Daily Multivitamin Supplements Do Not Decrease Death Risks Among Healthy Adults, Study Reveals

Analysis of a group of healthy adults reveals that taking daily multivitamin supplements does not increase longevity.

Prevalent Use of Multivitamins

In the US, almost 1 in 3 adults are reported to take multivitamins. This trend is higher among women, older adults, non-Hispanic White individuals, and those with a college degree. Improving health and preventing chronic diseases are some of the reasons people take these supplements.

For some individuals, taking vitamin supplements gives them an advantage against some medical conditions. It is also estimated that consumers spend around $8 billion every year for multivitamins, roughly 14% of total money that go towards supplements.

The Truth About Multivitamins

In a new study, it was found that multivitamins do not help extend a person's life. Still, other studies suggest that these supplements may actually have some health benefits that can help people live better lives in their older years.

At the US National Institute of Health (NIH), a team of researchers investigated a group of adults regarding their multivitamin use and health outcomes for 30 years. The result of their investigation is discussed in the paper "Multivitamin Use and Mortality Risk in 3 Prospective US Cohorts."

Led by NIH epidemiologist Erika Loftfield, the team pooled data from three large studies surveying over 390,000 adults regarding their health and diet. The findings from the recent study confirm the largely negative results of previous studies, suggesting that a regime of daily multivitamin supplements does not lengthen someone's life.

Compared to non-users of multivitamins, users have a slightly higher (4%) risk of dying of any cause in the first few years of follow-up. The reason for this might be difficult to find out. For instance, individuals with insignificant health issues may have been more likely to take multivitamin supplements.

On the other hand, individuals who take multivitamins usually practice activities that contribute to improved health, such as eating healthy, frequently exercising, and smoking less. The same trend was seen in this study. Generally, participants were healthy, with no history of chronic diseases such as cancer.

Before the result of this study was released, experts were uncertain regarding the benefits of taking multivitamins. They argue that the effectiveness of these supplements depends on the person taking them as well as their reasons for doing so.

Taking particular vitamins can help people with medically diagnosed deficiencies and supplement the extra nutritional demands of pregnancy. However, multivitamin supplements can be harmful or risky if they are taken in excessive doses or with other vitamins.

In addition, multivitamins are not regulated in the same way as prescription drugs or over-the-counter medicine. This could give manufacturers the opportunity to make marketing claims about their product's effectiveness, which might not be backed up with scientific evidence.

According to experts, it is still best to obtain our daily vitamin requirements from the food that we eat than to top up with vitamin supplements. A 2023 study reveals that consuming healthier foods can actually add up to 10 years of a person's life.