Think you're getting enough nutrients from the food you eat? Think again. While most Americans think they are getting enough nutrients from the foods they eat, they are actually not getting the recommended amount of vitamins through diet alone. The USDA's Healthy Eating Index reports that 90 percent of American diets score "poor" or "needs improvement" when rated for nutrient intake.

So why is it so important to get the recommended amount of nutrients every day? Vitamins and minerals work together to support health and daily functions of the body. They help convert food into energy, keep cells healthy, and support the immune system. Vitamins and minerals also help your body use the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in your diet.

Let's face it—getting the vitamins and minerals you need everyday can be difficult and confusing. If you are not sure you are getting the nutrients you need, taking a multivitamin every day can be a smart choice. A growing body of research shows that a daily multivitamin, when added to a well-balanced diet, helps to promote and maintain good health.

Here are some of the major ways that a multivitamins can benefit health:

• Help pregnancy. Pregnant women have been advised for years that adequate folic acid, when taken during childbearing years, along with a healthful diet, may decrease the risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect.
• Strengthen bones. While calcium is critical for healthy bones, recent studies confirm that Vitamin D is also important for building bone strength and health and reducing the risk of fracture in women with osteoporosis. It is difficult to get this nutrient through diet alone. Vitamin D is produced in the skin following direct exposure to sunlight. But necessary use of sunscreen, weak winter sunlight, and poor skin absorption all work against this vital nutrient. And while Vitamin D is added to milk, many people don't drink enough to benefit. Taking a multivitamin with 400 international units (IU) of Vitamin D can help.