Case Is Closed: Multivitamins Are a Waste of Money, Doctors Say

[beanlicker]

Case Is Closed: Multivitamins Are a Waste of Money, Doctors Say

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/p/livesci_logo_73.jpg (http://www.livescience.com/) By By Bahar Gholipour, Staff Writer 12 hours ago

People should stop wasting their money on dietary supplements, some physicians said today, in response to three large new studies that showed most multivitamin supplements are ineffective at reducing the risk of disease, and may even cause harm.

The new studies, published today (Dec. 16) in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine —including two new clinical trials and one large review of 27 past clinical trials conducted by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — found no evidence that taking daily multivitamin and mineral supplements (http://www.livescience.com/topics/supplements/) prevents or slows down the progress of cognitive decline or chronic diseases such as heart diseases or cancer.

"The message is simple: Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified and they should be avoided," the physicians wrote in an editorial published along with the studies.

This message is especially aimed at people who have no signs of nutritional deficiency — meaning most supplement users in the United States, the researchers said.

"Study after study comes back negative — yet people continue to take supplements, now at record rates," said Dr. Edgar Miller, one of the five authors of the editorial and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

There may be a psychological component to taking supplements, Miller said. Despite evidence showing supplements hold no benefit for the general population, some people may rationalize they need supplements because their diets lack necessary nutrients, Miller told LiveScience.

The new findings are in line with those of previously published studies that have found no benefits from dietary supplements, including B vitamins and antioxidants (http://www.livescience.com/39722-antioxidant-supplements-shorter-life.html), and even suggested possible harms (http://www.livescience.com/35916-vitamin-supplements-risks.html). Results of clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people have shown that beta-carotene, vitamin E and possibly high doses of vitamin A supplements actually increase death rates, the researchers said.

"We believe that the case is closed — supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with most mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful," the researchers wrote in their editorial.

The use of multivitamin and mineral supplements among Americans has increased to about 50 percent in the mid-2000s (http://www.livescience.com/35641-dietary-supplements-multivitamin-healthy-diet.html), up from 40 percent in the early 1990s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For some supplements, such as beta-carotene and vitamin E (http://www.livescience.com/16500-prostate-cancer-vitamin-supplements.html), studies have found declines in use, following reports of their negative effects on lung cancer and mortality.

In contrast, sales of multivitamins and other supplements have not been affected by major studies that didn't find benefits, the researchers said. The U.S. supplement industry continues to grow, and reached $28 billion in annual sales in 2010. Similar trends have been reported in the United Kingdom and in other European countries.

The dietary-supplement industry maintains that for many Americans, diet alone may not provide the necessary vitamins they need daily, Miller said.

"The industry tries to create the impression that we are deficient, but randomized trials show that we are not all deficient and we don't benefit from supplements," Miller said, adding that clinical trials include people with varied diets from the general population.

The new review study looked at clinical trials that included a total of 450,000 older adults. All together, the researchers didn't find clear evidence of a beneficial effect of supplements on cancer and heart diseases.

In another study, researchers looked at the effects of taking a daily combination of nutrients —including vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene (http://www.livescience.com/35596-5-experts-preserve-eyesight.html) and B vitamins — in 6,000 men ages 65 and older who were followed for 12 years. The cognitive performance and verbal memory of participants who took multivitamin supplements didn't differ from those of participants who took placebo.

In the third study, the researchers examined whether high doses of multivitamins and minerals could prevent heart attacks (http://www.livescience.com/34733-heart-disease-high-cholesterol-heart-surgery.html), strokes and death in 1,700 people who have already had a heart attack. After an average follow-up of five years, the results didn't show a difference between participants who took dietary supplements and those who didn't.

[beanlicker]

Another related article......

Wasting Money on Supplements

By Lisa Collier Cool
Dec 16, 2013

Many people pop a multivitamin each day, believing they are boosting their health; however, new research suggests that routine dietary supplements may be unnecessary or even harmful.

In a new editorial (http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-159-12-201312170-00011) in Annals of Internal Medicine (AOIM), physicians urge Americans to “stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements.” The editorialists—referencing new research included in the same issue of the journal—warn that, “[m]ost supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided.” This is especially true for people who lack symptoms of nutritional deficiencies, including most supplement users. In fact, in some cases, supplements may cause harm.

“We need vitamins and minerals to function,” explains one of the editorialists, Dr. Eliseo Guallar. “So many people think, ‘the more you get, the better you should be.’ But we actually have a lot of accumulated evidence that vitamin supplements aren’t helping. They aren’t working in the general population to prevent chronic disease.”

Supplements May Not Prevent Cancer, Could Cause Harm

In a new review article (http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1767855) in AOIM, published early online, researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon examined 26 studies of dietary supplements, including single, paired, or multivitamin combinations of nutrients.

The researchers found no consistent link between supplement use and decreased risk of cancer, heart disease, or all-cause mortality. Only two studies showed a potential link between multivitamin use and cancer prevention among men. However, the statistical significance of those links was limited and no benefits were found for women.

The researchers also found no consistent pattern of harm with multivitamin use. But they did find several studies linking specific supplements to certain ailments. For example, beta-carotene supplements may boost the risk of lung cancer and death among high-risk populations, such as smokers.

Multivitamins Don’t Prevent Cognitive Decline in Men

Multivitamins typically contain several nutrients believed to promote cognitive health—such as vitamins B, C, and E. However, downing a daily multivitamin may do little to keep your mind sharp, warn scientists from the Physicians Health Study II (http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-159-12-201312170-00002), also included in the new issue of AOIM..

The researchers assigned nearly 6,000 participants over the age of 64 to a daily multivitamin or placebo regimen. Over twelve years, they assessed changes in participants’ cognitive function and found no significant differences between multivitamin and placebo users. The researchers conclude that daily multivitamin use provides no benefit for preventing cognitive decline.

High-Dose Multivitamins Won’t Stop Heart Problems

Daily multivitamins may also fall short of the mark for protecting patients with a history of heart attack.

In another study (http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-159-12-201312170-00001) published in AOIM, researchers assigned over 1,700 men and women to a high-dose multivitamin or placebo regimen. All of the participants had experienced a heart attack at least six weeks before the start of the study.

After an average follow-up of 4.6 years, the researchers found no difference in the rate of recurrent cardiovascular events among participants who took supplements compared to those who did not. Multivitamins did not appear to be harmful; however, the supplements also did not seem to offer any protection against ongoing heart problems.

Supplements Do Provide Benefits in Certain Situations

For most people, eating a variety of healthy foods is all it takes to meet their nutritional needs. Plus, according to the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/supplements/NU00198), whole foods provide benefits that pills don’t offer – such as dietary fiber, protective phytochemicals, and micronutrients.

However, research shows that some people do benefit from certain supplements. For example:



Women who may become pregnant should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to prevent spina bifida and other birth defects, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html). Those who take folic acid in early pregnancy may also lower the risk of delivering a child with autism, according to new research (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130212172209.htm) published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Women who are pregnant may also benefit from iron supplementation to protect against anemia. Prenatal iron supplements may also reduce the risk of low birth rates, advises a recent review (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130620214037.htm) of over 90 studies.
Vegetarians and vegans who avoid meat, eggs, and dairy should eat foods fortified with B12 or take supplements, counsels the Harvard Health Letter (http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/vitamin_b12_deficiency). People over the age of 50 are also at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, which may impact balance, memory, and possibly mood.


Before you stock up on multivitamins or other supplements, exercise some extra caution: take the time to ask your doctor if they are right for you.

[Rooroo]

So the question here is does Rooroo clear off the top of his refrig of all those useless plastic bottles full of crap (vitamins) ? Seriously speaking I'm a little bummed out about this latest study . All those times I gaged in the morning to get those fuckers down my throat wasn't necessary?!! Fuck me!!

[gator-mclusky]

I hate studies. They are so inconclusive. One day they save you an the next they cause Cancer. My pop lived to be 80 and he only took Vitamin E. Not sure why Vit E but that was it.
Prescription wise he would only take High BP meds.


That being said....I cant see how vitamins could be bad for you. I take Magesium b/c it supposedly helps with muscles and nervous system.

[beanlicker]

So the question here is does Rooroo clear off the top of his refrig of all those useless plastic bottles full of crap (vitamins) ? Seriously speaking I'm a little bummed out about this latest study . All those times I gaged in the morning to get those fuckers down my throat wasn't necessary?!! Fuck me!!

You are not alone bro.....probably every one of us here is using or has used supplements.

[AndyL]

I use the GNC Mega Men all the time and feel it helps keep me from catching a cold too often . Vitamins are supposed to boost immunity and doctors are so close minded regarding this and dietary supplements , exercise , even steroids . you would think they'd be more hip in the world we live in .

[rmkicks]

I'm guilty and take a few such as; multi, fish oil and CoQ10 and will add in some other supplements when on cycle.

[bugse2342]

These studies are not facts just opinions. Each person is made differently. Unless they test every person in the world it's inconclusive.

[slash75cmd]

I guess we will slowly see the supplement business dissolve as future generations are fed the idea that supplements are as useless as witch hazel.

[Rooroo]

I guess we will slowly see the supplement business dissolve as future generations are fed the idea that supplements are as useless as witch hazel.

As sure as I'm writing this there will be some sort of study released from "supplement industry " stating how beneficial sups can be . Follow the money!! Pharmaceutical co's have to be thrilled with this study.

[slash75cmd]

As sure as I'm writing this there will be some sort of study released from "supplement industry " stating how beneficial sups can be . Follow the money!! Pharmaceutical co's have to be thrilled with this study.

True statement and I also feel kind of on the fence about any supplement study. Any company that is involved medicinal healthcare (e.g.- big pharmaceuticals) or wellness/sports supplements discovers ways to financially survive through some kind of creative marketing. The current companies who make their cash off of multivitamins will probably focus their energies on finding and quoting doctors or scientists who are willing to dispute the articles that Beanlicker posted. However, it may come down to some group willing to conduct a "true" scientific study to prove or disprove multivitamins as bullshit. However, there is no way that anyone could really design a study that will give us true conclusion. Everything is subjective, but I say, until someone can prove any supplement doesn't support health and you haven't died yet, keep on taking them. Just stock up when they're on sale so you have enough money for what you really know that works...testosterone and masteron!

[beanlicker]

Another related article.....

Multimillion Multivitamin Hoax

By Lizzie Crocker December 19, 2013 5:45 AM The Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com)

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/BxKwxg6FLXEqFco46JEsDA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwMDtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/TheDailyBeast/1387449911915.cached.jpg .

Multimillion Multivitamin Hoax

In the not so distant past, I had a voracious appetite for supplements. Most mornings, before digging into breakfast, I’d hoover up digestive enzymes, probiotics, and gelatin capsules filled with desiccated orange peels and papaya pulp. I spent $45 a month on those fruit and vegetable powders alone—“whole food” supplements designed to make up for the nutrients I was supposedly missing through my regular diet.

I grew up in a household where there was no shortage of unhealthy snack foods. My mother encouraged me to eat my vegetables and my Oreos. But when I went to college—that time of rebellion and rejection of past habits—I worked at an organic juice bar and was soon adopted by its hippie owners. They introduced me to the dangers of toxins and free radicals, the alleged benefits of eating organic, and to the knowledge that kale contained more vitamins than any other leafy green vegetable (this was in 2004, before kale became as common as iceberg lettuce). Before long I was peddling goji berry juice, prattling on to friends and family about why they should spend $30 for a bottle of this “superfood” from the Himalayas.

I had become an evangelist for uncommon foods—but food wasn’t enough. Because multivitamins weren’t “natural,” I started swallowing something called Juice Plus, pills packed with “juice powder concentrates from 25 different fruits, vegetables and grains.” It would, I was told, boost my immune system, stave off wrinkles, prevent cancer, and make my bowel movements perfectly symmetrical. Sure, it was expensive, but I was investing in my health!

Embraced by the community, I trusted the high priests of this new dietary lifestyle. Intuitively it made sense that my body would absorb nutrients if they came from dehydrated fruits and vegetables (they’re still fruits and vegetables, after all) instead of chemically formulated, over-the-counter multivitamins. According to Juice Plus, studies demonstrated that their product would help provide me with “healthy gums,” a “healthy immune system,” and would protect my DNA from “oxidative stress” (whatever that is). I was impervious to counter-evidence; I was eating the pills and drinking the Kool-Aid. Had I even checked Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice_Plus), I would have discovered widespread skepticism about the company’s claims: “Doubts have been raised about the advertised benefits of Juice Plus by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, University of California Berkeley, Center for Science in the Public Interest, and other sources.”

But what of all of those clinical studies? With a little more research and a little less faith, I would have found on Juice Plus’s own website (http://www.juiceplus.com/) a concession that “much of the [research] featured on this page was funded” by grants from...Juice Plus! (“University faculty seeking to apply for a grant should contact the company directly at [email protected].”)

I existed on the fringes of what is broadly called the “alternative medicine” universe. Doctors don’t prescribe this stuff, but then again doctors are probably in the pocket of big pharmaceuticals, right?

Nearly half of all Americans ingest a multivitamin pill every day—a more respectable supplement. Indeed, medical professionals have urged us to take multivitamins for years, but new research indicates that not only are the pills mostly unnecessary, but they could actually do harm those taking them. “We believe that the case is closed—supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful,” reads an editorial (http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2013/12/16/case-closed-multivitamins-should-not-be-used/) published in the esteemed Annals of Internal Medicine this week. “These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough."

Based on three studies examining multivitamins’ links to cancer prevention, heart health, and cognitive function, the research is a blow to the $28 billion vitamin industry—and the estimated 40 percent of Americans who shovel money into it. But skepticism of the effectiveness of vitamin supplements is hardly new. In his 2013 book Do You Believe in Magic (http://www.amazon.com/Do-You-Believe-Magic-Alternative/dp/0062222961), Dr. Paul Offit pointed to a handful of major studies over the past five years that showed vitamins have made people less healthy. “In 2008, a review of all existing studies involving more than 230,000 people who did or did not receive supplemental antioxidants found that vitamins increased the risk of cancer and heart disease.”

But these studies haven’t disabused most Americans of the notion that vitamins are beneficial and necessary. So why do we insist on believing health claims based on shaky—and sometimes nonexistent—science? “I think this is a great example of how our intuition leads us astray,” Steven Salzberg, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, told NPR. “It seems reasonable that if a little bit of something is good for you, then more should be better for you. It’s not true. Supplementation with extra vitamins or micronutrients doesn’t really benefit you if you don’t have a deficiency.”

Like so many others, I had intuition—and faith—that my doctors were shielding me from the truth, that my supplement routine would help my health. Alas, it only hurt my bank balance.

[beanlicker]

Just stock up when they're on sale so you have enough money for what you really know that works...testosterone and masteron!

true dat.....the best supplements around....peptides and gear!

[PAiN]

Interesting articles bro. This just goes to show nobody knows what the fuck is going on lol

Some doctors and scientists swear by them and others denounce them.

This reminds me of the people who smoke and drink a gallon of whiskey every day and live to be a hundred and the guy that lived off of chicken and veggies and ran 7 miles a day dies of a heart attack at 40.


I take my vitamins every day and have for years and it's working for me so I will keep doing what I'm doing and see how it goes lol.

[benchyourmom]

Interesting articles bro. This just goes to show nobody knows what the fuck is going on lol

Some doctors and scientists swear by them and others denounce them.

This reminds me of the people who smoke and drink a gallon of whiskey every day and live to be a hundred and the guy that lived off of chicken and veggies and ran 7 miles a day dies of a heart attack at 40.


I take my vitamins every day and have for years and it's working for me so I will keep doing what I'm doing and see how it goes lol.

Really? I'm going to try that, did it say what brand of Whiskey and cigarettes?

[benchyourmom]

Shows the power of the mind. I think if you think you get benefits from vitamins take them if you don't, don't. I'm a believer that if you think a lot about anything you can trick your body into doing whatever it is you're thinking about. Arnold said he did that when lifting he would imagine himself growing. Also, people with anxiety disorders, think about it enough bam.... You got one! Mind is fuckin crazy for sure!

[quadzilla]

The way I look at it is taking multi vitamin is a shit option but taking a particular vitamin that you are deficient will go a long way. But with multivitamin most of the vitamins supplied in multivitam your body doesnt require so you end up pissing an expensive piss. So people like us lifting heavy day in and day out would need something like vitamic C, Magenisum just a couple of examples.

[Kvasir]

Thanks for sharing.

As I read the studies I wonder about the baseline health and deficiencies of the subjects. Taking a standard multivitamin (like the GNC MegaMan I take daily) are a buckshot approach to filling any deficiencies and, by extension, giving me more of some that I probably don't need.

I'd probably be better of by being more strategic, assessing my deficiencies and filling only those.

[coalminer78]

Of course doctors don't like vitamins and supplements....the healthier you are the less money they get from you

[JohnDoe]

What to do, what to do. Fuck it...I'll spend money on test instead of multivitamins ahahahahha

[Bozz77]

A mention for vitamin D should be made in those articles as its not strictly a 'Vitamin' and is well absorbed by the body and offers a host of benefits

[GrimR]

Not everyone needs vitamin D though, the lighter the skin usually the less they need. Redheads such as myself apparently make enough of our own without the nee for food, supplements and very little sunlight.

[bigbreads80]

The older I get, the more clear it becomes that 99% of all this supplement stuff , wether it be vitamins, protien, whatever, is all crap and does nothing for us. I think everything we need can be and is achieved through what nature gives us. Food. The sun. Water. And our genetics of course. People managed to survive and evolve throughout history without multivitamins, and I'm willing to be we will. And how we look and feel is strictly based off what we eat and how much.

I do on the other hand believe most of , or atleast as strong portion of what hurts us health wise , is all this man made synthetic crap we put in our bodies that claim to take the place of food

It's funny because if you go stand in a grocery store and look at everything there as a whole, most of it isn't even real food lol

[aRRRtz]

What about greens supplements?? Love my orange triad+greens hahaha.

[pnasty69]

Since I've been taking my vitamins and eating really well I'm past the weight i was 2 years ago when i was on cycle. Ive only been at it a month and past where i was with only vitamins and food. this can't be that true

[j-raw-hate]

I'm calling bs for my own conclusion , there are a few good vitamins out there that I can personally tell help with my immune system ,no placebo, I can tell the difference she I stop taking them for a week or more

[coalminer78]

I took Centrum multi vitamin growing up and never missed a day of school outside deer season....I feel it helped...wish I could remember to take it everyday now lol

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[Trtquest]

Good read

[Fedexgunot]

Of course doctors don't like vitamins and supplements....the healthier you are the less money they get from youExactly! I feel like alot of those doctors raising hell about supps being bunk or plain out dangerous are getting paid off by big ****** so people end up neglecting natural remedies for ************** ones.. that's just me..

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