Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Scientists conclude: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

"Most mineral and vitamin supplements have no clear benefit, might even be harmful in well-nourished adults, and should not be used for chronic disease prevention."

The link above goes to the original article in the Annals of Internal Medicine. If you prefer a digest and summary, Forbes analyzed all three studies and concluded: "The first of the three studies looked at 450,000 people randomly assigned to take multivitamins or placebo. Vitamins had no effect on cardiovascular health, cancer, or mortality over about a decade, and beta-carotene increased cancer risk in people who smoked. The second study looked at the effect of vitamins on almost 6,000 men who were part of the Physicians’ Health Study II, and found no effect on whether the men (all doctors) experienced cognitive decline over the next 12 years, compared to men taking placebo. Finally, the third study followed 1,700 men and women who had recently had a heart attack, and randomly assigned them to taking multivitamins or placebo. Again, there was no difference in the likelihood of the vitamin-takers experiencing a second cardiac event over the next 4.6 years, compared to those taking placebo."