TORONTO — Taking multivitamins or other commonly consumed vitamin and mineral supplements won’t actually provide you any health benefits, but they won’t harm you either, a new study finds.
Researchers from the University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital conducted a review of 179 studies on popular vitamin supplements that were published between January 2012 and October 2017. Studies covered a vast spectrum of supplements, including vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6, B9 (folic acid), C, D and E; and mineral supplements β-carotene; calcium; iron; zinc; magnesium; and selenium. Multivitamins that contained a wide variety of the vitamins and minerals were also reviewed.
The research team concluded that the most commonly consumed supplements — multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin C — had no effect on a person’s risk of suffering a heart attack stroke, heart disease, or early death.
“We were surprised to find so few positive effects of the most common supplements that people consume,” notes Dr. David Jenkins, the study’s lead author, in a statement. “Our review found that if you want to use multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium or vitamin C, it does no harm – but there is no apparent advantage either.”
The only supplements that showed any benefit among the studies were folic acid or B-vitamins that contained B6, B12, and folic acid, which could lower one’s risk of heart disease and stroke. Folic acid alone showed a 20 percent lowered risk of stroke. Conversely, the review found that niacin and antioxidants had a “very small” effect that could potentially raise the risk of death from any cause.
The authors say it’s best to stick to a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables which naturally provide our bodies with vitamins and minerals.
“In the absence of significant positive data – apart from folic acid’s potential reduction in the risk of stroke and heart disease – it’s most beneficial to rely on a healthy diet to get your fill of vitamins and minerals,” says Dr. Jenkins. “So far, no research on supplements has shown us anything better than healthy servings of less processed plant foods including vegetables, fruits and nuts.”
Jenkins says it’s important that people be aware of what types of supplements they’re taking and to always consult a doctor, particularly if they have any specific deficiencies.
“These findings suggest that people should be conscious of the supplements they’re taking and ensure they’re applicable to the specific vitamin or mineral deficiencies they have been advised of by their healthcare provider,” adds Jenkins.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in 2012, it was estimated that 52 percent of the population were taking supplements.
The full study was published in the June 5, 2018 edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It was funded by the Canada Research Chair Endorsement, Loblaw Cos. Ltd., and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
The drug manufacturers in the U.S. hate it when people do things that are good for them, like taking vitamins. Most of the research I see is funded by pharma.
What are you talking about? Most multivitamins are made by Big Pharma and Big Herba!!
I buy very few products from pharma. I learned to avoid them after they hurt my family
The article reads like it was written by 5th graders.
Stroke, heart disease and early death are not the only things people are trying to address with supplements. Adequate vitamin D (which many people do not get in their diet) is required for proper absorption of calcium, which can prevent bone loss. And comparing the potential benefits of supplements with “healthy servings of less processed plant foods including vegetables, fruits and nuts” ignores the fact that some people know they do not eat as well as they should. The healthy diet route is always better, but if someone is just not going to do it, I would think supplements are better than a poor diet alone. Granted the multivitamins probably include a lot of stuff even those with poor diets don’t need. There needs to be a balance between warning consumers not to waste money on vitamins they don’t need, and seeming to generalize that all supplements are worthless in all cases.
Unless your body needs a vitamin or mineral, it will eliminate it. All it amounts to is mostly expensive urine and feces.
WRONG Harry. Some accumulate in the body. Sometimes to not good effect.
They don’t accumulate, not for long. Body knows what it doesn’t need and expels excess.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A, D, e & K can and DO for long periods. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/vitamins-likely-accumulate-body-7038.html
All the more reason NOT TO TAKE oil soluble vitamins supplements like A, D, E, and K.
WRONG again. Don’t take in amounts OVER what your doctor recommends.
Good Lord. Do you think all those people who swill down vitamin and mineral supplements are doing so under doctor’s orders?
You are 100% correct. In fact, Vitamin A can be toxic in large amounts.
And what your body does need from eating a mass of food which does NOT include enough of Daily Value of all vitamins and minerals, but, can be supplemented and does matter. In a given day a human cannot get perfect vit, min vales from food. Over a week would be closer to the ideal, but, still not all vits, mins. Supplements are needed and DO matter. This article is whackoooooo and unprofessional!!
If your body doesn’t need them! What part of that didn’t you understand? I never said anything about vitamin deficiencies.
Okay, I’ll bite. We will take the “researchers” who created this report and deprive them of Vitamin C for a number of months. LMAO
Hell deprive them of all multi-vitamin foods! Then monitoring them over a year.
Talk to my doctor about the supplements I take? The last time I did that, right before my surgery in March, he asked me what some of them were.
This is fake news. People can tell the difference between taking and not taking supp vitamins and minerals. There is a marked increase of energy, attention, mood stability. This article must be for BS like this stupid comparison which proves nothing. “The research team concluded that the most commonly consumed supplements — multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin C — had no effect on a person’s risk of suffering a heart attack stroke, heart disease, or early death.” It focuses on 1 possible and very disassociated possible benefit. Heart, stroke are treated by other vitamins other than D, calcium and C. The phrase is stupid and unscientific “multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin C” since multivitamins INCLUDE D AND C, making it foolishly redundant. Scientists don’t communicate that way. The only idiot Dr on the internet who uses “early death” is Dr. Marcola, a man regularly sued multiple times by the USFDA for posting false information. Since you and I have no possible way to determine when any person will actually die, we cannot make assertions against a substance usage about “early death”. We can guess on life expectancy, but, about maybe when someone might die. That is a case by case thing, not a blanket statement about a whole society. Total BS. Longevity is tied to many things, diet, regular physical activity, sitting too much, overloading on sugar and poly-saturated fat, cholesterol levels LDL, HDL, smoking, where you live, what’s in a person’s diet. Early death is a moving target of total nonsense.
A good diet, exercise, and some sunlight are all you need to keep you healthy.
It’s very hard to get enough of those two things … especially with the prevalence of low quality GMO fruits and vegetables .. GMO corn and soy MUST be eliminated from the diet … that includes all packaged food full of sugar and chemicals …
High quality vitamins are a requirement according to my old school – now retired doctor …
Also missing from our diets and critical to good health magnesium … iodine …
it’s not as simple as you say …
Regular meals do not contain enough vitamins, minerals to reach full health potential. Supplements are needed. Esp. when farmers don’t or cant afford to ensure they aren’t over using soil. Soil can be depleted of minerals in a short number of year. Just because a vegetable or fruit is large does not mean it has the vits, mins stated on a study testing for levels of these. Bad soil can produce big items, not always the vits, mins found in items taken from good soil.
Of course, the Vitamin D level in most multivitamins is much too low to bring most people’s Vitamin D blood level up to the optimum range, roughly 40 to 60 ng/mL. And I didn’t see any discussion of Omega 3 supplements.
IMO, the two critically important topics are Vitamin D blood level versus total mortality risk and Omega 3 blood level versus total mortality risk. For some interesting studies, search for those two topics.
If you want Omega 3, eat fish.
Because this is not a scientific approach article. Is a study of 173 studies done by ???
Drudge posted one of these stories not long ago. I popped three B’s this morning just to have enough energy to get off the computer. My grandmother was big into natural supplements. She still got old and died. Vitamins are for a better feeling, not a cure for anything.
It’s called the “placebo” effect.
No. It is an alternative to the GMO effect.
Vitamins and minerals are vital for good heath. Try non consuming any 1 or more of them and see how your health goes to mayhem and disease. That is how and why we address vitamins, minerals – by seeing the direct effects of NOT consuming them. Foods we eat in a week do not have enough of them most of the time to reach Daily Values (what we should have). Therefore, eating more to solve this means weight gain and other problems. Supplements are needed.
I agree. The soils are now so depleted they don’t pass on nutrients like they used to in the food. Supplements are as individual as we are. Everyone needs their own set of vitamins. I don’t take C, but need magnesium.
“University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital conducted a review of 179 studies on popular vitamin supplements that were published between January 2012 and October 2017.”
THIS IS A STUDY OF “STUDIES” WHICH WE CANNOT JUST ASSUME WERE DONE PERFECTLY SCIENTIFIC. MANY TIMES IN A SET AS LARGE AS 179, THERE WILL BE INACCURACY, MISHANDLED PROCEDURES WHICH MAKE THEM UNSCIENTIFIC.
Also, comparing vitamins, minerals not directly associated to a particular disease(s) is foolish, “multi-vitamins, D, C” is redundant and likely written by a 4th grader.
We certainly can do better. Identify all 173 studies so We The People can check your facts, math, and scientificity.
This study is vague and inaccurate. Folic acid is synthetic, which means we can only assume the study is regarding only synthetic vitamins. You can’t get the nutrition you need by eating synthetic vitamins found in pop tarts, which is the same concept. I can attest to the benefits of whole food non synthetic vitamins/minerals that our bodies need and are definitely lacking because of our food supply. We have a disease ridden society because of a lack of nutrition. This author either has an agenda or simply incorrect.
My body doesn’t respond to synthetic drugs. They are a placebo to me.
This report ended with .., “ in conclusion it is recommended that you take unlimited pharmaceuticals and eat large amounts of sugar washed down with fluoridated water “
Bovine excrement!
lol LIE
taking vaccines won’t produce much
lets talk about this
Since I began using supplements 40 years ago, I rarely got sick. The few times I stopped taking them for extended periods, I caught viruses and colds. I don’t need tests to tell me if they are good or bad. My own body is the most accurate itest for determining what works for me.
So then having proper D3 levels has no benefit I guess? Because when I had quite low vitamin D, taking a simple D3 pill you can buy anywhere super cheap solves it within a few weeks. Just more propaganda intended to keep people from being healthy and hooked on pharmacy drugs.
To those who say you can get all your vitamins from diet, there is a big problem these days. The problem is that, due to technology and the trend away from highly physically demanding occupations, most Americans are quite sedentary and just don’t need many calories. Back in the day when most men were engaged in physical labor, they may have required 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day, such that they could include a wider variety of foods.
And, to make things worse, once a sedentary person reaches middle age, their metabolism slows down and they only require perhaps 1,500 calories per day in order to maintain body weight. A 100 pound woman might not even need that many calories. It takes a lot of planning and discipline to put together 1,200 to 1,500 calories worth of food that will give you all the essential vitamins and minerals for optimal health.
OK then why does my doctor insist that I take vitamins with an iron supplement? I had bariatric surgery and wasn’t doing this and felt run down all the time. She ran my blood work and it showed I was low on iron. I took the supplements and feel fantastic. I take slow release because of my surgery but I know I feel better (and lose more weight) whenever I take my vitamins and supplements.