A review carried out by US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) which involved the analysis of 84 studies involving nearly 700,000 people, found little or no evidence that daily intake of a multivitamin and minerals can help prevent cancer and the cardiovascular diseases which can lead to heart attacks and strokes, nor do they help prevent early death.
The results of the Research have been published in the scientific journal JAMA.
Multivitamins and mineral salts: when they really affect our health
The daily habit of taking a multivitamin is often induced by catchy advertising and not by a real contingent need. The result is the waste of money with marginal effects on health.
“Most people would be better off drinking a full glass of water and skipping the multivitamin,” said Dr. Pieter CohenAssociate Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and internist at the Cambridge Health Alliance, affiliated with Harvard. In addition to saving money, you will enjoy the satisfaction of not succumbing to deceptive marketing schemes.
“We have good evidence that for the vast majority of people, taking a multivitamin won’t help you,” added Dr. Cohen, an expert in the research and regulation of dietary supplements.
It is important to point out, however, that there are some exceptions. Highly restrictive diets and gastrointestinal conditions, or some weight loss surgeries that cause poor nutrient absorption, are examples of why a multivitamin or single vitamins might be recommended. A daily vitamin D supplement may be needed when a person receives insufficient sun exposure. Your doctor may recommend an iron supplement if you have one low number of red blood cells (anemia).
Polls on the subject have revealed that people take vitamins to stay healthy, feel more energetic, or gain peace of mind, according to an editorial accompanying the review of the USPSTF. These beliefs stem from a powerful narrative about vitamins are healthy and natural that dates back nearly a century: “This narrative appeals to many groups of our population, including people who are progressive vegetarians and even conservatives who are suspicious. of science and they think doctors don’t do anything good, ”explained Dr Cohen.
Vitamins are very cheap to make, so companies can invest a lot of money in advertising, Dr. Cohen said. But because the FDA regulates supplements as foods and not prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the agency only checks claims relating to the treatment of the disease.
For example, supplement manufacturers cannot say that their product “reduces the risk of heart disease.” But their labels may include phrases like “promotes a healthy heart” or “supports the immune system”, as well as vague promises about improving fatigue and poor motivation.
“Supplement manufacturers can market their products as having benefits when in reality there are no benefits. It is enshrined in the law, ”aka noted Dr. Cohen. The legally required disclaimer on each product should be noted: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease ”.
But even the strong language in this disclaimer – “not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent” – doesn’t seem to affect how people perceive marketing claims about taking a multivitamin daily. While multivitamins aren’t helpful, at least they’re not harmful. But the money people spend on them could be better spent on buying healthy foods, the expert suggested.
“Patients are constantly asking, ‘Which supplements should I take?’ They are wasting money and concentrating on thinking that there must be a magical set of pills and a multivitamin that will keep them healthy when we should all follow the evidence-based practices of eating healthy and exercising, ”said Dr. Jeffrey Linder, head of the internal general medicine division in the medical department of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“The harm is that by talking to patients about supplements during the very limited time we can see them, we are missing out on advice on how to really reduce cardiovascular risks, such as through exercise or smoking cessation,” Linder added.
As noted above, this recommendation does not apply to everyone, for example pregnant women must take certain supplements: “Pregnant women should keep in mind that these guidelines do not apply to them,” said Cameron, who is also a doctor of the Northwestern Medicine: “Some vitamins, like folic acidare essential for pregnant women to support healthy fetal development ”.
“The most common way to meet these needs is to take a prenatal vitamin. More data is needed to understand how specific vitamin supplementation can modify the risk of adverse effects of pregnancy and cardiovascular complications during pregnancy, ”Cameron explained.
A recent research of Northwestern found that most women in the United States have poor heart health before becoming pregnant. Cameron said that, in addition to discussing vitamin supplementation, working with patients to optimize cardiovascular health before pregnancy is an important component of antenatal care.
“Adopting a healthy diet and exercising more is easier said than done, especially among low-income Americans,” said Jia, general internal medicine instructor at Feinberg and Northwestern Medicine physician. healthy is expensive and people don’t always have the means to find places to exercise, maybe it’s not safe outdoors or they can’t afford a facility. So, what can we do to try to make it easier and help support healthier decisions? ”, Concluded the expert.
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