The Study
The health
benefits of multivitamin use remain controversial. In this recent
investigation, 30,899 adults identified through the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) had their multivitamin use measured and
then were followed for over 6 years. Multivitamin use had no association with
risk of mortality in either direction. A few other interesting findings:
-Adequate intake
of Vitamin A, K, magnesium, zinc and copper were associated with a reduce risk
of all cause mortality. However, this was only true when these nutrients were
obtained from foods, not from supplements.
-Excess intake of
calcium was associated with an increased risk of cancer death. This association
was mostly from supplemental calcium, not calcium obtained from food.
Annals of Internal Medicine doi:10.7326/M18-2478
Take Home Message
It appears that
multivitamins don’t do much harm or much good. There really is no reason to
take them. I always recommend getting your vitamins and minerals from your
food. Make sure to include a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains,
and nuts each day. The findings concerning calcium are disturbing. If you are
taking a high dose of calcium, you may want to talk to your doctor about the
pro’s and con’s of doing so.
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