“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some products through these links.”
-
Taking a daily multivitamin may not help you live longer, according to a new study.
-
The researchers found no evidence that taking a daily multivitamin reduces the risk of death from diseases such as heart disease or cancer.
-
Experts will explain the findings.
People take vitamins for a variety of reasons, from stress vitamins to vitamin B12 supplements, but many also take a daily multivitamin to help them live longer. But new research suggests that taking a daily multivitamin may not help you live longer after all.
A study published in JAMA Network OpenResearchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) analyzed data from nearly 400,000 adults over a 20-year period. The participants’ average age was 61.5 years old, they had no history of chronic illness, and they were generally healthy. Over the 20 years they followed the participants, the researchers reported nearly 165,000 deaths.
The researchers found no evidence that taking a daily multivitamin reduces the risk of death from diseases like heart disease or cancer. In fact, the study found that healthy people who took a daily multivitamin not only did not live longer, but were also slightly more likely (4%) to die during the study period than those who did not take the vitamins.
However, this study did not analyze data from people who already had vitamin deficiencies (i.e., people who may need to take specific vitamins or supplements), so more research is needed to see whether multivitamin use can produce similar results in people with nutritional deficiencies.
So what is the purpose of taking a multivitamin? Multivitamins provide some, all or more of the recommended amounts of vitamins and sometimes minerals. Melissa Presto, DCN, RDNNational media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Prevention Medical Review Board“Multivitamins are used to fill in nutrient deficiencies in the diet, but for most people who eat a balanced diet, a multivitamin may not add much to an already balanced diet,” she points out.
Presto says that most longevity studies have found that diet and lifestyle are more important for longevity than vitamin supplements. “As a registered dietitian, I recommend a multivitamin after conducting a dietary assessment for anyone who has persistent poor appetite or other health issues that prevent them from consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables,” she advises.
So, can multivitamins help you live longer? It’s a long-standing, hard-to-answer question, especially with the lack of high-quality studies that control for bias and outside factors, says family medicine physician Steven Vogel, MD. Plush Care“But recent reviews, including this one in JAMA , do a pretty good job of accounting for these biases. So, in general, for healthy people with no known risk of vitamin deficiency, there’s not enough evidence to suggest that multivitamin supplementation extends lifespan,” he explains.
But that doesn’t mean you should stop taking one pill a day. Ultimately, whether or not you take a daily multivitamin depends on your personal needs. As with any supplement, some people may need more than others. Reap the benefits of a multivitaminPresto points out that whether or not you should take vitamin supplements is up to you: “At the very least, I would recommend discussing this with your healthcare provider, and also meeting with a registered dietitian who can take a detailed look at your diet and health history and advise you on what may or may not be appropriate for you,” she advises.
Multivitamins may still play an important role in helping those who currently have deficiencies or risk factors for developing deficiencies, says Dr. Vogel. “Those who struggle with alcoholism, those who eat poor-quality diets with low fruit and vegetable intake, those who follow a vegan diet, and those who have had bariatric surgery can all benefit from supplementation.” Meanwhile, those who struggle with the cost and burden of taking a daily multivitamin without a clear indication for it, or who simply recognize that a healthy lifestyle holds the brunt of the road to a longer life, should consider a multivitamin supplement as an option, Dr. Vogel explains. “At the end of the day, there is very little risk from taking supplements, so we should all look at this information as a tool to make an informed decision,” he says.
Conclusion
The study may provide a second thought to people who take supplements despite leading a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and regular exercise, Vogel said. “For these people, the costs of regular supplementation and exposure to unregulated compounds in supplements may outweigh the benefits,” he said.
The study highlights that, most importantly for health and longevity, not everyone needs to take a multivitamin, Presto says. In addition to a multivitamin, “focus on healthy lifestyle habits, such as: Get enough sleepEat lots of fruits and vegetables and exercise every day Live a longer, healthier life” advises Presto.
And remember, everything multivitamin “They all have the same vitamin content, but they all have different amounts of vitamins and different types of vitamins in them,” Presto points out. Because of this, she recommends carefully reading supplement labels to ensure you’re taking the right combination of vitamins for your health needs and to avoid taking too much of any one vitamin.
Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any disease. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, be careful about taking dietary supplements. Also, be careful about giving supplements to children unless recommended by a healthcare professional.
You might also like
