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Study Finds Multivitamins Do Not Lower Mortality Risk in Healthy U.S. Adults

Written by Andrew Le, MD

UpdatedAugust 29, 2024

Millions of people turn to multivitamins for a purported boost in their health, but a comprehensive study suggests there may be no longevity benefit in taking these supplements for generally healthy adults. The research, led by Erikka Loftfield, PhD, MPH, an investigation which merged three separate U.S. cohort studies spanning up to 27 years, showed that multivitamin use was not associated with decreased all-cause mortality risk.

The study, titled "Multivitamin Use and Mortality Risk in 3 Prospective US Cohorts," incorporated data from the National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study, the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, and the Agricultural Health Study. Altogether, data from 390,124 adults without a history of cancer or significant chronic diseases was analyzed. The key outcome measured was mortality, with the study factoring in lifestyle choices and dietary habits that could affect health outcomes.

Interestingly, daily multivitamin users did not appear to have a lower mortality risk. In fact, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios hinted at a slightly increased mortality risk among daily users compared to nonusers in the first half of the follow-up period, although the difference was not statistically significant in the second half.

The researchers took prudent measures to address potential confounders such as the healthy user effect—a phenomenon where individuals who use multivitamins might also engage in other health-positive behaviors. Moreover, they examined changes in multivitamin use over time to consider shifts in individuals' health.

While the study's findings highlight no clear mortality benefit from daily multivitamin use, the authors also acknowledge limitations, including potential residual confounding by factors like healthcare utilization and the generalizability of the results due to exclusions in the study pool.

Despite nearly one-third of U.S. adults reportedly using multivitamins, this study suggests that taking them for longevity may not be supported by evidence. However, the findings do not entirely close the door on the potential benefits of multivitamins for other health outcomes.

This study's findings are significant for public health messaging and personal health decision-making regarding supplement use. The full text of the investigation can be found in JAMA Network Open, an open-access article that can be freely viewed here: DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.18729.

Informed by this study, it's clear that multivitamins are not the silver bullet for extended lifespan some might hope for. While many take these supplements with the goal of bolstering their health, this substantial body of research encourages a closer look at the effectiveness of multivitamins.

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References

Loftfield, E., O’Connell, C. P., Abnet, C. C., Graubard, B. I., Liao, L. M., Beane Freeman, L. E., Hofmann, J. N., Freedman, N. D., & Sinha, R. (2024). Multivitamin use and mortality risk in 3 prospective US cohorts. JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2418729. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.18729