# Multivitamin researchers say "case is closed" after studies find no health benefits.



## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

Oh yea and don't forget the global warming consensus....eat gmo corn and food with no nutritional value and do not take vitamins...you will be find just take another psychotropic drug to make you feel good.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/multivi...case-is-closed-supplements-dont-boost-health/

By/Ryan Jaslow /CBS News/ December 16, 2013, 5: 04 PM/ 
Multivitamin researchers say "case is closed" after studies find no health benefits

That's the message from doctors behind three new studies and an editorial that tackled an oft-debated question in medicine: Do daily multivitamins make you healthier?

After reviewing the available evidence and conducting new trials, the authors have come to a conclusion of "no."

"We believe that the case is closed -- supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful," concluded the authors of the editorial summarizing the new research papers, published Dec. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough."

They went on to urge consumers to not "waste" their money on multivitamins.

"The 'stop wasting your money' means that perhaps you're spending money on things that won't protect you long term," editorial co-author Dr. Edgar Miller, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, told CBS News' chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. "What will protect you is if you spend the money on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, low fat dairy, things like that ..exercising would probably be a better use of the money."

The strong message was based on a review of the findings from three studies that tracked multivitamins link to cancer protection, heart health, and brain and cognitive measures.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are taken by an estimated half of all Americans.

Health 
Study: Multivitamins fail to reduce heart problems
A study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at nearly 15,000 male doctors who were middle-aged and older for mor... 
The first study, which was released online Nov. 12 in Annals, was a review of 24 studies and two trials on more than 350,000 individuals that looked at vitamin supplementation's role in preventing chronic disease. The review was conducted to find evidence that can be used to update vitamin treatment guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of medical experts who recommend the government on treatments.

That review found no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation would reduce heart disease in pill takers. Two of the trials found a small, "borderline-significant benefit" in cancer risk reduction, but only in men. Overall, the panel concluded there was no solid evidence for or against taking vitamins and minerals alone, or that a multivitamin to prevent heart disease or cancer. More strikingly, it found enough evidence to recommend against taking beta-carotene or vitamin E for preventing both diseases, finding they not only didn't help but the former may raise risk for lung cancer for already at-risk individuals. 
Health 
Study: Multivitamins can lower cancer risk
A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds taking a multivitamin daily lowers the risk of cancer. Edward Lawrence repor... 
"In the absence of clear evidence about the impact of most vitamins and multivitamins on cardiovascular disease and cancer, health care professionals should counsel their patients to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that is rich in nutrients," the Task Force concluded.

The next study, published Dec. 16 in Annals, looked at cognitive health and whether long-term use of multivitamins would have any effect. Researchers assigned almost 5,950 male doctors aged 65 and older to take either a daily multivitamin or placebo for 12 years in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial,

Based on the results of memory tests, the researchers found the multivitamin did nothing to slow cognitive decline among men 65 and older compared to placebo takers.

"These data do not provide support for use of multivitamin supplements in the prevention of cognitive decline," wrote the authors, led by Dr. Francine Grodstein, an epidemiologist who studies aging at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

It's worth noting this study only looked at cognitive test results, not actual development of dementia.

Consumer Reports: 10 hidden dangers of vitaminsThe third study looked specifically at multivitamins and minerals role in preventing another heart attack, or myocardial infarction. They looked at more than 1,700 people who had a heart attack at least six weeks earlier, and randomized them to receive daily high-dose multivitamins and minerals or placebos for five years.

Having a heart attack raises risk for another attack, or cardiovascular event like stroke or premature death, so if multivitamins could reduce risk, they could be a boon to public health.

The researchers found no difference in rates of another heart attack, chest pain, the need for hospitalization, cardiac catheterization, or rates of stroke and early death between vitamin-takers and placebo-takers. But, they said the conclusions should be taken with caution, because several participants stopped taking vitamins early.

The authors of the editorial say the evidence is clear about supplements, except for vitamin D, which has been shown to be both effective and ineffective for preventing falls and fractures in elderly.

"Sales of multivitamins and other supplements have not been affected by major studies with null results, and the U.S. supplement industry continues to grow, reaching $28 billion in annual sales in 2010," wrote the authors of the editorial summary, led by Dr. Eliseo Guallar, a professor of epidemiology who specializes in heart disease prevention at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. "We should translate null and negative findings into action. The message is simple: Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided."

Last year, Pfizer agreed to remove "breast health" and "colon health" claims from some of its Centrum multivitamins following pressure from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which said their claims of cancer prevention were misleading.

A dietary supplement industry group slammed the editorial and studies.

"The editorial demonstrates a close-minded, one-sided approach that attempts to dismiss even the proven benefits of vitamins and minerals," Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsibile Nutrition, said in a statement. "It's a shame for consumers that the authors refuse to recognize the real-life need for vitamin and mineral supplementation, living in a fairy-tale world that makes the inaccurate assumption that we're all eating healthy diets and getting everything we need from food alone.

One expert agreed some nutrient-deficient people may still benefit from multivitamins.

"There might be an argument to continue taking a multi(vitamin) to replace or supplement your not healthy diet," Dr. Robert Graham, an internal medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, added to CBS News.

LaPook also notes that vitamins can benefit people with certain conditions, like celiac disease -- where the body cannot properly absorb nutrients -- and pegnancy, where folic acid helps prevent birth defects."


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

> supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults


This is the key line of the whole study. If you are well nourished, you body can only utilize so much.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

I will still stock multivitamins for SHTF supplies. Many of the foods commonly eaten now have vitamins added. If I have to live on rabbits and mesquite beans i still think a multivitamin is a good idea.


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

cnsper said:


> This is the key line of the whole study. If you are well nourished, you body can only utilize so much.


Therein lies the problem...unless you are eating organic or grow your own food then you are not well nourished..


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

I heard this on the evening news and think it is bull.

They have been trying to find a way to get rid of vitamins so the drug companies can prescribe poisonous drugs instead. That is what I believe and I am sticking to it! Drug companies don't have a cut of the vitamin industry and this must be driving them bat crazy. 

What other health related stuff is going to be changed now that we have Universal Healthcare?vract: :dunno:

Even if you were to take the daily recommended dosage of vitamins, such as a one a day vitamin, you would really be getting the bare minimum. Many of us could benefit health wise with much higher dosages of some of the vitamins and other nutritional supplements. There are a few that we have to be careful not to take too much of as they can be overdosed.

Vitamin C is one of the vitamins that is a miraculous vitamin. We rarely get enough or are overdosed, although it can happen. If you took 500 mg every hour, you would know your body has enough when you need to use the restroom. This is the way to know just how short your body is of vitamin C. When has that happened to you when you were not sick? I read something recently that said for most of us, we could consume lots of vitamin C before we reached the limit. It is a rare individual for whom that would be true. I would not take that much at once, but one 500 mg each hour is a better way to measure your need.

Recently, my friend gave me four 500 mg vitamin C's and I ate them in about 15 minutes. I had no intestinal reaction from them. 

If you have a wound that has healed and you end up in a situation where you have no vitamin c, the wound will un-heal. 

Emergen-C is a good way to get your vitamin c needs met. It can help with electrolytes as well. We have used almost every variety of Emergen-C that is made and buy it by the box.

You can make your own vitamin c by using the organic mandarin orange peels. Save them, dry them and pulverize them. You can put them in gelatin caps and take them. You do not want orange peelings that have wax on them.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

The question asked was, do vitamins make you healthier? and the opinion was no, but that doesn't mean they have no value. While it is true that your body can use only so much, for example B vitamins, the fact is that you may be deficient in other areas due to many varying circumstances such as pregnancy, injury or illness. Also don't forget the environment we live in pollution, high stress jobs or living conditions, and even some of our own habits all contribute to wear and tear on our body, which means that a little extra support just makes good sense.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

RevWC said:


> Therein lies the problem...unless you are eating organic or grow your own food then you are not well nourished..


And even then it's not perfect. We have magnesium deficient soils here and have to supplement our livestock and vege patch (you should have seen the cabbages in the first year I gardened here, they were rainbow vegies ). We have been magnesium deficient ourselves and take a supplement as well as a skin spray for aching muscles. As we improve the overall health of our property/soil we are having less trouble ourselves and general disease resistance of everything here is improving.

Yes we have quite a stock pile of all the things our soil needs more of


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

I only take vit D and I know for a fact that it has helped me so I really don't pay attention to this stuff. You usually only have to look to see who footed the bill for the "research" and then you'll have your answer as to why they say the things they do.

I've been hearing for some time now that hidden in this so called health care bill are laws prohibiting the sale and manufacture of multi vitamins so I suppose this is just another step to pulling the wool over everyone's eyes before they outlaw them"legally".

We've not been allowed to know what is actually in this bill and no one will do the looking for us ( mega legal garbage speak and you need lawyers to understand it) so we're flying blind here on what we will lose when it all comes to pass


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

Sure glad the real experts have a final opinion about vitamins! Now they can go back to studying the effects of drinking coffee. It's hard to recall, but is this the week coffee is bad for you, or the week it has medicinal value? It's so hard to keep up with conclusive evidence!!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I have tried many times and with several different kind of multivitamins to take them daily but every time I end up feeling ill, usually within a week or two. I could probably get some tests done and perhaps I am already high in something the pills contain but I don't see the need at this point. I pretty much never get sick, feel great, show no signs of any deficiency so for me they seem like a bad idea. I mention this only because I never hear of anyone reporting adverse side effects from these pills. I have recommended them to others so it is not like I have some bias against them, I just think they are not right for everyone. Our diet is almost exclusively non-irrigated, non-fertilized, non-gmo, organic food we produce ourselves, and I eat a lot of it but others in the family don't have the same reaction to the pills :dunno: I have no food allergies so that would be unlikely.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

cowboyhermit said:


> I have tried many times and with several different kind of multivitamins to take them daily but every time I end up feeling ill, usually within a week or two. I could probably get some tests done and perhaps I am already high in something the pills contain but I don't see the need at this point. I pretty much never get sick, feel great, show no signs of any deficiency so for me they seem like a bad idea. I mention this only because I never hear of anyone reporting adverse side effects from these pills. I have recommended them to others so it is not like I have some bias against them, I just think they are not right for everyone. Our diet is almost exclusively non-irrigated, non-fertilized, non-gmo, organic food we produce ourselves, and I eat a lot of it but others in the family don't have the same reaction to the pills :dunno: I have no food allergies so that would be unlikely.


You may be one of those rare people who actually eats a healthy diet and gets your nutritional needs met with your food. Many people eat a healthy diet, but it is still not enough to meet the complete nutritional needs. We are well aware of vitamin c and how few ever get enough.

The other possibility might be the vitamins you take. Check out the ingredients. I am a huge avoider of soy anything as it is probably all GMO and the hormones are not necessary.

I tend to take a B, C, D, E, calcium, and a few others. I do take a one a day, but have been known for my hand made vitamin packets. I get 4 x 6 ziplock bags from the hobby stores and make up my own packets. My grandmother took a variety of vitamins each day and was healthy until the day she went to bed and didn't get up in the morning.


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## VoorTrekker (Oct 7, 2012)

Back during the Clinton Admin. there was talk of an attempt to "outlaw" vitamins and place them under big pharmacy. That meant one would need a prescription to buy vitamins. 

Maybe big Parm is trying to take the market and it could all be based on greed like every other "program" which has stifled us and our liberties. It's all based on economic oppression and greed.


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

The biggest problem with most vitamin supplements is they are hard caplets that do not dissolve in the digestive tract. Most people take the generic versions of vitamins and the conditions and raw materials used to produce them is suspect to begin with. Walmart does not look for the highest bidder to produce their generics. GB


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

GrinnanBarrett said:


> The biggest problem with most vitamin supplements is they are hard caplets that do not dissolve in the digestive tract. Most people take the generic versions of vitamins and the conditions and raw materials used to produce them is suspect to begin with. Walmart does not look for the highest bidder to produce their generics. GB


Yes. There was a story in the news once about how many vitamins are found in city septic systems.

I try to find gel caps when possible. I have also looked at the possibility of making my own vitamins. I have not found the definitive answers yet, but I have thought for a few years that this might be an idea for a business to start. I recently found out that a former colleague's husband has a supplement company made from naturally growing wild plants. I think it is a possibility for a few people to work on.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Emergen-C is a good way to get your vitamin c needs met. It can help with electrolytes as well. We have used almost every variety of Emergen-C that is made and buy it by the box. You can make your own vitamin c by using the organic mandarin orange peels. Save them, dry them and pulverize them. You can put them in gelatin caps and take them. You do not want orange peelings that have wax on them.[/QUOTE]

Can I ask, where do you get EmergenC by the box? We take that or Camu Camu. We also take a green blend and a fruit blend vitamin.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

> lilmissy0740 said:
> 
> 
> > Emergen-C is a good way to get your vitamin c needs met. It can help with electrolytes as well. We have used almost every variety of Emergen-C that is made and buy it by the box. You can make your own vitamin c by using the organic mandarin orange peels. Save them, dry them and pulverize them. You can put them in gelatin caps and take them. You do not want orange peelings that have wax on them.
> ...


[/QUOTE]

Wherever you find the packets, ask about buying it by the box.

I have packets in my travel bags, daily backpack, BOB and preps.

We have smaller chain grocery stores here that are more likely to have alternative medications, lots of vitamins and an assistant in that section. We have Vitamin Cottage and Sprouts.

I like Sprouts because it has loss leader prices on produce every week so I tend to make a weekly foray there. A couple weeks ago, we got avocados 3/$1.00 fore example. Cannot beat that, can you?

They have Emergen-C by the check out stands and maybe in the health section. You may look in stores such as this. Whole Foods probably has it by the box, but they are much more expensive and I do not shop there very often.

You can get Emergen-C that has 1000 mg. packets of Vitamin C. If you have children who play sports, this would be a great additive to their water for Vit. c and electrolytes.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

The study ended up proving exactly what it set out to do!

"We believe that the case is closed -- *supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful*," concluded the authors of the editorial summarizing the new research papers, published Dec. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "*These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention.* Enough is enough."

And I agree with both statements! *IF* the average person gets ALL their vitamin and mineral requirements through diet, nothing further is required. For some that could mean more magnesium than others, for some less calcium... If you are trying to treat a 'chronic disease' with say, vitamin C only, yes, it is not going to do much good. This is what they set out to prove.

Let's look at reality, which the 'study' most likely did not. Most people I knew at work had a microwave breakfast sandwich or stopped on the way in to get something similar for breakfast. Lunch, the chicken place, burgers or maybe a 'healthy' wrap thing. Dinner, pizza, nuke something up or maybe even cook something with a side salad. Sounds pretty regular, no?

Let's look at what others might eat. Breakfast; oatmeal, whole grain bread, an egg or two, fruit salad and some actual juice. Mid-morning snack, a peach or some other assorted fruit. Lunch: Nice salad with lots of veggies, a piece of meat, fruit salad and a few glasses of milk or juice (NOT a sugary reconstituted juice). Dinner: This is open but has been prepared AT HOME and accompanies a salad with fresh vegetables with a small amount of protein. Desert is open also! Sound like many diets of the folks you know? Even at this I bet there are vitamins and minerals that are missing on a daily basis. If you vary the vegetables, fruits, proteins, grains and beverages you will average out to a pretty good diet. BUT! Many folks require more of some things than can be had on even the most rigorous diet. I know, I have tried. If you require more iron in your diet, you'd have to eat, say, more spinach than time would allow. (I know there are lots of other foods high in iron, this was just an example).

A multi-vitamin is not a replacement for a healthy diet, it should help fill in some of the gaps.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

cnsper said:


> This is the key line of the whole study. If you are well nourished, you body can only utilize so much.


Agreed.

IMO Vitamin tablets especially C and Multivitamins belong in any prepping stash.
In a time of poor nutrition they can make the difference between life and death.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Just a sideline I wanted to add, about the 'normal' American diet.

When the folks at work were organizing the final luncheon for me (layoffs) the big chief brought me in and asked where I would like to go. It was well known that I had a 'kooky diet' and was very 'finicky' about what I consumed, also that I never went out to eat. I laughed and said anywhere for a free meal! I need to note these events were not at a fast food place, they were upscale dining establishments.

My 'kooky diet' was the fact that I ate 6 meals a day. I would never knowingly consume something that had an ingredient I could not pronounce, something of questionable origin or highly processed foods. I had breakfast at home, and second breakfast was at work. That meant that at anytime during the day I had a bowl of cut-up fruit or berries in my workstation, maybe a slice of 12 grain bread with PB... To them it was odd that I could eat a bowl of mixed rice/grains with vegies COLD, not using the nuclear over to heat them. I am still skeptical of microwave ovens, call me old school but to heat a cup of water and not get the mug hot, something is wrong with that picture. We'd sit in the lunchroom and I pull out a container of stew, soup or whatever while they ate their store bought bagged lunches, I was the nut.

Just pointing out, that from my experience anyway, most 'regular' Americans do not eat a 'well nourished health diet'.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Yes!*



Woody said:


> Just a sideline I wanted to add, about the 'normal' American diet.
> 
> When the folks at work were organizing the final luncheon for me (layoffs) the big chief brought me in and asked where I would like to go. It was well known that I had a 'kooky diet' and was very 'finicky' about what I consumed, also that I never went out to eat. I laughed and said anywhere for a free meal! I need to note these events were not at a fast food place, they were upscale dining establishments.
> 
> ...


Yep, see that a lot! For many years, I would make a pot or two of vegetable based soup or something else on the weekends, dish it into containers, put them in the freezer, and grab one for lunch.

When my garden is producing, I have been known to put several cucumbers in a bag and put them in a bag with some ranch dressing at work. Then I don't have to think about getting one out each day. Yogurt is another quick and good lunch item.

I am so fascinated with the people who are always complaining about money, and/or weight and go out for fast food regularly.

In the rare times I end up at a fast food restaurant, I do my best to get a salad.

The only thing that should be super-sized is a salad!

Beverages--soda is just poison, IMHO. We live in a society where people drink regular and diet soda all day long. Have you seen people drink a soda and eat a donut for breakfast? And burgers and fries for lunch? And something similar for dinner. These are the people who really need extra vitamins, but are probably the least likely to take them


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

I was talking with the GM today and we got into a discussion of my 91 year old Dad and doctors. He asked me what medications my father was taking and I said only vitamins and exercise. His response "that's probably why he has lived to be 91"


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

lilmissy0740 said:


> Emergen-C is a good way to get your vitamin c needs met. It can help with electrolytes as well. We have used almost every variety of Emergen-C that is made and buy it by the box. You can make your own vitamin c by using the organic mandarin orange peels. Save them, dry them and pulverize them. You can put them in gelatin caps and take them. You do not want orange peelings that have wax on them.


Can I ask, where do you get EmergenC by the box? We take that or Camu Camu. We also take a green blend and a fruit blend vitamin.[/QUOTE]

I was King Soopers yesterday (a Kroger store). They had boxes of 30 EmergenC in the vitamin section for $7.99.

It occurred to me that in addition to having some in all my BOBs, it would be a good think to keep a few packets in my First Aid kit.


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

weedygarden said:


> Can I ask, where do you get EmergenC by the box? We take that or Camu Camu. We also take a green blend and a fruit blend vitamin.





> I was King Soopers yesterday (a Kroger store). They had boxes of 30 EmergenC in the vitamin section for $7.99.
> 
> It occurred to me that in addition to having some in all my BOBs, it would be a good think to keep a few packets in my First Aid kit.


Ebay has 12 boxes of 30 count for $50.00 includes shipping....


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Ok call mew crazy. I have never heard of emergen c. I was thinking it was ester c. Dah. So is this like a multi vitamin or more like a Gatorade type product?


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

lilmissy0740 said:


> Ok call mew crazy. I have never heard of emergen c. I was thinking it was ester c. Dah. So is this like a multi vitamin or more like a Gatorade type product?


It is a powder that you add to water. You can get a variety of different types. There is one that is 1000 mg. of vitamin C. I easily loose electrolytes and need something to get my energy up and this is one of the things I use.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

This title is misleading, in the body of the report it says that "most" well nourished people have no benefits but but later in the report it says that some people do benefit! 

It may also be important that the group that issued this "advisory" (they are not stating that it is fact based, in fact they are authorized to only issue advisories) is a US government established group (US Preventative Services Task Force) to advise and operate at the discretion of the administration. There are 16 members that are assigned a 4 year advisory post and is made up of MD's, and nurses.

About 10 years ago the government was trying to make over the counter supplement illegal so that an MD had to prescribe them. Now the Obamacare is getting started I think they realized that they need more control over this so that people will have to sign-up and pay the monthly rate to get a doctor to prescribe the supplement.

To me, this smells of corruption with a hidden agenda.

Multivitamin researchers say "case is closed" after studies find no health benefits

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"Enough" with the multivitamins already.

That's the message from doctors behind three new studies and an editorial that tackled an oft-debated question in medicine: Do daily multivitamins make you healthier?

After reviewing the available evidence and conducting new trials, the authors have come to a conclusion of "no."

"We believe that the case is closed -- supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful," concluded the authors of the editorial summarizing the new research papers, published Dec. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough."

They went on to urge consumers to not "waste" their money on multivitamins.

"The 'stop wasting your money' means that perhaps you're spending money on things that won't protect you long term," editorial co-author Dr. Edgar Miller, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, told CBS News' chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. "What will protect you is if you spend the money on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, low fat dairy, things like that ..exercising would probably be a better use of the money."

The strong message was based on a review of the findings from three studies that tracked multivitamins link to cancer protection, heart health, and brain and cognitive measures.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are taken by an estimated half of all Americans.

Play VIDEO
Study: Multivitamins fail to reduce heart problems
The first study, which was released online Nov. 12 in Annals, was a review of 24 studies and two trials on more than 350,000 individuals that looked at vitamin supplementation's role in preventing chronic disease. The review was conducted to find evidence that can be used to update vitamin treatment guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of medical experts who recommend the government on treatments.
That review found no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation would reduce heart disease in pill takers. Two of the trials found a small, "borderline-significant benefit" in cancer risk reduction, but only in men. Overall, the panel concluded there was no solid evidence for or against taking vitamins and minerals alone, or that a multivitamin to prevent heart disease or cancer. More strikingly, it found enough evidence to recommend against taking beta-carotene or vitamin E for preventing both diseases, finding they not only didn't help but the former may raise risk for lung cancer for already at-risk individuals.

Play VIDEO
Study: Multivitamins can lower cancer risk
"In the absence of clear evidence about the impact of most vitamins and multivitamins on cardiovascular disease and cancer, health care professionals should counsel their patients to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that is rich in nutrients," the Task Force concluded.
The next study, published Dec. 16 in Annals, looked at cognitive health and whether long-term use of multivitamins would have any effect. Researchers assigned almost 5,950 male doctors aged 65 and older to take either a daily multivitamin or placebo for 12 years in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial,

Based on the results of memory tests, the researchers found the multivitamin did nothing to slow cognitive decline among men 65 and older compared to placebo takers.

"These data do not provide support for use of multivitamin supplements in the prevention of cognitive decline," wrote the authors, led by Dr. Francine Grodstein, an epidemiologist who studies aging at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

It's worth noting this study only looked at cognitive test results, not actual development of dementia.

Consumer Reports: 10 hidden dangers of vitamins
The third study looked specifically at multivitamins and minerals role in preventing another heart attack, or myocardial infarction. They looked at more than 1,700 people who had a heart attack at least six weeks earlier, and randomized them to receive daily high-dose multivitamins and minerals or placebos for five years.
Having a heart attack raises risk for another attack, or cardiovascular event like stroke or premature death, so if multivitamins could reduce risk, they could be a boon to public health.

The researchers found no difference in rates of another heart attack, chest pain, the need for hospitalization, cardiac catheterization, or rates of stroke and early death between vitamin-takers and placebo-takers. But, they said the conclusions should be taken with caution, because several participants stopped taking vitamins early.

The authors of the editorial say the evidence is clear about supplements, except for vitamin D, which has been shown to be both effective and ineffective for preventing falls and fractures in elderly.

"Sales of multivitamins and other supplements have not been affected by major studies with null results, and the U.S. supplement industry continues to grow, reaching $28 billion in annual sales in 2010," wrote the authors of the editorial summary, led by Dr. Eliseo Guallar, a professor of epidemiology who specializes in heart disease prevention at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. "We should translate null and negative findings into action. The message is simple: Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided."

Last year, Pfizer agreed to remove "breast health" and "colon health" claims from some of its Centrum multivitamins following pressure from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which said their claims of cancer prevention were misleading.

A dietary supplement industry group slammed the editorial and studies.

"The editorial demonstrates a close-minded, one-sided approach that attempts to dismiss even the proven benefits of vitamins and minerals," Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsibile Nutrition, said in a statement. "It's a shame for consumers that the authors refuse to recognize the real-life need for vitamin and mineral supplementation, living in a fairy-tale world that makes the inaccurate assumption that we're all eating healthy diets and getting everything we need from food alone.

One expert agreed some nutrient-deficient people may still benefit from multivitamins.

"There might be an argument to continue taking a multi(vitamin) to replace or supplement your not healthy diet," Dr. Robert Graham, an internal medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, added to CBS News.

LaPook also notes that vitamins can benefit people with certain conditions, like celiac disease -- where the body cannot properly absorb nutrients -- and pegnancy, where folic acid helps prevent birth defects


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