Do you take multivitamins? This Study Says They Won’t Help You Live Longer

Contrary to popular belief, taking multivitamins will not make you live longer. Even taking vitamin supplements that your body doesn’t need can cause other health problems.

That’s according to a new study from the National Cancer Institute’s (NIH) Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, which found that “there is no association between regular multivitamin use and a lower risk of death.”

“Many adults in the United States take multivitamins in hopes of improving their health. However, the benefits and harms of regular multivitamin use remain unclear,” according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open.

Previous studies of multivitamin use and mortality have yielded mixed results and were limited by short follow-up periods, but this new study is the most comprehensive.

To further examine the relationship between regular, long-term multivitamin intake and overall mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer, researchers analyzed data from three large, geographically diverse studies involving a total of 390,124 American adults followed for more than 20 years.

Participants included in this analysis were generally healthy with no history of cancer or other chronic diseases.

Because the study population was so large and included long-term follow-up and extensive information on demographic and lifestyle factors, the researchers were able to mitigate potential biases that may have influenced the conclusions of other studies.

After analysis, the study found that people who took a daily multivitamin did not have a lower risk of death from any cause than people who did not take a multivitamin.

A total of 164,762 participants died during the study period, of which 49,836 died from cancer, 35,060 from heart disease and 9,275 from cerebrovascular disease, the study said.

The researchers noted that it is important to evaluate multivitamin use and risk of death among different populations, such as those with established nutrient deficiencies, as well as the potential impact of regular multivitamin use on other health conditions associated with aging or in children.

Although taking a multivitamin supplement does not increase life expectancy, it is important for people to ask their doctor to find out whether they would benefit from a multivitamin or a specific vitamin supplement based on their health history and diet, explained Jade A. CobernMPH, a board-certified specialist. physician of pediatrics and general preventive medicine, ABC News.

Taking vitamin supplements that contain compounds that your body does not need may cause more problems than benefits to your health.

Given this situation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has in the past warned that iron is the most common cause of childhood poisonings reported to poison control centers in the United States.

“Although the toxic dose of elemental iron is 30 mg/kg and the lethal dose is typically greater than 250 mg/kg, doses as high as 60 mg/kg have resulted in death,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.

Any ingredient in a multivitamin supplement can be toxic in large quantities, but the most serious risk comes from iron or calcium.

The health effects of taking vitamins your body doesn’t need can range from mild to severe, ranging from headaches or digestive problems to permanent damage to vital organs.

People with severe vitamin overdoses may develop coma, hypotension, liver failure, lung damage, and death.