What are the health benefits of taking multivitamins?

Multivitamins benefit users as insurance when their diet does not provide all the nutrients necessary for good health, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. While individuals should strive to get all their nutrients from their diet, even the healthiest diet can have gaps.

Multivitamins ensure the individual has the nutrients necessary to prevent many chronic diseases. However, they do not take the place of whole food. WebMD recommends a daily multivitamin rather than a mix of supplements. Mixing supplements increases the chances of exceeding the recommended daily value, causing the vitamins to build up in the system and leading to potential toxic effects.