Is it actually dangerous to give children multivitamins?
Parents risk poisoning their children with multivitamins, says a Danish professor. No, they don't – but make sure the children don't get too much, says a Norwegian researcher.
According to researchers, most of us get enough vitamins through what we eat and drink, except for vitamin D during the winter months.(Photo: Ida Irene Bergstrøm)
She argues that multivitamins should only be available by prescription.
According to Berlingske, Bügel is one of the Danish researchers who knows the most about vitamin and mineral supplements. After more than 30 years of research on the subject, she has no doubts.
Multivitamins are not healthy. Quite the opposite.
Annonse
"Today there is convincing evidence that multivitamins do not improve health and may even be harmful," she says.
Giving children vitamin D during the winter months through vitamin gummies is perfectly fine, says Christina Henriksen. But check the packaging! "I teach students about dietary supplements, and everyone says that they have gone to town on their vitamin gummies at some point in their childhood," she says.(Photo: University of Oslo)
Unnecessary, and at worst harmful
"I'm a bit frustrated with Susanne. She comes in too forcefully and scares people. It's unnecessary," says Christine Henriksen, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Oslo.
Henriksen wonders whether it may have to do with the fact that Bügel does not work directly with patients, as she does.
If parents follow the recommended dosage and store the vitamin supplements that taste like sweets in such a way that children cannot access them, they do not risk poisoning their children, according to Henriksen.
Even if a child eats an entire container of the popular Norwegian gummy vitamins, it's unlikely to cause acute poisoning, according to the Poison Information Centre (link in Norwegian). A single large intake does not pose immediate danger, but consistently high intake over time should be assessed by a doctor.
But Bügel is not wrong either.
"Many people take dietary supplements they do not need, and in that case they offer no benefit. In the worst case, they can be harmful," says Henriksen.
She highlights that this is a million-dollar industry in Norway, raising both economic and ethical concerns.
Studies: Increased risk of death
According to Bügel, those who take multivitamins risk becoming sicker and dying earlier. Most researchers agree on this today, she believes.
The Danish professor refers to a major review study from 2012 that analysed nearly 80 randomised clinical trials on antioxidant supplements. These were randomised clinical trials in which participants either took a supplement or received a placebo.
The study concluded that those who took beta-carotene, vitamin E, and high doses of vitamin A had a higher mortality rate than those who did not take such supplements.
'Antioxidant supplements need to be considered as medicinal products,' the researchers concluded.
Annonse
"These supplements affected the body's antioxidant defence and disrupted the balance in the body," says Henriksen.
She points out that the study tested the effect of high doses, far above those found in standard multivitamins sold in Norway.
A more recent American study from 2024 found that those who took multivitamins did not live longer than others. As an observational study, it could identify associations but not prove causation.
Those who took multivitamins did not have a lower risk of dying from cancer or heart disease – instead, they had a four per cent increased risk of dying.
A million-dollar industry
According to the article in Berlingske, multivitamins are the most commonly used supplement for children and young people in Denmark. 61 per cent of children between four and ten years old are given multivitamins by their parents, and nearly half of all adults take vitamin pills.
Norwegian data from 2016 show that 28 per cent of four-year-olds were given cod liver oil, while 42 per cent used multivitamins.
In Norway, the National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM) conducts an annual survey of adults over 18 that includes questions about supplement use.
In 2024, almost 80 per cent of all Norwegians took some form of dietary supplement. Just over half took cod liver oil, while slightly more than one third took multivitamins.
Altogether, Norwegians spent 5.7 billion kroner (561 million USD) on dietary supplements in 2024, according to NAFKAM.
"Most people don't need them"
"Most people don't need to take multivitamins," says Eli Anne Myrvoll.
She is a clinical dietitian and associate professor at the University of Agder.
"If your diet is so limited that you feel you need multivitamins to cover your nutritional needs, I would first try to do something about your diet," suggests dietitian Eli Anne Myrvoll.(Photo: University of Agder)
"Apart from specific groups, I think it’s unnecessary for most people. And you shouldn’t do things just to be on the safe side," she says, referring to the same studies as Bügel.
As long as you stick to the recommended doses, it's not dangerous, Myrvoll says.
"But you do need to be careful so that you don't get too much," she says. "The vitamin gummies many parents buy for their children are tasty, which makes it easy to take too many. And it's not true that more is better."
Dangerous to mix supplements
Myrvoll also warns against taking many supplements at the same time.
Children, for example, do not need both cod liver oil and vitamin gummies. Adults should also avoid taking several different supplements at the same time.
"Many people take a multivitamin and then add extra B vitamins for hair and nails, plus vitamin C to prevent colds. There are probably some who end up taking cocktails, and that's something you shouldn't do," she says.
Gummy bears or vitamin gummies? It has become popular to give children multivitamins that look and taste like sweets.(Photo: Ida Irene Bergstrøm)
Henriksen also warns against this:
Who may benefit from vitamin supplements
Most of us do not need vitamin supplements, according to researchers. But some groups may benefit from them. For example:
Those who cut out entire food groups due to allergies or intolerances
People with consistently low food intake, such as those with eating disorders or people dieting
People with very limited diets for various reasons, such as extremely picky children
Vegetarians and vegans
Infants
Pregnant women
Older adults
"When you use several different supplements, the risk of excessive intake increases. If you take cod liver oil, you don’t need a multivitamin. Once you start mixing many different products, things can go wrong quickly."
No need for prescriptions
Most people get all the vitamins and minerals they need from their regular diet. Bügel, Myrvoll, and Henriksen all agree on this point.
Bügel believes that the potential downsides of vitamin pills are now so well documented that they should be regulated like medicines and only be available by prescription.
That would be taking it too far, say the researchers interviewed by Science Norway.
Such a move would also place unnecessary strain on doctors.
And then there's the issue of vitamin D.
A little extra during winter
Unlike Bügel, the Norwegian researchers recommend multivitamins for children during the winter months. Or cod liver oil.
In northern countries, children, adults, and older people alike do not get enough vitamin D during the winter months.
"Children don't really need vitamin gummies, and certainly not in the summer. But during the winter months, cod liver oil or another vitamin D supplement is necessary," she says.
Henriksen believes children can just as easily meet their vitamin D needs through supplements such as vitamin gummies.
"I'm more positive about these than some others. I think they're useful. All parents know about them, and all children are willing to take them – but you must not take too much. And they should only be used during the winter, when they’re actually needed," she says.
Strict regulation
Ida Marie Pedersen is Head of Innovation at Orkla Health, which produces vitamin gummies. She points out that dietary supplements in Norway are strictly regulated under national legislation (link in Norwegian) designed to ensure both safety and fair marketing.
"When we develop supplements for children, extra care is taken. The dosages are carefully adjusted to the age group, and the packaging is childproof. We also clearly state the recommended daily dose and proper storage – both on the label and in our other informational materials," says Pedersen.
Do we really get what we need from our diet?
If you follow the national dietary guidelines and eat plenty of plant-based foods such as fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and fish, then the only supplement you need is vitamin D supplements during the winter, according to Christine Henriksen, professor of clinical nutrition.
While few Norwegians follow the guidelines perfectly, most adhere closely enough, the professor says.
"The most important thing is to eat foods from all the different food groups," she says.
In the report Trends in the Norwegian Diet 2025, researchers conclude that the average Norwegian diet contains adequate amounts of most vitamins and minerals relative to recommended intakes. This is despite the fact that many people do not fully follow dietary advice. For some groups, intake of vitamin D, selenium, folate, iron, calcium, or iodine may be too low.
"Some minerals, such as iron, should definitely not be taken just to be on the safe side. This needs to be confirmed by a blood test first," says Myrvoll. "If you suspect you're lacking something, have it checked."
The four-year-olds who participated in the survey largely ate according to dietary recommendations, though their intake of fruit and vegetables was somewhat low and their intake of saturated fat was too high. Overall intake of vitamins and minerals generally met or exceeded recommendations, with the exception of vitamin D and iron. These were below recommended levels, even when dietary supplements were taken into account.
