Why You Should Keep Taking Your Vitamins

A recent article questions the use of supplements,
but research tells another story.

Do recent media reports have you confused about multivitamins?

You can always count on the mass media for a dose of sensationalism—and even scaremongering—when it comes to the topic of dietary supplements use. Unfortunately, some articles are so slanted against dietary supplements that they fail to offer an appropriate perspective of the scientific literature.

The latest example is an article in The Atlantic called “The Vitamin Myth” by Paul Offit. The article clearly cherry-picks unfavorable studies on multivitamins to depict them as dangerous. The author even goes as far as launching an attack on Nobel laureate Linus Pauling by downplaying his scientific contributions and misrepresenting views on vitamin C supplementation. The article was highly circulated and has caused a great deal of confusion surrounding the safety and efficacy of multivitamins.

As you might expect, nutritional scientists have taken issue with the article. Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) published an article entitled “Keep Taking Your Vitamins: LPI’s Response to Recent Articles” in which they challenge Offit’s approach. Here’s an excerpt from LPI’s response:

Paul Offit ignores much of the research on vitamins and health. It is easy to select individual studies that support your point of view, and this appears to be the trap that has snared Offit. Linus Pauling extolled the myriad health benefits of vitamin C, many of which have been validated by studies after his death. 

In addition, LPI helped bring some perspective to the subject of supplementation with multivitamins:

While Offit highlights only negative studies on multivitamin/mineral supplements, observational studies have found that many Americans do not get adequate daily amounts of many vitamins and nutritionally essential minerals, which may be remedied by judicious supplementation. For example, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics has found that more than 40% of U.S. adults do not meet recommended levels, from usual food intake, of vitamins A, C, D, E and K, magnesium, calcium and potassium (Fulgoni et al. 2011). 

Many studies provide sufficient evidence that the majority of people have suboptimal intake of vitamins and minerals. For example, a 2012 study from the National Institute for Health (NIH) found that, “Those who do not use vitamin supplements had significantly higher prevalence of inadequate vitamin intakes” (1).

The study by NIH that was cited by LPI reported that at least 25 percent of the U.S. population consumed less that the estimated average requirement (EAR) for six vitamins or minerals (2). The results from this study were particularly striking when examining the dietary intake of vitamins D and E, where 80 to 95 percent failed to meet the EAR from diet. What’s more, 60 percent of those who were supplementing still failed to achieve the EAR level.

When you’re trying to decide whether to use multivitamins for your health, a clear picture of the research is of key importance. You cannot rely on the results of cherry-picked studies. For this reason, LPI calls for a “balanced presentation of the role of vitamins, minerals, and other dietary factors in human health.”

References 

1. Bailey RL et al. Examination of vitamin intakes among US adults by dietary supplement use. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112:657-663.
2. Fulgoni VL 3rd et al. Foods, fortificants, and supplements: Where do Americans get their nutrients? J Nutr 2011;141:1847-54.