Good question! As long as you are eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy then you likely do not need to take a multivitamin. However, if you are vegetarian or vegan, you might not be getting enough vitamin B12 or iron. If you don’t tend to consume dairy such as milk, yogurt, or cheese, then you might not be getting enough calcium or vitamin D. As a growing young woman these nutrients are extremely important to your bone health. The best way to know whether or not to take a multivitamin is to talk with your health care provider or a dietitian who can analyze your diet to see if any important nutrients might be missing. Generally speaking, multivitamins are not harmful, so the only harm in taking one if you don’t need it is the money it costs to purchase.
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.