According to a National Institutes of Health panel there is little evidence to support that taking multivitamin supplements is of any benefit to healthy adults.
The panel, after reviewing evidence on the safety and effectiveness of multivitamin/minerals (MVMs), concluded that more rigorous scientific research is needed before strong recommendations can be made regarding their use in preventing chronic diseases.
The panel's findings apply to the generally healthy population, and do not include pregnant women, children, or those with diseases.
Panel chairman J. Michael McGinnis, M.D., M.P.P., a senior Scholar with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, says 50% of American adults are taking MVMs in the belief that they will help prevent heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases and in fact it is unclear whether they offer any benefit at all.
He says there is also a concern that some people may be getting too much of certain nutrients.
It seems Americans spend as much as $23 billion annually on such supplements.
McGinnis says for example that it is believed that Vitamin E can prevent prostate cancer, but there is no evidence supporting such a claim.
The panel apparently could only find only three credited examples where vitamins have a significant benefit; taking folic acid during pregnancy which prevents birth defects of the brain and spine in babies, vitamins C and E, beta carotene and the minerals zinc and copper may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration,and calcium and Vitamin D supplements were found to lower the risk of fracture in post-menopausal women.
The panel says that the very fact that MVM use is highest among those who engage in other positive health behaviors such as regular exercise and eating a healthier diet, makes it difficult to determine whether the MVM alone is truly responsible for any observed improvement in health.