That was the question being answered in a recent study by the National Cancer Institute and published in JAMA Network Open. The study followed 390,124 adults in the U.S. for up to 27 years, none of whom had a history of
cancer or chronic disease. The results showed daily multivitamin use does not equal a longer life and in fact may lead to a 4 percent higher risk of mortality.
The study accounted for lifestyle habits such as diet, exercise and smoking while finding that multivitamin users were eating healthier and exercising more. These healthy activities, according to the study, did not extend life
and “was associated with a 4% higher mortality risk.”
So, are multivitamins worth it? Doesn’t seem like it but let's look at the
problems with how this study was conducted.
The first problem with this study was that nutritional deficiencies were not
determined in the beginning. Multivitamins have a little bit of everything,
but they might not match what your body really needs. Without knowing
what the individual needs, there is no way to know what they should be
taking. Simply taking a MV does not correct a deficiency. It is also unlikely
an individual is deficient in each ingredient of a MV. Furthermore, MV
doses are often too low to correct the deficiency even if the deficiency is
identified.
The second problem with this study is the imbalance of the minerals in
many MV products. If you’re not getting enough of what you need or
getting too much of something that could be bad for, is the MV really worth
it? For example, oftentimes magnesium and zinc levels are too low to be
therapeutic and copper and iron levels are too high. High levels of minerals
can cause oxidative stress on the body and low levels will not correct
deficiencies.
The third problem with this study is MV quality was completely ignored.
Not all vitamins are made the same so, low quality products are difficult to
digest, difficult to absorb and usually contain additives/contaminants. If you
can’t digest and absorb the product it is literally a waste of money. If you
are sensitive to one of the additives you are creating more problems than
you are solving.
There are many problems with how this study was designed and
conducted. Could MV be giving us a false sense of security and we are not
as healthy as we thought? Yes, that's possible. Could we be taking the
wrong MV, ignoring a bigger deficiency or taking a product we are sensitive
to? Yes, that's possible too.
Are multivitamins helping or hurting you?
Our best advice is to talk with Dr. Alex about your current MV. We have MV
options from OrthoMolecular, Nutridyn and Standard Process that may
prove to be a better option. Call Oasis Wellness Center today to schedule
a free 15 min consult to discuss your MV.
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