There is no evidence that taking a daily multivitamin helps you live longer, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health.
The study — published June 26 in JAMA Network Open — analyzed nearly 400,000 generally healthy adults over more than 20 years and found that “the use of multivitamins to improve longevity is not supported.”
Surprisingly, instead of living longer, those who took multivitamins were actually 4% more likely to die than those who did not. The researchers, however, did not analyze data from people with pre-existing vitamin deficiencies.
“This research shows that multivitamins generally won’t help you live longer,” Dr. Jade A Cobern, board-certified in pediatrics and general preventive medicine, told ABC News. “Although the price of many multivitamins is not high, it is still an expense that many people can avoid.”
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Instead, Cobert said it’s best for people to consume vitamins that come from their diet, not supplements.
“We can probably all benefit from adding more vegetables and whole grains or legumes to our diet, reducing our red meat intake, reducing our sedentary time and reducing our alcohol intake,” she said.
However, it is important that people discuss their health history and use of multivitamins with a healthcare provider, as supplements may be necessary for those at risk of vitamin deficiency.
“There is data, for example, that taking multivitamins can reduce your cognitive decline as you age, your memory and so on. There is also evidence, for example, macular degeneration, that you can prevent certain vitamins,” Dr. Céline Gounder told CBS News. “So it depends on what you’re looking at. Are you looking at mortality, risk of death? Are you looking at certain other specific disease outcomes? I think that, again, for certain populations, it might make sense to take a vitamin.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education