole (no benefit at all). In any case, start with tracking the food you eat at http://www.mypyramid.gov/. This will give you a decent idea of what you are missing in your diet and what you may be getting too much of. Also read up on vitamin toxicity. Normally these are going to be too much Vitamin A, D, E and K vitamins, which are fat soluble and so these don't pass in your urine if you get too much of them. Also if you take a multi-vitamin with iron, make sure you don't get too much of that as iron is toxic in higher levels and can cause a lot of problems.
In any case, a good multi-vitamin for teens, taken at the recommended dosage, will not cause cancer or any life-altering disease. You don't need to see your doctor to ask about vitamins. The pharmacist is very knowledgeable about drugs, chemicals, and they are usually extremely helpful if you just ask. Also the folks at the Vitamin Shoppe are very helpful and usually very knowledgeable as well. That is where I purchase my vitamins.
But do chart your food intake at http://www.mypyramid.gov/ as it is a great learning tool even if you only do it for a few weeks.
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A
female
reader, tennisstar88 +, writes (13 September 2010):
 Vitamins can do you no harm my dear. I worked in a pharmacy for 2 years and never heard of those rumors. They say Diet Coke can cause cancer but the FDA hasn't removed it from the shelves and people continue to buy it. If you go to Wal-Mart or Walgreens in the pharmacy area go to the vitamins section and they have multivitamins specifically made for teens. They will specify on the bottle and are usually by the Flinstone vitamins. If you can't find them ask one of the pharmacy techs they will show you, or the pharmacist can also recommend a teen multivitamin for you.
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