Over 8.2 million Australians buy some form of vitamin, supplement or mineral every six months, in what is estimated to be a five billion-dollar industry . But how much are they doing for our health? A new study, released on Thursday in the US, found that multivitamins do not increase longevity.
Multivitamins have not been shown to increase longevity. Credit: Getty Images What does the study say? Published in JAMA , researchers surveyed almost 400,000 generally healthy US adults over two decades. They concluded that “people who take daily multivitamins are no less likely to die from any cause than those who don’t.
” Interestingly, they also found people who take a daily multivitamin were associated with a four per cent higher mortality risk, but this could be because those with existing health conditions are more likely to take a supplement. The findings add to existing research that shows multivitamins do little to make those without vitamin deficiencies healthier. ‘A lot of people who are undergoing treatment for cancer .
.. will take multivitamins.
And of course, they’re at a much higher risk of death.’ Dr Nial Wheate from Macquarie University Dr Nial Wheate, a professor and Director of Academic Excellence at Macquarie University, is not surprised by the results. “This confirms what we’ve thought for a long time: that a lot of people who are taking multivitamins are doing so without a need to do it.
” Wheate echoes a sentiment expressed by the authors of the .
