How many people do you know that take a vitamin or supplement of some kind? Almost everyone I know does. Why do you think so many people are taking these vitamins and supplements? Probably because of a nutritional deficiency in what they are eating; ie: not enough fruits and vegetables. However, do vitamin supplements work? In this blog I would like to discuss the research on the effectiveness of multivitamins in replacing the vitamins you are not getting in food, as well as their ability, or lack of, to prevent disease and keep you healthy.
About half of all Americans use some form of vitamin or dietary supplement, spending $20 billion annually on the products. However, researchers now warn that taking multi-vitamin supplements as 'health insurance' to help you live longer is a waste of time. The biggest ever study of its type found no benefits from vitamin pills against cancers or heart disease, and they did not protect against dying prematurely. The Food Standards Agency has warned that taking pills is no substitute for a healthy diet. Both cancer and heart disease are conditions with multiple causes such as genetics, smoking, obesity and diet, so it is unlikely that simply taking a multi-vitamin supplement would prevent them
Dr. Marian L. Neuhouser, the lead author of the multivitamin study and an associate member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, says that while fruits, vegetables and whole grains have been linked to good health and prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease, that doesn't mean vitamins extracted from those food groups will have the same effect.
Dr. Marian Neuhouser was also quoted as saying in the New York Times that “I don’t want to disparage people who take multivitamins — it’s their choice as a consumer. What we’re presenting is the science showing it’s neither beneficial nor harmful. If they want to choose to spend their dollars elsewhere this might be a good place to do so. Perhaps they can buy more fruits and vegetables.”
So in conclusion I have 2 questions: Do vitamin supplements work? Does taking vitamin supplements make a person healthy? It seems that the research is saying no. There seems to be more cons than pros to taking a vitamin supplement. However, if for some reason you cannot get all of your required nutrients through the foods you are eating, then consider a whole food supplement such as juice plus instead of a vitamin. See www.morellojuiceplus.com for more information on how you can add this supplement to your diet today.
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