You may be wasting your money if you take multivitamins, according to several recent studies including research published in the annals of internal medicine.
About 40-percent of Americans take multivitamins with the hope of eluding early death, cancer and heart disease, are you one of them?
Michelle Adams takes a daily multivitamin, and has for years. "When I turned forty years old my family physician recommended that I take one." She said.
Adams is one of about many Americans taking multivitamins, but now several studies report multivitamins don't provide certain health benefits.
Jessica Barbere, DO, of Cardiovascular Solutions Institute agreed with the findings. "Studies have shown no benefit for cardiovascular health with multivitamins," Said Barbere.
She explained we should get our nutrition from food, which will protect both our hearts and health." She added, "We do see however that patients who eat a well balanced diet rich in fruits vegetables, legumes and whole grains have excellent cardiovascular results."
But Doris Shields of Super Value Nutrition said there is a definite health benefit.
For more than forty-years multivitamins are a daily part of her health regimen
"I'm seventy-five years old," She said, "Perfect health, perfect cholesterol perfect everything, I truly, truly believe in them."
Foods said Shields, aren't healthful enough. "First of all unless they are organically grown many of them, they have toxins. There's so many preservatives in our foods second of all, even our vegetables and all," Said Shields.
Adams says multivitamins do augments her less than healthy diet. She said, "The doctor recommended that not having complete dietary balance the multivitamin would probably help."
But, food, not vitamins is the key to health insists Dr. Barbere. "Foods come packed with so many nutrients and essential elements that we cant even comprehend them
The way they interact with us and our body is so much more complex than a vitamin can provide."
Shields is equally insistent, she believes multivitamins do provide healthy heart benefits. "I believe so along with a fish oil, and a Coq10 i think that is very important for the heart." She said.
Authors of an editorial published Monday in the 'Annals of Internal Medicine said, supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful.
Multivitamins are a large portion of vitamin supplements, they account about 12-Billion dollars.