Study finds that taking daily multivitamin supplements does not increase life expectancy, but may actually increase risk of early death



One-third of adults in the United States take

multivitamin supplements made from multiple nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin C for health reasons. However, a survey of approximately 400,000 people conducted by the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, USA, reported that taking multivitamin supplements every day did not extend life expectancy.

Multivitamin Use and Mortality Risk in 3 Prospective US Cohorts | Nutrition, Obesity, Exercise | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2820369



Daily multivitamins do not help people live longer, major study finds | Nutrition | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jun/26/daily-multivitamins-may-increase-risk-of-early-death-major-study-finds

The multivitamin supplement market is booming around the world, with one-third of American adults reportedly taking a multivitamin for disease prevention purposes and nearly half of British adults saying they take a multivitamin or dietary supplement at least once a week.

However, previous studies have reported that beta-carotene supplements may increase the risk of lung cancer and heart disease , and the iron contained in many multivitamin supplements may cause iron overload , increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia.



A research team led by Erica Loftfield of the National Cancer Institute analyzed data from three major health studies on daily multivitamin intake involving 390,124 healthy American adults.

The analysis found no clear evidence that daily multivitamin supplementation reduces the risk of death, but instead reported a 4% increased risk of death in users. The research team analyzed the reasons for the increased risk of death as 'not only due to the health hazards of multivitamins, but also because some patients began taking multivitamins when they developed a serious illness.'

'Not only has vitamin C helped sailors avoid

scurvy , but beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to severe vision loss,' said Neal Barnard of George Washington University. 'Some studies have also shown that multivitamins may slow cognitive decline in later life.'

However, Bernard points out that 'multivitamin supplements have no scientific basis and you should not expect excessive benefits from them. Instead of taking multivitamin supplements, you should eat healthy foods that provide a wide range of nutrients while limiting saturated fats and cholesterol.'



'The finding that multivitamin supplements do not significantly reduce the risk of death is not surprising,' said Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian at Aston Martin Medical School. 'Taking supplements alone cannot cure an unhealthy diet, but they can at least help vegans and vegetarians when it comes to supplementing nutrients such as vitamin D and vitamin B12, which are often lacking in these diets.'

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