What Does "Use Only as Directed" on Centrum Mean?!


Question: I am thinking of taking Centrum multivitamin tablets regularly because there are many food groups I miss out, such as vegetables. The package says "use only as directed." What does this mean? Does it mean I need permission from a doctor before I take it? Can I take Centrum like I take food?


Answers: I am thinking of taking Centrum multivitamin tablets regularly because there are many food groups I miss out, such as vegetables. The package says "use only as directed." What does this mean? Does it mean I need permission from a doctor before I take it? Can I take Centrum like I take food?

If the instructions say "use only as directed" ("take one tablet daily") the manufacturer and all its agents are protecting themselves legally from liability if someone takes five a day and ends up with liver damage from too much iron, etc. In fact, the vitamins we have here do not even have directions or instructions, but "suggested use"--even a more vague way of connecting with the consumer. They could say in court "We didn't instruct the person to take them, we suggested ... ." It's possible, too, if someone takes them hoping to get enough Vitamin C to avoid all infections, they could be a greedy idiot by trying to sue everything that moves (including the vitamin company) if they ended up still getting pneumonia and owing a huge medical bill, etc. Just examples.

It's not a bad idea to supplement your diet this way, but there are phytochemicals that are in real food but that are not in vitamin pills. Those things are considered essential to health, as is the fiber in the veggies. Fiber is a significant nutritional component to lots of things including managing cholesterol, which affects heart health, adequate digestion and overall colon health, and other things, and there is no fiber in vitamin pills.

You can't take Centrum like you take food--you get an array of vitamins (and perhaps minerals, depending on which Centrum you're using), and the mix aims to hit the minimum daily adult requirement. In fact, vitamins need to be take WITH food to be effective--they break down and bond with elements in the foods to do their work in your body. They are not a substitute, and if you take them without food, you will just be wasting most of the vitamins, your effort, and your money. Wish it was that easy!

The idea of a vitamin is to help avoid health disasters that are the result of serious vitamin deficits, and taking a vitamin without otherwise adequate nutrition will not keep you healthy.

It means you use it like the directions tell you to. If it says take one a day, then take one a day.

You can't substitute a vitamin for food, if that's what you're asking. You need calories, fat and specific vitamins you won't be able to get from a multi-vitamin.

I heard that if you OD on centrum it's the same as doing steroids. I suggest ingesting the whole bottle at once.

It means follow the direction on the bottle and don't take more than it says to.

if it says take it with food, then take it with food.

if it says don't put in your bum then DONT PUT IT IN YER BUM!

it means follow the directions on the box... when they say follow it.. its for health reasons...

its kinda like: if you go to a doctor.. adn they give you directions on how to take medicine.. u are supposed to take it as directed.. meaning take the meds when the dr. tell u

sooo in this case.. only take what the directions tell you to take!





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