Experts

Multivitamins And Supplements ‘Waste Of Money’, Study Finds

By Kamal Nayan | Update Date: Jan 20, 2014 09:03 AM EST

Effects of supplements and multivitamins on cardiovascular disease, cancer, mortality and cognitive decline is not as significant as they promise, a new study has find. 

A new article published in the Annals of Internal Medicine noted that three studies that were about finding the benefits of supplements and multivitamins, observed that none of them helped patients much. Studies also found that there were no significant differences between people who took vitamin supplements and people who did not. 

In an article titled "Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements" researchers concluded that buying supplements were complete waste of money especially for those who did not have any vitamin deficiency in their body.

They noted that the human body could only absorb certain amount of vitamins and minerals per day. In case of excess, the spared amount it excreted from the body in the form of urine. 

Contrastingly, excessive use of vitamin supplements can put takes on increased risk of certain cancers too. Researchers at Cleveland Clinic found that excess vitamin E increased the risk prostate cancer. 

"You really have to question now how taking vitamin E will help someone," the researchers told the Washington Post. "Not only is it unlikely to help them, it apparently could hurt them."

Nevertheless many researchers have taken their stand in the defense of supplements and multivitamins. Some people suffer long term illness and cannot include adequate vitamins in their diet due to obvious restrictions. For them, supplements and multivitamins are the only solution. 

"This reinforces the theory that vitamins work synergistically and that drug-like trials of nutrients, when used in isolation from other nutrients, may not be the most appropriate way to study them," Duffy MacKay, vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition said, according to HNGN

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