Are vitamins a waste of money?
Australians spend around $2 billion a year on vitamin and mineral supplements. In the US its more than US$50 billion per year. Is this spend on vitamins a waste of money or a good investment in our health?
Manufacturers claim an array of health benefits including decreasing your risk of heart disease and cancer, improving brain function, boosting energy and making your fingernails and hair grow more quickly. But are the claims backed by science?
Scientific evidence on the benefits
Heart health and cancer
An analysis undertaken by John Hopkins university of research involving 450,000 people found that multi-vitamins do not reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer. A study of 1,708 heart attack survivors concluded that rates of subsequent heart attack, heart surgeries and death were similar for those that took high does multi-vitamins and those that took a placebo.
Similarly, a Women’s Health Initiative study in the US concluded that postmenopausal women who took multivitamins did not have a lower death rate than others and were just as likely to develop cardiovascular disease or cancers of the lung, colon and rectum, breast, and endometrium.
Brain function
A study involving almost 6,000 men over 12 years found that taking multi-vitamins did not reduce the risk of mental decline such as memory loss.
Anti-aging effects
The Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel indicates that while Vitamin E is often singled out as the potential fountain of youth, there is no evidence that taking large doses of any vitamin can either stall or reverse the effects of ageing. In fact people taking high-dose vitamin E supplements have been found to have higher rates of early death.
Can taking vitamin supplements be dangerous?
Many people mistakenly believe that since small amounts of vitamins are good for you, then large amounts must be better.
Some vitamins and minerals are water soluble which means that they aren’t stored in the body. This means that you’ll pee out any excess and therefore taking a large amount is unlikely to do you any long-term harm, although it could give you an upset stomach. Water soluble vitamins include Vitamin B and C. Keep in mind the average adult needs around 45mg of Vitamin C per day so taking a 1,000mg supplement is going to result mostly in some expensive urine.
Other vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E and K are fat soluble which means they are stored in the body and can build up over time. Taking too much of these vitamins can be toxic. For example too much Vitamin A can lead to bone and joint pain, liver and spleen enlargement and hair loss.
This paper written by a Professor at the University of Queensland outlines some of the other possible harmful effects of taking supplements, particularly in the wrong doses.
When can they be good for you
If you are following a restrictive diet a supplement might be of some benefit. In particular if you’re a vegan, you may need to take a Vitamin B12 supplement as it’s only found in animal products such as meat, seafood, eggs and dairy and is essential for proper functioning of your digestive system.
If you are going to take supplements, they should generally be taken at levels close to the recommended dietary intake. High-dose supplements shouldn’t be taken unless recommended by medical advice.
Importantly don’t take a multi-vitamin simply because you aren’t getting enough of one vitamin as it could result in you having too high levels of other vitamins and minerals. Stick with a specific supplement that addresses the deficiency.
Summary
There isn’t much evidence to support the claims made by vitamin manufacturers. If you eat a balanced diet including a variety of foods from the 5 food groups you’ll get all the vitamins and minerals you need and so a supplement is likely to be a waste of money.
For tips on how to maintain a healthy diet read this article:
