Headline (paywall):
A comprehensive study of healthy U.S. adults has revealed that daily multivitamin use does not promote a longer life and is linked to a 4 percent higher risk of mortality.
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute conducted the study, published on June 26 in JAMA Network Open. The study challenges the common perception that multivitamins improve health and longevity. The findings come as nearly one in three U.S. adults regularly takes multivitamins, often expecting to prevent chronic diseases and extend life.
Led by Dr. Erikka Loftfield, the study sheds light on the effects of multivitamin (MV) use on longevity and questions the benefits of these popular supplements. Drawing data from three extensive cohort studies, the research followed 390,124 adults across the United States for up to 27 years, making it one of the most comprehensive analyses of its kind.
Participants, all without a history of cancer or chronic diseases, were part of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, and the Agricultural Health Study. They reported their multivitamin use at the study’s start and during follow-up intervals.
The data did not support a mortality benefit for multivitamin users. Instead, the results indicated a slight increase in mortality risk. The study states, “Daily MV use was associated with a 4% higher mortality risk” compared to non-users. This increased risk, though small, suggests multivitamins may not provide the expected health benefits.
The researchers accounted for other health habits such as diet, exercise, and smoking. They found that multivitamin users were generally more health conscious, often eating healthier and exercising more. However, this “healthy user effect” did not translate into a longer lifespan.
The study’s extended follow-up period allowed for a robust analysis of long-term multivitamin use. Over the study period, 164,762 participants died, providing a substantial dataset to evaluate mortality trends. The consistency of the findings across different cohorts and follow-up periods strengthened the conclusion that MV use does not significantly impact mortality rates.
The study linking daily multivitamin use to increased mortality risk has sparked discussion among experts. Several potential reasons could explain the results, reflecting both the complexity of nutritional science and the study’s limitations.
Nutritional Imbalances Related to Multivitamin UseIndividuals who take multivitamins may be getting the wrong balance of nutrients. Dr. Michael Bauerschmidt, founder of Deeper Healing Medical Wellness, offers a nuanced perspective.
“What determines the need for any given supplement? Or asked another way, what is the most important supplement you need to take? The answer is it’s the one that you have the least of,” Dr. Bauerschmidt told The Epoch Times.
He emphasized that individual nutritional needs can vary greatly and change over time, which the study did not account for. This variability means that the weakest nutritional link in one person might not be the same in another, and it can shift based on various factors.
“We have no idea what the baseline nutritional status was of any of the folks in the study or if they even needed a multivitamin to begin with,” Dr. Bauerschmidt said. This omission is significant because without knowing the initial nutritional deficiencies, it is challenging to determine the true impact of multivitamin use, he said.
Another concern is the imbalance of minerals in many multivitamins. Robert Love, a neuroscientist, noted in a video, “Multivitamins are deficient in some minerals that most of us are lacking—specifically magnesium and zinc.” He noted that 40 to 70 percent of Americans are deficient in magnesium and many multivitamins also lack adequate zinc, crucial for brain health and immunity.
Conversely, multivitamins often contain excessive amounts of minerals such as copper and iron. Mr. Love said that too much copper can cause oxidative stress and brain damage, especially if it is not balanced with zinc.
Similarly, high iron levels, which most Americans do not need, can contribute to oxidative damage and accelerate aging. This imbalance may negate potential benefits and be harmful long term. Renowned scientist David Sinclair, a tenured professor at Harvard Medical School, avoids multivitamins due to concerns about excessive iron intake.
Read the rest. In truth, this doesn't sound like an urgent problem, but I've come to suspect that the supplements I take don't really do much for me. Along with my meds, I take Kirkland generic multivitamins (Costco), Vitamin D (2000 IU, purchased at a pharmacy), Omega-3 (iHerb), magnesium (iHerb), berberine (iHerb)... and along with these, a bunch of psyllium-fiber capsules (iHerb). The recommended dosage of the fiber is 5 tablets, but thanks to my constant diarrhea, I've gone from 10 tablets (my normal amount) to 15. It doesn't seem to be helping: I sound like a dying, water-logged bagpipe every morning. I take my meds, supplements, and fiber at night, all at the same time. But maybe the multivitamins need to go. I'm pretty sure the berberine needs to go; it's billed as a fat-burner, among other things (it's also supposed to help with blood pressure, but I'm not noticing any differences on that score), but it's burned no fat. I could probably save a good bit of money and time by stripping out most of my supplements. And as a side note, if I get my meds reduced (again), I might be able to quell the diarrhea problem. Come to think of it, I've been mindlessly taking supplements for years, but I don't think they've radically changed my life. Supplements might have real effects on starving people from very poor countries—people who are on the brink of death. A well-fed bovine like me, though, probably doesn't need much or anything in the way of supplements. So: killing myself or not, it might be time to strip away a lot of those pills. All the same, a supposed 4% higher mortality risk doesn't sound like much to worry about.
2 comments:
Magnesium and Zinc supplements are on my shopping list.
Maybe ignorance is bliss. I remember those glory days when I enjoyed my Listerine.
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