Your teenagers who take multiple vitamins are more likely to eat healthier and exercise more than their friends who wouldn't be caught dead taking supplements and playing sports. 

A quarter of the adolescents in a recent university survey who took vitamin supplements also ate more of the major food groups a day than their friends, and their meals were lower in total fat and saturated fat.

"Adolescents may benefit from taking vitamin/mineral supplements to augment dietary intakes that are inadequate," researchers at the University of Minnesota said.

"Supplements are not substitutes for healthful dietary patterns, and adolescents should be encouraged to adopt healthful patterns rather than rely on dietary supplementation for adequate nutrient intake."

Their findings come after they studied the use of multiple vitamin supplements, weight, food intake, physical activity and lifestyle behaviors of nearly 2,800 12th-graders.

In addition to being healthier eaters, supplement users also were:

•  more likely to be physically active;

•  more likely to participate in team and organized sports;

•  less likely to be overweight;

•  less likely to smoke;

•  less likely to watch more than an hour of television per day.

Vitamin fans actually ate more calories, but got more of the calories from carbohydrates and protein than fat. They also ate consumed more fiber, whole grains, fruits, juices, vegetables and fish.

Although they enjoyed more desserts, they ate fewer fried foods and drank fewer soft drinks, according to the study.

Source: American Dietetic Association
Reference: Journal of the American Dietetic Association

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