According to updated recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force published in the journal JAMA on Tuesday, taking vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplements won’t likely prevent you from developing cancer, heart disease, or other serious illnesses.
The task committee evaluated 84 studies testing vitamins in nearly 700,000 people since making its last recommendation in 2014, including 52 new studies on the subject.
But the conclusion was the same as in 2014: If you’re a healthy, non-pregnant adult, there is “insufficient evidence” that taking vitamins E, D, calcium, A, beta carotene, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and selenium can help you live longer.
The task group noted that there is sufficient data to advise against using supplements of beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, to prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease due to a potential rise in mortality and lung cancer risks.
Additionally, the task group advised against oxandrolone vitamin E supplementation because it “likely has no net effect in decreasing mortality, cardiovascular disease, or cancer.”
Dr. Jeffrey Linder, chief of general internal medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, wrote in an accompanying editorial, “Lifestyle counseling to prevent chronic diseases in patients should continue to focus on evidence-based approaches, including balanced diets that are high in fruits and vegetables and physical activity.”
Consider the Mediterranean diet as an example. Numerous studies have shown that adopting a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes a plant-based diet, physical activity, and social interaction, can lower the risk of high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression, and breast cancer.
Additionally connected to weight loss, better bones, a healthier heart, and longer life are Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
The DASH diet, which stands for “dietary approaches to control hypertension,” is yet another evidence-based treatment. Studies have demonstrated that the diet successfully lowers high blood pressure. Both the Mediterranean and DASH diets prioritize fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds while avoiding processed foods.
“It would be wiser to emphasis lower-risk, higher-benefit activities rather than investing money, time, and attention on supplements… eating well, exercising, keeping a healthy weight, and abstaining from smoking,” stated Linder and his colleagues.
Nevertheless, “more than half of American adults take nutritional supplements,” spending a projected $50 billion in 2021, despite the persistent message from the scientific community, according to Linder and his colleagues.
Why would we spend so much money on medications when there is so little proof of their value?
The US Preventive Services Task Force states that there is insufficient data to support the claim that vitamin and mineral supplements lower mortality.
People take vitamins either to keep healthy, feel more energized, or achieve peace of mind, according to demographic polls. In an accompanying editorial that was published in JAMA Internal Medicine, behavioral scientist Dr. Peter Ubel said that these marketing strategies support these evidence-defying views.
An additional tendency known as “dose insensitivity” then develops after people see vitamins as being “good and healthy,” according to Ubel, a professor of management, public policy, and medicine at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in Durham, North Carolina. The possibility of buying vitamins and minerals sold in this way increases when you consider the general human tendency toward anything described as “natural” or “botanical,” he said.
Advertising companies are aware of this bias, Ubel continued. “People can now take daily pills to make up for the lack of fruits and vegetables in their diets.”
The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group for the dietary supplement sector, responded to CNN’s inquiry as follows:
According to Andrea Wong, senior vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at the council, “the apparent limited evidence should not be taken as the absence of proof.” Numerous studies back up the claim that most Americans take multivitamins for a variety of reasons.
Certain populations require supplements.
Certain populations do require particular vitamins. According to a different advice from the task force, pregnant women should take a daily supplement of 400–800 micrograms (0.4–0.8 milligrams) of folic acid to avoid neural tube birth abnormalities.
According to specialists, people who have limited access to good dietary options, certain medical issues, or people over 65 may need to concentrate on increasing key micronutrients in their diets.
As we age, our ability to absorb vitamins B12 and B6 from diet decreases, so some seniors may require additional supplements. Elderly people frequently get less sun exposure than younger people, so they may need more vitamin D. However, levels should be evaluated by a doctor because too much vitamin D can be hazardous.
Many postmenopausal women take supplements to lower their risk of fracture, however a task force report from 2018 found calcium and vitamin D together had no impact on the frequency of fractures in postmenopausal women.