As reported by medical giant Johns Hopkins, over half of adult Americans take a daily multivitamin. With such huge numbers of people popping these pills on a daily basis it might seem like a foregone conclusion that this is the right thing to do and that taking a daily vitamin is good for you. But...is it really?

In short, the answer is, in almost every case, NO...you do not need to take a daily multivitamin.

That answer may shock many of you and for those of you who have the daily pill habit, you may even scoff at the suggestion and continue taking your pill every day. That is your choice, but here is what actual scientific research from Johns Hopkins Medicine says:

• In an exhaustive study that included the information of more than 450 THOUSAND people it was discovered that those that took a daily multivitamin showed no decrease in incidents of cancer or heart disease.

• In another study that involved over 5,900 men, it was proven that daily multivitamin use offered no support in reducing cognitive decline as the men aged

• A 55-month study of 1700 heart attack survivors (half took multivitamins, the other half placebos) it was discovered that the incident of future heart attack or heart surgery was virtually the same

The research is clear and that is taking a daily multivitamin will have no affect on reduced rates for cancer, heart disease, stroker, cognitive decline or help one to live longer. You see, while these pills DO technically contain the vitamins the ingredients claim, and your body DOES need these vitamins to operate efficiently, ingesting them in pill form, just doesn't work.

You see, our bodies are designed to extract the vitamins and minerals we need from the foods we eat. So, in order to get a variety of vitamins and minerals daily, it is recommended that (you guessed it) you eat a variety of vegetables and some fruit every single day. Ingesting these foods (spinach, kale, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.) regularly along with some fruit (due to the high sugar content, it is recommended to limit overall fruit consumption and to drink VERY little fruit juice) and you will get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Ingesting multivitamins just creates expensive urine. (ever taken a multi-vitamin and noticed neon yellow or green water in the toilet later in the day? Yep...that's all those vitamins your body didn't process...)

Now, there ARE some limited cases where a vitamin supplement may come in handy. Pregnant women can benefit from increased iron and folic acid supplements. These should be taken under the care of a doctor and only for the time recommended.

So, instead of stocking up on expensive vitamins, just use that money on high quality veggies and fruits and you will be doing your body a real favor. Save the pills...have a salad instead!