Do Multivitamins Make You Healthier?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

The evidence on the health benefits of multivitamins is mixed. While multivitamins may offer specific benefits such as reducing infections in certain populations, improving lipid profiles in obese individuals, and enhancing micronutrient status in older adults, they do not consistently prevent chronic diseases or improve cognitive function. The impact on psychological well-being and inflammatory markers is also inconclusive. Therefore, while multivitamins can contribute to better health in specific contexts, they are not a guaranteed solution for overall health improvement.

The use of multivitamins is widespread, with many individuals taking them to improve overall health and prevent various diseases. However, the scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of multivitamins is mixed and often inconclusive. This synthesis aims to evaluate whether multivitamins make you healthier based on findings from multiple research studies.

Key Insights

• Immune Function and Infection Reduction
  • Multivitamin and mineral supplements may reduce infections and absenteeism from work, particularly in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus1.
  • Some studies indicate that multivitamins can improve various immunologic factors, although results are inconsistent1.
• Chronic Disease Prevention
  • There is limited evidence supporting the efficacy of multivitamins in preventing chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Some studies show no significant effect, while others suggest potential benefits in specific subgroups2 5.
  • Multivitamin use was associated with a slightly higher overall cancer risk in men but a lower risk of colon cancer in both sexes9.
• Adiposity and Lipid Profiles
  • In obese individuals, multivitamin supplementation was found to reduce body weight, fat mass, and improve lipid profiles, possibly through increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation4.
• Psychological Well-being and Inflammatory Markers
  • Multivitamin supplementation did not significantly improve psychological state but showed some positive impact on pro-inflammatory cytokine profiles in stressed women6.
  • Improvements in mood and reduced perceived stress were observed in older adults, with some evidence of reduced emotional loneliness and increased feelings of friendliness8.
• Cognitive Function and Blood Biomarkers
  • No cognitive improvements were observed in healthy older adults after multivitamin supplementation, although several blood biomarkers relevant to cognitive aging showed significant improvements7.
• Micronutrient Status and Antioxidant Capacity
  • Multivitamin supplementation improved micronutrient status and reduced the prevalence of suboptimal vitamin levels in older adults, but did not affect antioxidant capacity or immune response markers10.
• Adverse Birth Outcomes
  • In high-income countries, multivitamin use during pregnancy did not significantly change the risk of preterm birth but was associated with a reduced risk of small for gestational age, neural tube defects, and other congenital anomalies3.

Do multivitamins make you healthier?

Cornelie Nienaber-Rousseau has answered Uncertain

An expert from North-West University in Nutrition

Routine vitamin supplementation (for dietary insurance in the case one does not meet all nutrient needs form food alone or health insurance to protect against disease) is common especially in the developed world and is a multibillion-dollar industry (Gahche et al., 2011).

The U.S preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (2003) concluded that the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against the routine use of supplements of vitamins A, C or E; multivitamins with folic acid; or antioxidant combination for the prevention of cancer or cardiovascular disease. Furthermore the USPSTF recommends to not use B-carotene supplements, either alone or in combination with other vitamins for the prevention of cancer or cardiovascular disease especially among smokers. B-carotene could increase lung cancer risk in smokers (as reviewed by Goralczyk in a 2009 publication; Martinez et al., 2012). Refer to Table 1 of Martinez et al. (2012) for a summary of recommendations that are similar to those of the USPSTF in terms of chronic disease prevention. Furthermore, supplementation with vitamin E and selenium, taken alone or in combination, was not associated with a decreased incidence of dementia in asymptomatic older men (Slomski, 2017). A meta-analysis by Bjelakovic et al. (2007) found that treatment with beta carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E may in fact increase mortality. Thus taking supplementation for health insurance is not recommended at all.

However, supplementation when a deficiency is present or in certain life-stages when dietary requirements are increased (infancy, pregnancy and when breastfeeding, elderly), is recommended to prevent the serious consequences of some of the micronutrient deficiencies. Vegetarians and vegans often do not get enough of certain nutrients and have to rely on supplementation.

Regular supplementation can at best be harmless, but costly and at worst harmful (Bjelakovic & Gluud, 2011) especially when toxicity occurs and, therefore, should preferably be prescribed by doctors or dieticians.

Do multivitamins make you healthier?

Jeffrey B Blumberg has answered Near Certain

An expert from Tufts University in Medicine, Food Science, Biochemistry, Physiology

The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans explicitly note that there are marked shortfalls in the consumption of several vitamins and minerals in most adults. The epidemic of overweight and obesity is but one reflection of our generally untoward dietary patterns comprised of energy dense but nutrient poor food choices. Adherence to a daily multivitamin regimen has been clearly shown to fill gaps between actual intakes of micronutrients and recommended amounts and to support associated biochemical and cellular functions and structures of our bodies. However, the evidence is limited that, by itself, this proactive health behavior will significantly reduce the risk and prevalence of major chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Do multivitamins make you healthier?

Carol  Haggans has answered Likely

An expert from National Institutes of Health in Nutrition, Dietetics

It is possible to get adequate amounts of essential nutrients by consuming a nutritious variety of foods, but if someone doesn’t, taking a dietary supplement – such as a multivitamin/mineral supplement – can help. However, people should always talk with their healthcare provider for specific advice. 

Most research shows that multivitamins don’t reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer or heart disease. But there are a few situations where specific supplements are recommended. For example, many older adults have trouble absorbing the vitamin B12 naturally present in foods, so people over 50 should get most of their vitamin B12 from supplements or fortified foods. In addition, women who could become pregnant should get 400 mcg of folic acid a day from dietary supplements, fortified foods or a combination of the two, to help prevent neural tube defects. 

 It’s important to keep in mind that most vitamins and minerals have upper limits and can cause problems if someone gets too much. For example, some vitamin B6 supplements contain more than the upper limit of 100 mg. Getting too much vitamin B6 can cause severe nerve damage leading people to lose control of their bodily movements. 

 Also, “natural” doesn’t always mean safe. A supplement’s safety depends on many things including the ingredients it contains and their doses, as well as how it’s prepared. In addition, dietary supplements can interact or interfere with medications, so people should not take supplements in place of, or in combination with, prescribed medications without their healthcare provider’s approval. 

Do multivitamins make you healthier?

Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz has answered Unlikely

An expert from University of Wollongong in Epidemiology, Public Health, Diabetes

This is a very complex question, because “healthier” is a very vague term.

In general, there does not appear to be strong evidence that multivitamins improve health for people who are otherwise healthy and have a balanced diet. There are some epidemiological studies that suggest an association between multivitamins and good health, but these are likely confounded – essentially, we can see that people who take multivitamins are healthy, but they are also rich, exercise more, smoke less etc, so it’s hard to know if it’s the multivitamin making them healthy or the other aspects of their lives.

It’s also worth noting that the evidence for individual supplements is often vague and not well supported, so there’s not much reason to think that putting all of them into a pill would make it more effective.

However, on the other hand, if you are deficient in the vitamins that are in the pill, there’s usually a good rationale for taking them. So it really depends on who we are talking about – healthy adults who are mostly fine, or people with, say, scurvy. Iron supplements for menstruating women are one example that is well-evidenced, because women who menstruate are likely to be low on iron, however there is a trade-off with nausea and vomiting.

Do multivitamins make you healthier?

Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller has answered Likely

An expert from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Epidemiology

Some experts believe that for people who eat a well-balanced, healthy diet, supplemental vitamins will not help. However, many people do not consume a well-balanced diet, especially the elderly. In such cases, multivitamin/mineral supplements may improve health. Most studies have been observational which do not provide strong causal evidence, but there is an on-going clinical trial of MVM and the results should be out in about 2 years. In a longitudinal study in the Women’s Health Initiative, for women diagnosed with breast cancer MVM use showed a lower all-cause and breast cancer mortality compared to non-users of MVM.