Are common vitamins and supplements worth the money? They don’t do as much as we think, and some could be damaging, major study suggests
- A massive analysis of 84 previous studies suggests there is no benefit in taking beta carotene, or vitamins D and E, for preventing heart disease and cancer
- In most healthy adults, key vitamins and minerals can be obtained from a well-balanced diet and daily early morning sunlight, a doctor says
A massive meta-analysis from the medical journal JAMA of 84 studies on vitamins and supplements has just been published. The aim of the review was to assess the benefits or harms of vitamins and minerals in healthy, non-pregnant adults in preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer.
It looked at beta carotene – the precursor to vitamin A – and at vitamins D and E. The researchers found that taking beta carotene supplements was linked to an increased risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular mortality.
They did not find an increased nor decreased risk for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease or cancer associated with taking vitamins D and E. In summary, no benefit.
Based on these findings, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends against the use of beta carotene or vitamin E supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer, and states that there’s insufficient evidence to assess the benefits or negative effects of multivitamins or other single or paired nutrient supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer.
This is quite a definitive statement, given that Americans spent US$50 billion on multivitamins and supplements in 2021.