28 Mar 2023
A recent study from North-western university in the US published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 84 studies of a variety of vitamin therapies and concluded that vitamins were a waste of money. The US Preventive Services Task Force [US PSTF] suggested that there was insufficient evidence that multivitamins, paired supplements or single supplements could prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer in otherwise healthy, non-pregnant adults.
In the US alone, around $50 billion is spent yearly on a variety of supplement and vitamins. The researchers suggested that if someone was vitamin deficient, they should obtain their vitamins, minerals and trace metals from good quality food.
They did however, suggest that folic acid was useful in pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects and there was some evidence to suggest elderly people may require oral calcium and vitamin D.
I completely disagree with this conclusions for the following reasons:
1) We all should be consuming 2 to 3 pieces of fruit per day and 3 to 5 servings of vegetables per day [one serving is the equivalent of a half a carrot]. It is estimated that less than 10% of the population consume this amount of fruit and vegetables daily. Individuals who eat this amount of fruit and vegetables daily have the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer in the community.
2) It appears this study has ignored the more long-term analyses of vitamin ingestion.
3) Most of the studies analysed were from the US, where their supplements are made to food standards. One study of 300 different vitamin products revealed around 95% were either contaminated or did not contain what it said on the bottle. In Australia our vitamins are made to pharmaceutical grade and what it lists on the ingredients label is exactly what is in the bottle.
4) It appears this analysis has completely ignored one of the largest and longest studies of multivitamins in the world which comes from Harvard University, following 180,000 people for 30 years (ongoing), and focusing on different health parameters. One subset of this study is reviewing the intake of multivitamins.
The use of multivitamins in the male component of the trial showed no benefit for the first 10 years but found there was an 8% reduction in cataracts and common cancers after 10 years of consumption. And at 20 years there was a 44% reduction in cardiovascular disease.
In the Female component at 15 years there was a 75% reduction in Bowel cancer, a 25% reduction in breast cancer and a 23% reduction in cardiovascular disease purely by taking a multivitamin daily.
The important distinction here is that we are talking about supplements, not replacements, for a healthy lifestyle. There is numerous evidence showing there is a benefit to taking a multivitamin when supplementing a healthy lifestyle, but this benefit is negated obese people and smokers.
Pharmaceutical grade supplements should be seen as adjuncts to a healthy lifestyle. But don’t think any vitamin or pharmaceutical pill will overcome poor lifestyle habits.
If you have any questions or your personal circumstances have changed please do not hesitate to contact your financial adviser.
General Advice Warning - Any advice included in this article has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, you should consider whether it’s appropriate to you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs.
