Millions of people trust the vitamin and mineral bottle found in store aisles. but is there any benefit to taking them? Or are you just wasting your money? A new report may make you think twice.
Americans love their supplements taken by 31% of adults in the US – a whopping 80 million people. These pill powders and liquids are part of a $50 billion industry nationwide. But are you getting your money’s worth? The US Preventive Services Task Force, which is an independent, non-governmental panel of evidence-based medicine experts, reviewed 80 studies involving hundreds of thousands of people over 30 years. The task force concluded that there was little or no benefit to using vitamin and mineral supplements in preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and death; you really don’t need to take them. Dr. Peter Cohen studies supplement safety at Harvard Medical School. He believes they have an important place in medicine, such as for people with certain digestive diseases who follow specific restrictive diets or take medications that interfere with nutrient absorption. But he says they are not for everyone. I’m a big fan of multivitamins, but that’s when patients really need them for most healthy people. There is simply no reason to take them every day. Not everyone agrees with the task force’s findings, its narrow specific recommendations for health care providers. Andrea Wong, PhD researcher, directs scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group representing more than 100 80 manufacturers and suppliers of dietary supplements. Those studies are limited. She says there is growing evidence that multivitamins may be beneficial. The use of multivitamins can reduce the risk of cataracts. There is also recent research showing that the use of multivitamins can reduce the risk of cognitive decline as wong supplements can also address critical nutritional gaps in a person’s diet. People can really benefit from getting their nutrients, and sadly, many of us aren’t getting enough. Dr. Cohen says that he saves money if he is healthy and eats a fairly balanced diet. Do you think supplements are a waste of money? I do this when your patients come to you and say that they would really like to take a multivitamin or mineral supplement. What is your advice? And I’d rather spend that extra amount of money on healthier foods despite their differences, both experts can’t agree. A multivitamin is not a shortcut to good health. I would think twice about taking a multivitamin because honestly it’s not going to replace fruits and vegetables, but it’s important to do the other hard work, get a good night’s sleep, exercise, try to eat the best you can, and go back to see your health care provider. It is a part of that puzzle. It is not intended to be the only solution. You can’t just eat hot cheetos and pop a vitamin and be done with the day. I wish we could. But nothing in life is that simple, right?
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