Looks like I'm not the only one that found the recommendation to avoid vitamin supplements is bad science.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/in-defence-of-multivitamins/article16386104/"There were three studies published alongside that editorial: 1) One that followed 6,000 male physicians for 12 years and found a daily multivitamin did not preserve or enhance cognitive function, i.e., it didn’t prevent dementia or make them smarter; 2) A study that followed 2,000 adults for an average of four years after they had a heart attack and found taking a daily supplement didn’t lower the risk of having another heart attack; 3) A systematic review (compiling of previous research) that showed taking a multivitamin did not reduce the risk of developing cancer or heart disease.
Yet the conclusions drawn from this research are pretty sweeping: Never. Take. Vitamins. Ever.
The premise is that people take vitamins in the belief that they will magically prevent cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and every other imaginable condition. Is that true? Or do they take supplements to give themselves a modest sense of well-being, to fill in the gaps in their diet?"