CMV: Vitamin Supplements Are Unfairly Maligned

Supps are often criticised for a variety of reasons. However, most of these dont seem to hold water. Lets take a look at the most common rebukes. 1) Lack of Cofactors The argument goes that many multivitamins lack the necessary cofactors to work in an optimal fashion. For example, vitamin C in citrus fruits pair well with bioflavonoids and phytonutrients, whereas a supplement might contain only vanilla Vitamin C, thereby limiting its effectiveness. However, what if we were to take multivites with a well balanced meal (plenty of greens/lean protein etc) Doesnt this largely negate the issue, since these foods would likely contain the necessary cofactors multivites need? 2) Nutrients in Isolation Supplementing a single type of vitamin have been shown to cause issues. Beta carotent was alleged to increase lung cancer risk in smokers substantially, for instance. However, nutrition consists of a chorus, rather than a single note. Would the variety present in a good Multivitamin not address this issue? ​ 3) Misleading/ False Labels Corporate lackeys like Orrin Hatch, with the disastrous DSHEA Act of 1994, have meant that the FDA has rather limited oversight of supplement products. This meant that some supplements under/overdose, while others straight up dont contain what they purport to. However, to my knowledge, this is a phenomenon more common with regards to herbal supps, like ashwaganda or gingko biloba etc rather than vitamin supps. Even if we assume US based supps to be lousy across the board, wouldnt vitamin complexes from other countries with better regulation (the EU for instance) solve the issue? ​ Thanks in advance! Hoping to spark some discussion about this issue.