You hear it all the time – “take your vitamins!” Maybe it’s coming from your mom, maybe it’s coming from your doctor. The question is – do you really NEED a vitamin? Here are the questions to consider, courtesy of the researchers at Condé Nast Publications.

• Do you get less than 20 minutes a day in the sun? Your body needs that much to produce enough vitamin D, which studies suggest helps fight heart disease and cancer. If you don’t get outdoors much, you should take a vitamin D supplement.
• Does your mom have osteoporosis? If so, your risk is twice as high as that of someone without a family history. Dr. Melinda Ring is an integrative medicine expert, and she says it’s best to get bone-building minerals from foods like dairy and veggies, but a multi-vitamin with extra calcium and magnesium will help, especially if you’re in your 20’s or 30’s.
• Are you a vegetarian? Younger people need about 18 milligrams of iron a day to keep their muscles and immune system strong. Since the most common sources of iron are meat, poultry and fish – vegetarians can come up short. So, unless you get your daily dose from foods like fortified cereal and beans, Dr. Ring says taking a multi-vitamin with iron is a good idea.
• Are you trying to have a baby? If so, you can’t get enough FOLATE! Also known as folic acid, this nutrient is the KEY to ensuring your baby’s brain and spinal cord health. You can find it in dark, leafy greens and oranges – but unfortunately, very few women get the recommended 400 micrograms of it a day. So, if you’ve got a little one on the way, pop a multi-vitamin with folate to make sure your baby is healthy. As always, check with your doctor first.