Have you shelved your daily multivitamin because you saw a headline that said vitamins don’t prevent heart disease or cancer and might even be the cause of disease?

Remember that the latest study isn’t the greatest study, and you need to dig beyond the headline to see if the results apply to you. For example, some researchers study patients who already have advanced disease, then give them a vitamin to see if it will restore health.

Have a question of general interest? E-mail Chris Rosenbloom Fit to Eat columns Get out of rut: Try new fruits and vegetables  Three questions: Organic produce, iron and iodine, and tryptophan  Setting the record straight on some food myths         More Fit to Eat • Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., is a member of the nutrition faculty in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State University Related: • Carolyn O'Neil: Think of add-ons as accessories  Good links: • Evening Edge • AJC Food & Drink • AJC Health Channel • Diet and Nutrition headlines, resources • Atlanta Restaurant reviews and search • Low fat/ heart healthy recipes • Search recipes

There also has been disappointing news about antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C and E) for preventing disease. Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University, writing in a 2007 medical journal, suggested that we might need to study vitamins at early ages (before disease has been diagnosed), use higher doses of vitamins and ensure that the most active form of the vitamin is used.

Although taking a vitamin won’t make up for a bad diet, there are times when supplements should be considered. The American Dietetic Association suggests that the following groups of people may need to supplement their diets:

• Adults consuming fewer than 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day. At this calorie level it is unlikely you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need for good health.

• Pregnant women are advised to take a vitamin that contains higher levels of iron and the B-vitamin folic acid. Both are crucial for the mother’s and the baby’s health. Just don’t take the prenatal vitamin and your calcium supplement at the same time, since calcium can block iron absorption.

• Older adults would benefit from a supplement with low levels of iron and higher levels of vitamin B12. Our need for iron goes down with advancing age and our need for vitamin B12 goes up because we don’t absorb this vitamin from foods as well as we did when we were younger.

• Vegans or people who eliminate an entire food group, such as dairy, from their diets. Vegans need minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc because the primary food sources of these nutrients are from animal or dairy foods. Since about 70 percent of calcium in the U.S. diet comes from dairy foods, people who avoid dairy need to pay special attention to good sources of calcium, potassium and the B-vitamin riboflavin.

How do you choose a supplement?

• Look for quality brands that display the USP symbol. This voluntary program ensures supplement quality.

• Take supplements at the same time of day and take them with foods. Consistency is important as well as having food to help with absorption.

• If you take calcium, take it in divided doses throughout the day. Your body can absorb only about 500 milligrams of calcium at a time, so don’t load up all at once.