Many people take a daily multivitamin in the hope that it will boost their overall health, resulting in longer lives. However, a recent study shows that taking daily multivitamin supplements does not help you live longer. So, the question is: Are multivitamins making a significant difference to your health, or are they a waste of money?
A study from the National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a study analysing data from nearly 400 000 adults over 20 years. The study’s conclusion was that multivitamin supplements will not help extend people’s lives. Researchers stated that ‘multivitamin use to improve longevity is not supported’, as reported by ABC News.
The study found no evidence that taking multivitamin supplements reduces the risk of death from heart disease or cancer, for example.
Markedly, the study found that otherwise healthy people who took daily multivitamins were slightly more likely to die (4%) than those who do not take daily multivitamin supplements.
It is important to note that the study did not analyse data from people with pre-existing vitamin deficiencies.
“What this study shows is that, generally, multivitamins aren’t going to help you live longer.”
Dr Jade A. Cobern
Research shows that multivitamin supplements provide barely any benefit for the average person. Also, it shows that they could indeed be harmful in some cases.
Beware of the ‘multi’ in ‘multivitamin’
According to dietitian Shyla Cadogan, most people see ‘multi’ in ‘multivitamin’ and assume that the supplement has everything they need without knowing what it actually provides. She says that there is no clear-cut way to define a multivitamin as nutrient amounts vary depending on the product.
While some people do need multivitamin supplements, e.g. people with gastrointestinal conditions, many people can do without the pills and can simply get the necessary vitamins and minerals through food.
Dr Cobern shares her sentiment saying it is best to get vitamins and minerals from your diet if possible. She suggests focusing on increasing vegetable intake and limiting red meat consumption, instead of solely relying on a supplement.
“We can all likely benefit from adding more vegetables and whole grains or legumes into our diets, reducing red meat intake, decreasing our sedentary time and reducing alcohol intake,” says Cobern.
Supplements: Know your vitamins
There are two groups of vitamins, namely water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins get excreted out of your body through urine when there is too much available in the body. However, fat-soluble vitamins don’t leave the body as easily and can instead accumulate and potentially cause harm. In this case, it is a situation of too much of a good thing…
Are multivitamins a waste of money in your opinion?
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