Daily Multivitamin may be an Unnecessary Habit, Say Experts

Intake of multivitamins every morning may be of no use, found a new study.

Researchers analyzed 84 studies involving nearly 700,000 people. Their review, published in JAMA, found little or no evidence that taking vitamin and mineral supplements helps prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease that can lead to heart attacks and stroke, nor do they help prevent an early death.

Test Your Knowledge on Multivitamins
Multivitamins are commonly taken by several healthy people, which may make you wonder if you need them. The following quiz will help you get a clearer view of the necessity and benefits of multivitamins.

‘While multivitamins aren't helpful, at least they're not harmful. But the money people spend on them could be better spent on purchasing healthy foods.’

"Most people would be better off just drinking a full glass of water and skipping the vitamin," said Cohen, an expert in dietary supplement research and regulation.

Do Multivitamins Work?

"We have good evidence that for the vast majority of people, taking multivitamins won't help you," he added.

There are some exceptions, however. Highly restrictive diets and gastrointestinal conditions, or certain weight-loss surgeries that cause poor nutrient absorption, are examples of reasons why a multivitamin or individual vitamins might be recommended.

A daily vitamin D supplement may be necessary when a person gets insufficient sun exposure. Your doctor may recommend an iron supplement if you have a low red blood cell count (anemia).

Vitamin Supplements-Vitamin C-Vitamin B6-Vitamin B9 - Vitamin B12
Easy to understand info & tips with diagrams about vitamin supplements like vitamin C, B6, B9 & B12. Latest research news on each vitamin's benefits and drawbacks for better consumer understanding.

Surveys suggest people take vitamins to stay healthy, feel more energetic, or gain peace of mind. These beliefs stem from a powerful narrative about vitamins being healthy and natural that dates back nearly a century.

"This narrative appeals to many groups in our population, including people who are progressive vegetarians and also to conservatives who are suspicious about science and think that doctors are up to no good," Cohen said.

Daily Vitamin Requirement Chart
Use this simple tool to calculate your daily vitamin requirement and get to know more about its functions, sources and deficiency symptoms.

Vitamins are very inexpensive to make, so the companies can sink lots of money into advertising, he noted. But because the FDA regulates dietary supplements as food and not as prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the agency only monitors claims regarding the treatment of disease.

For example, supplement makers cannot say that their product "lowers heart disease risk". But their labels are allowed to include phrases such as "promotes a healthy heart" or "supports immunity", as well as vague promises about improving fatigue and low motivation.

Use of Regular Multivitamins Has No Link to Reducing Mortality Risk
Extensive study reveals no link between regular multivitamin consumption over an extended period and the mortality rate in healthy adults.

"Supplement manufacturers are allowed to market their products as if they have benefits when no benefit actually exists. It's enshrined into the law," Cohen said.

It's wise to note the legally required disclaimer on each product: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease," he advised.

Source-IANS