So, on Sunday, a client inquired about consuming megavitamins.  Obviously, they don’t diligently read my blog.  But, have been paying attention to the $ 900 million spent annually promoting those pills.

(Here’s one of my posts from 2013.  And, one from last year.)

Despite the fact that more than ½ of American adults indulge in this waste of money (spending  $50 billion on vitamins and dietary supplements every year), there is no evidence of their value to human health.   Sure, we know that eating fruits and vegetables are vital nutritional components to avoid cancer and cardiovascular disease, but there is zero data that imbibing megavitamins that seemingly mimic the components in fruits and vegetables provides any benefit.

No, there is no short cut to avoid a proper diet and exercise.  The fruits and vegetables are comprised of vitamins, sure- but it’s the combination of fiber, phytochemicals, and other nutrients that synergistically afford those health benefits.

And, as I have added each time I discuss vitamins, those who manifest a vitamin deficiency or women who are pregnant- there is a vital need to add supplements to one’s otherwise healthy diet.  Calcium, Vitamin D, and Folic Acid (Vitamin B12) are the primary additives for those folks.  You can pretty much skip the rest of the offerings.

But, as published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) this past week, Drs. Jeffrey Linder, Jenny Jia, and Natalie Cameron (Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern U) came down hard against the industry.  They were espousing the recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF),  which also has come out against wasting money on vitamins.  The Task Force examined some 84 studies devoted to vitamin use and found there was “insufficient” evidence that supplements or multivitamins can improve human health for healthy, non-pregnant adults.  Moreover, the Task Force specifically came out against β-carotene supplements since the data indicate they do not augment the chances to diminish lung cancer.

In a separate study, some of these Northwestern folks (Drs. N Cameron, P Freaney, M Wang, A Perak, B Dolan, M O’Brien, D Tandon, M Davis, W Grobman, N Allen, P Greenland, D Lloyd-Jones, and S Khan) have discerned that most women manifest poor heart health before they become pregnant.  This explains some 25% of pregnancy related deaths in the US.

Now, what are you going to do with the money you are saving>

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