A recent study analyzed data from almost 400,000 healthy U.S. adults over a period of more than 20 years and concluded that there is no link between taking multivitamins regularly and reducing the risk of premature death. The study was conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health and was published in JAMA Network Open on June 26, 2024. This finding challenges the common belief that regular multivitamin use can lower the risk of death.
Many people take multivitamins in order to improve their health, but it is still not clear whether they are beneficial or harmful. Previous studies on the use of multivitamins and mortality have given mixed results, and have been limited by short follow-up times.
In order to further investigate the connection between long-term use of multivitamins and overall mortality, as well as death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, researchers looked at data from three large and diverse studies involving a total of 390,124 U.S. adults. These participants were followed for more than 20 years and were generally healthy.was no significant difference in mortality rates between the two groups. The study suggests that the use of multivitamins does not appear to have a significant impact on overall mortality, even among a large population with no history of cancer or other chronic diseases. This finding was supported by the extensive data collection and follow-up, which helped to account for potential biases that may have influenced the results. For example, the study considered the possibility that people who use multivitamins may have generally healthier lifestyles, while sicker patients may be more likely to increase their use of multivitamins. Despite these potential biases, the analysis found no significant association between daily multivitamin use and risk of death from any cause.There were no variations in the death rates from cancer, heart disease, or cerebrovascular diseases. The findings took into account factors like race, ethnicity, education, and diet quality. The scientists emphasized the need to study how taking multivitamins affects the risk of death in various populations, including those with known nutrient deficiencies, and how it may impact other age-related health conditions.
