Misleading: Multivitamins Make You Healthier

Multivitamins contain a combination of vitamins and minerals, and sometimes other ingredients as well according to the National Institutes of Health. Revenue from vitamin and nutritional supplement production has reached an all time high and is estimated to be worth over 30 billion dollars in the United States, with 77% of Americans reporting they consume dietary supplements. Misbar’s investigation has found that despite their profits and popularity, multivitamins do not necessarily make you healthier. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have the authority to review dietary supplement products for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. Therefore, you may not know exactly what you are getting in a supplement. Also, according to the National Institutes of Health, many manufacturers may add vitamins, minerals, and other supplement ingredients to foods you eat, especially breakfast cereals and beverages. As a result, you may get more of these ingredients than you think, and more might not be better. Taking more than you need costs more and might also raise your risk of side effects. For example, too much vitamin A can cause headaches and liver damage, reduce bone strength, and cause birth defects. Excess iron causes nausea and vomiting and may damage the liver and other organs.

Most research studies are mixed as to whether or not multivitamins provide a benefit. Some professionals recommend skipping them altogether. In a statement from the University of Michigan’s Rogel Cancer Center, “The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, which bases its recommendations on the potential benefit, harm and overall balance between the two, does not feel there is sufficient evidence to promote or avoid multivitamin supplements. It does, however, recommend the avoidance of beta-carotene and vitamin E supplements, which can increase the risk of certain types of cancer and death. These recommendations only apply to healthy adults without special nutritional needs in relation to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.”

The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics believe there is insufficient evidence to determine whether taking multivitamin mineral supplements is beneficial for preventing chronic disease in generally healthy people. 

Getting your vitamins through healthy food is the preferred way of vitamin absorption. However, if you are not able to eat a healthy diet, then the recommendation may change. "It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that micronutrient supplements are warranted when requirements are not being met through the diet alone. Those with increased requirements secondary to growth, chronic disease, medication use, malabsorption, pregnancy and lactation, and aging may be at particular risk for inadequate dietary intakes. However, the routine and indiscriminate use of micronutrient supplements for the prevention of chronic disease is not recommended, given the lack of available scientific evidence."

According to the FDA, supplements are not permitted to be marketed for the purpose of treating, diagnosing, preventing, or curing diseases. That means supplements should not make disease claims, such as “lowers high cholesterol” or “treats heart disease.” Claims like these cannot be legitimately made for dietary supplements.

There does not appear to be enough evidence to claim that multivitamins make you healthier, and without proper guidance from a medical professional, serious damage could be done by taking the wrong amounts of vitamins.