We first introduced our readers to John Reeg in August.

The owner of Silver Star Fitness, whose interview you can read here, is a local personal trainer dedicated to getting folks moving and empowering them to stay active and fit.

Reeg is a former Marine, Vietnam veteran and college gymnast, and with certifications from the Cooper Institute, he's the perfect guy to offer fitness and healthy lifestyle tips in his new LH Today column, "Focus on Fitness."


This month, John is breaking down the myriad of information surrounding the use of supplements.

Do you take a multivitamin?

Should you take a multivitamin?

There’s controversy brewing over this very topic.

The once accepted idea of the importance of a one-a-day supplement is turning into yet another healthcare myth/misconception.

The American Cancer Society took the position recently of not recommending the use of multivitamins, instead suggesting that people get their vitamins from natural food sources.

The Archive of Internal Medicine published an article in 2010 stating that healthy people who get enough calories from a varied diet do not benefit from multivitamins and are most likely wasting their money.

Another long-term study from the Women’s Health Initiative, involving 160,000 adults, indicated that multivitamin takers are no healthier than those who don’t supplement, and even women with poor diets weren’t helped.

Additional data has shown that when it comes to the big diseases like cancer, heart disease, and stroke, there was no evidence that taking vitamins reduces risk.

Vitamins became popular and important in the early 1900’s due to "vitamin-deficiency diseases," the result of the impossibility of gaining access to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables year round.

However, today when even junk food is fortified and healthy eating is so easy and in vogue, a person is more likely to get too much of one, or a group of vitamins, and do themselves more harm than good.

The one group of people who are offered a consistent recommendation to take a multivitamin is women who are pregnant.

For women who are expecting, the supplement acts like an insurance policy, making sure all vitamins and minerals are there for the developing baby.

If you do take a daily supplement, Dr. Oz recommends cutting it in half. Take half in the morning and the remainder later in the day.

Personally, I take a half pill 2 or 3 times a week, only because there are some minerals that are difficult to get from food only.

So should you take a multivitamin?

Consider the facts, do some research, and be sure to talk to your doctor.

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John Reeg holds a Bachelors Degree in Secondary Education, Physical Education, Health & Recreation from Oklahoma State University.

He has certifications from the Cooper Institute in National Personal Training, Older Adult Fitness and Weight Loss Management.

He is also an NESTA certified Group Exercise Instructor.

Visit the Silver Star Fitness website or call John at 972.800.8031 for more information about fitness plans for you and your loved ones.