Are extra vitamins really necessary for good health? Or is plain healthy eating of natural foods enough to keep us healthy?
It seems that a revolution is under way in the world’s hallowed research institutions! For decades, scientists, nutritionists, doctors and health magazines have urged us to supplement our diets by swallowing copious amounts of multivitamins. Now, many of these experts say that daily supplements don’t help prevent disease after all, and may actually be harmful.
Sixty-three trials found that multivitamins did nothing to prevent cancer or heart disease in most populations (the exception being developing countries where nutritional deficiencies are widespread). Scientists followed 160000 postmenopausal women for about 10 years and concluded that multivitamins failed to prevent cancer, heart disease and all causes of death for all women. The results were the same whether the women were healthy eaters or ate very few fruits and vegetables.
Other studies found no evidence that multivitamins reduced infections in older adults, that multivitamins didn’t improve fatigue among breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, and that inner-city schoolchildren who took a multivitamin did not perform any better on tests or have fewer sick days than learners who didn’t take one.
More disturbing is that a 2010 study of Swedish women found that those who took multivitamins were 19% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer over a 10-year period than those who didn’t take multivitamins. A 2007 paper in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that men who took multivitamins had an increased risk of prostate cancer. Other research linked taking excessive amounts of folic acid to having a higher risk of colon cancer in people who are predisposed to the condition.
Why were earlier researchers so wrong?
One reason is that the wrong people were being studied. Researchers have shown that multivitamin takers tend to be leaner, more affluent and more educated. They drink and smoke less, exercise and have regular medical check-ups. In other words, they’re healthy despite their use of multivitamins.
Another reason is that scientists now also have a better understanding of how whole foods deliver their nutritional benefits. A typical multivitamin contains 10 to 25 isolated nutrients, but fruits and vegetables have hundreds of active compounds with a long list of health properties.
Should you stop taking vitamin supplements altogether?
Supplements are still recommended for certain groups, based on their age, eating habits or lifestyle. To be on the safe side, don’t take any supplements without talking with your doctor first. Many supplements also interact with medications or can even be harmful to your health.
Sources
Do vitamins prevent cancer and heart disease? Retrieved from https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/do-vitamins-prevent-cancer-and-heart-disease/
Do multivitamins protect you from disease? Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/do-multivitamins-protect-you-from-disease
(Revised by M van Deventer)