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.
So I guess that based on this study is that medicines are the way to go. Multiple side effects to speed up people’s death or keep them alive and sick so the pharmaceutical industry can make more billions.
Americans pass the most expensive urine in the world.
Many Americans think opinions are facts.
Where do you stand on that argument?
Something Doctor Edell said years ago now. He was pretty science oriented, his judgment seemed sound.
Doc Edell has no agenda, right?
He earned trust with me, same way someone like Sagan did.
Our species didn’t evolve eating pills.
So who funded this “scientific” study? My money is on Big Pharma. Junk science.
I am seeing more and more of these articles lately and they are full of nonsense. Supplements DO work for those whose bodies need them. I am beginning to think that at some point big Pharm is going to put a lot of $ into moving the government to regulate supplements out of existence and these anti-supplement propaganda pieces are preparing the ground for it.
This is such absolute garbage in so many ways….
First my doctor just said this garbage to me: “Supplements don’t work. Why do you take them?”
“Well doc I follow published medical journal studies. (Ergo-log.com) For instance they say taking vitamin D halves your chance of getting the flu, I’ll take that vitamin”.
“Yea but they don’t work”
“Well your peers say otherwise”
He looked at my blood work…
“Why is your vitamin D so high? I’ve NEVER seen this before. Usually people are deficient but never high.”
“Well doc I take vitamin D. I read a published study that it helps build muscle.. but you know they don’t work though right?”
My doctor was speechless. A doctor with evidence RIGHT in his face that they do work with it measured by a blood test.
“Well you should get everything through food”
“My stomach doesn’t know the difference between a pill or food. I take them out of convenience”.
Doctor was speechless…..
It’s all garbage what most doctors think with this issue.
Find z better doctor.
They are out there.
If you can hand the doctor a PubMed research document and tell him you want to try that, if it won’t hurt you and he evaluates the study and says YES or No and gives good reason why not…You just found a real doctor ????
Sounds like you’re not only peddling snake oil, but you don’t understand how statistics work if you think a PubMed research document should be enough to convince anyone of anything.
Vitamin D doesn’t halve your chance of getting the flu. Being deficient in vitamin D increases your chance of getting the flu. Those are two different statements. If you get a blood test and you’re deficient in something, you should absolutely take supplements, but if you think supplements are going to help you above and beyond, you’re mistaken and that’s where you deviate from the science you’re referencing.
Also, your stomach may not care, but your kidneys will. You should primarily get your vitamins through food because things like fiber will cause a slower absorption rate (and not eating a pill with some fiber is different as the vitamins aren’t dispersed throughout the food) and prevent you from pissing them out, which your body is really good at doing when you’re just taking them with pills. Vitamin D is a bit different with respect to this since it’s not commonly found in food, and during winter months when the angle of incidence of the sun is low and you stop producing it endogenously, then you should supplement.
They’re all full of crap…Feed the losers, a/k/a kids, Gummy Bears and Fruit Loops.
I am not an expert. I am generally skeptical of anything that claims it prevents something as common and life-threatening as heart disease, or stroke. (Because if that were true, those conditions wouldn’t be common anymore.) And I am not a big believer in vitamin supplements. Generally I believe supplements are inefficient at best. And it is far better to acquire those nutrients via actual food sources that when broken down by the digestive system actually convert to nutrients the body can readily absorb. But I am not here to debate the merits of vitamin supplements. What I want to know is why researchers considered reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke or early death as the only potential health benefits? Take vitamin C for example. There are few people in the US, who are actually vitamin C deficient. I mean, you just don’t see many cases of scurvy in the US. But that doesn’t preclude there being benefits to vitamin C supplementation. If you accept at face value that vitamin c supplements do not reduce the risk of cardio-vascular disease or stroke, that could simply be because most people are getting adequate amounts of those nutrients for heart health in their diets. But that doesn’t mean there are no other potential benefits out there either. A quick google search of potential benefits of vitamin C includes many other things. It may lower anxiety. (I would consider that a health benefit, if it were true.) Or it may reduce the severity or duration of the common cold. (Something else that I would consider a health benefit.) If they only looked for reduced risk of three potential negative outcomes they can hardly make the claim there are no benefits at all. Just that there are no benefits to those three specific things.
At least you have an open thinking, reasoning mind.
Now educate yourself on selenium, vitamin D3, and Lugol’s iodine at PubMed.
Selenium p53 PubMed
Read studies.
Vitamin D epidemics PubMed
Note all the hits in the search under that.
Iodine?
Read this: PMC4998524
Antiproliferative/cytotoxic effects of molecular iodine
Read that and tell me supplements aren’t necessary ☺
The really interesting question is (if the survey is correct): why? Are there enough of these vitamins in regular diet?
Holy cow, if you believe this propaganda from pharma, have I got a once in a lifetime deal for you on ocean front property in Arizona!
If you don’t take responsibility for your own health, nobody will. If you leave your well being up to the medical establishment, big pharma and government watchdog agencies that are all in bed together, then expect to die earlier, be in poor health along the way and become a human ATM to fund their profits while you are sick and dying.
Matt Drudge is great on politics, but stay clear of his links on health and spirituality.
I was trained as a physician in the 80s…
This claim is non earth shattering as many of us in the medical realm knew unless you had a vitamin deficiency you were only benefiting pharmaceutical companies manufacturing vitamins…
So save your money and eat healthy as well as do something exercise positive…other wise your buying new expensive cars for these companies CEOs…
Put up your money, doc!
I need it and I will win it fair and square.
Don’t you even know that every BODY needs to have selenium to modulate response of p53?
Don’t you know that the WHO states North America is deficient in selenium, vitamin D and IODINE because it is not in the food chain?!
Educate yourself!
Don’t become a mechanic!
Mechanics don’t get paid unless they FIX the problem and it does NOT come back.
You would be out of work immediately ????
Who funded the study? Pharmaceutical companies? Taking vitamin D is helpful. This study seems very biased.
Take vitamins…don’t take vitamins…take vitamins…don’t take vitamins…take vitamins, I wish they would make up their minds.
You only need to make up YOUR mind!
Use evidence-based science to show you the way.
Try lifeextension . com
They show PubMed research backing all claims at end of all magazine articles, usually 25-60 peer reviewed research papers per article.
You enter a conditon or disease in the search box, hit enter, next page, on left side, has selection of abstact, MAGAZINE, supplements.
Choose magazine and search for latest article regarding your search by putting the year in front of the condition like this, 2018 atherosclerosis.
If you have atherosclerosis, vitamin K2 mk 7 reverses and prevents plaque from binding to the lining of our arteries all throughout our bodies by carboxylating matrix GLA proteins on the surface of the endothelium or lining of the arteries and capillaries of our vascular system.
so i guess what these
fake journalists are saying is that
the addictive prescription drugs that
have side effects that are WORSE than
death in many cases, are the answer?!?
…no, it’s just, anything for a click….
I did a little digging, guess who most of the sponsors are for this research?
“The food and agriculture industry!”
No hidden agenda here folks!
Now why would a penunt farm spend money to do research on vitamines?
I like beer.
I had a myriad of problems that were caused by severe vitamin deficiency. My doctor tested my blood and found out what I was lacking and gave me a list of over the counter supplements to start taking. I’m doing MUCH better now.
Wait, so the researchers said, “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.”
And from that you get “Study: Multivitamins, Other Common Supplements Have No Health Benefits”? How do you call yourself a journalist? Quality of life is certainly a health benefit, even if it doesn’t prevent death. What about anti-cancer benefits? Avoiding common illness like colds etc? Additionally, this study on its face has issues such as the fact that no one can get their daily dose of Vitamin D from diet alone as the researchers suggest. That’s been proven many times over. I’ll take obfuscation for $1000, Alex.
If they tested a pharmaceutical and it didn’t work, they would increase the dosage. They won’t increase the dosage for vitamins because they don’t want them to be too effective. There is isn’t much profit in selling vitamins compared to pharmaceuticals that can be patented.