Multivitamins of little value? Washington Post

Evidence is thin that multivitamins are beneficial, but they seem benign Washington Post


Earlier this month, I found myself standing in front of a massive display of multivitamins at a local grocery store, confounded by the options: There were supplements for children, teens, males, females, pregnant women, adults "50 and wiser," those in peri-menopause and menopause, and seniors; for immune support, high energy and stress relief; pills to be taken once, twice or three times a day and supplements to be taken in liquid form; with added ingredients such as antioxidants, iron or lycopene; and whole-food options derived from actual produce that promise more bang than their synthetic counterparts, albeit for much more of your buck.

So many choices, so little evidence that any of these products actually result in better health. Indeed, although the vitamin, mineral and supplement industry is a booming $25 billion business and more than half of Americans take a daily multivitamin, the evidence on effectiveness is decidedly mixed. In fact, while some older studies have linked multivitamin use to the prevention
of conditions such as breast and colon cancer and heart disease, the latest research has shown absolutely no impact on health and disease prevention, over time. Most recently, a rigorous, widely regarded study published last February in the Archives of Internal Medicine tracked more than 161,000 post-menopausal women over eight years and found that multivitamins had no effect whatsoever in 10 health-related categories, from the rate of the most common cancers, heart attack and stroke.

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