New study finds little benefit in popular supplements

Doctors weighed in, some calling vitamins placebos that make people who take them feel better, while natural health experts and some nutritionists reminded that a healthy diet trumps supplements.

A study released at the end of May by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology unsettled natural health advocates by affirming, “In general, the data on the popular supplements (multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium and vitamin C) show no consistent benefit for the prevention of CVD (cardiovascular disease), MI (myocardial infarction) or stroke, nor was there a benefit for all-cause mortality to support their continued use.”

Doctors weighed in, some calling vitamins placebos that make people who take them feel better, while natural health experts and some nutritionists reminded that a healthy diet trumps supplements.

“It seems to be a misleading statement from the start: ‘Vitamins provide no benefits for certain diseases,’” said Tobi Page, a registered dietician near Portland, Oregon, who owns the consultancy Eating is a Lifestyle. “Deficiency causes problems.

Toxicity causes problems. Certain vitamins can be extremely helpful for certain diseases. Other diseases have nothing to do with a particular vitamin. Eat more whole foods and less processed food. Move more. Sleep well. Relax. These are the messages I think we need to be supporting.”

According to Forbes, “One exception was folate and other B vitamins: There was low- and moderate-quality evidence that folate or folic acid (B-9) reduced the risk for heart disease. There was also some evidence that folate and other B vitamins reduced the risk of stroke.”

With at least 50 percent of Americans taking some sort of supplement and the vitamin industry reporting billions in sales, it is important to determine when and why supplements are needed. The takeaway of the American College of Cardiology study is that increasing intake of vitamin-rich foods is more effective than taking supplements.

“A balanced diet, one containing plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, offers a mix of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients (some yet to be identified) that collectively meet the body’s needs,” cited health.harvard.edu in an updated report on vitamins and minerals. “Maybe what counts is the synergistic interactions of these nutrients — which might also help explain why trials of single nutrients often don’t pan out.”