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More evidence that routine multivitamin use should be avoided

If scientific evidence guides our health decisions, we will look back at the vitamin craze of the last few decades with disbelief. Indiscriminate use is, in most cases, probably useless and potentially harmful. We are collectively throwing away billions of dollars into supplements, chasing the idea of benefits that have never materialized. Multivitamins are marketed with a veneer of science but that image is a mirage – rigorous testing doesn’t support the health claims. But I don’t think the routine use of vitamins will disappear anytime soon. It’s a skillfully-marketed panacea that about half of us buy into.

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 Daily multivitamins do not help people live longer, major study finds

Taking a daily multivitamin does not help people to live any longer and may actually increase the risk of an early death, a major study has found. Researchers in the US analysed health records from nearly 400,000 adults with no major long-term diseases to see whether daily multivitamins reduced their risk of death over the next two decades. Rather than living longer, people who consumed daily multivitamins were marginally more likely than non-users to die in the study period, prompting the government researchers to comment that “multivitamin use to improve longevity is not supported”.

 Do you need a daily multivitamin? Probably not, says national health task force

Exercising and eating well do more for your health than vitamin supplements.

 Your Multivitamin Won't Save You

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently released a big new assessment of supplements. "They say that there's insufficient evidence for use of multivitamins for the prevention of heart disease and cancer in Americans who are healthy," says Dr. Jenny Jia. Jia co-wrote an editorial about the new guidelines and their implications for consumers in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It's titled, Multivitamins and Supplements–Benign Prevention or Potentially Harmful Distraction?

Articles of Interest

Is There Really Any Benefit to Multivitamins?

The researchers concluded that multivitamins don’t reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline (such as memory loss and slowed-down thinking) or an early death. They also noted that in prior studies, vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements appear to be harmful, especially at high doses. “Pills are not a shortcut to better health and the prevention of chronic diseases,” says Larry Appel, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research.

Multivitamins a waste of money and just create 'very expensive urine'

Vitamins are useful for treating specific deficiencies but most people who use multivitamins just have very expensive urine, the Australian Medical Association president, Michael Gannon, says. Seven out of every 10 Australians take some form of vitamin or supplement but experts have questioned their efficacy and the shelf space they dominate in pharmacies.

Multivitamins Are a Waste of Money for Most People

Do I need to take a multivitamin? The answer to this question is usually no: unless you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, nobody needs to take multivitamins. “I wish I could say that they’re useful,” says Beth Kitchin, an assistant professor of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. But “we really don’t see any big benefits from multivitamins,” she says. (Pregnant people need higher amounts of folic acid, iron, and other nutrients than the general population, which is why medical groups recommend they take prenatal multivitamins.)

Multivitamins Are a Waste of Money, Doctors Say

Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified and they should be avoided

Multivitamins May Not Provide Heart Benefits

An analysis found no ties between multivitamins and the risk for cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease or stroke incidence or mortality.

Not everyone should be taking a multivitamin

In some situations, they can be helpful. In others, they can lead to dangerous nutrient deficiencies or imbalances. Experts weigh in on how to make an informed decision.

Study Finds Multivitamins Are a Complete Waste of Money, Why Do We Keep Taking Them?

Evidence is sufficient to advise against routine supplementation, and we should translate null and negative findings into action. The message is simple: Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided…The evidence also has implications for research. Anti-oxidants, folic acid, and B vitamins are harmful or ineffective for chronic disease prevention, and further large prevention trials are no longer justified…With respect to multivitamins, the studies published in this issue and previous trials indicate no substantial health benefit.

Supplements Offer Risks, Little Benefit, Study Says

Multivitamins and many other dietary supplements provide little benefit for most people and may be harmful, according to researchers behind a large new study.

The Case Against Multivitamins Grows Stronger

"Enough is enough," declares an editorial accompanying the studies in Annals of Internal Medicine. "Stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements."

Your multivitamins aren’t helping you live longer

You probably have a jar of multivitamins somewhere in your house. And it’s probably useless.