It is impossible to live without vitamins in the modern world. Lack or total deficiency of one or more is critical to health. Thus, recently scientists and doctors came to the conclusion that people over 75 years of age must take vitamin D constantly, at least in small doses. It reduces the risk of death. Multivitamins seem to be a panacea for all diseases. And many, for example, in the fall or spring rush to buy them so as not to catch this or that virus. But are multivitamins really useful?
Scientists from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a large-scale study and found out how taking multivitamins affects life expectancy.
Multivitamins do not prolong life
Scientists from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) combined data from three large studies. More than 390 thousand healthy adults took part in them. They were watched for twenty years. Researchers analyzed how taking multivitamins affects mortality.
The researchers divided the experiment participants into three groups: those who did not take multivitamins, those who took them from time to time, and those who took them daily.
The conclusion was unexpected: taking a daily multivitamin cannot prolong life. This does not in any way protect against cancer, heart disease, or atherosclerosis. Quite the contrary: the risk of death from any cause among those who took multivitamins was slightly higher than among those who did not take them at all.
There may be several reasons for this, scientists note. Perhaps more often than the “strong” ones, people with poor health buy and drink multivitamins.
“It is important to reconsider your eating habits, and not drink vitamins, this is what can prolong life,” the scientists wrote. — In regions where long-livers live, they eat a lot of vegetables, fruits and legumes. For example, a 2023 study found that switching to healthier foods could add up to 10 years to your life.
Who can benefit from it?
Scientists also note that taking certain vitamins is beneficial for people with specific diseases or during pregnancy.
- Beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease.
- Multivitamins may help patients undergoing bariatric surgery.
- Folic acid supplements during pregnancy may help prevent serious birth defects.
Researchers warn that sometimes supplements and vitamins can be harmful and even dangerous if taken in excessive doses or together with other drugs. Yes, beta carotene increases the risk of lung cancer in smokers, vitamin K may reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners, and calcium and zinc limit absorption of antibiotics.
Previously, we looked at vitamin D, which has gained popularity during COVID-19, and tried to understand whether everyone needs to drink it.
The global endocrinology community has released new recommendations for vitamin D intake, which differ from those adopted in 2011. Then the doctors decided that it was necessary to prescribe it at a level of 30 ng/ml and below.
After 13 years, they admitted that the decision was made based on a minimum of data and insufficient research on this topic. Only the effect of vitamin D on bones was taken into account, not on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. As a result, as doctors admitted, vitamin D standards were then derived solely on the basis of bone health.
By 2024 there will be new works by scientists about the effects of vitamin D on health.
