Per the cohort study in JAMA Network Open, about a third of the U.S. population takes a daily multivitamin to improve their health or prevent disease. The researchers pulled the results of three studies involving almost 400,000 people, keeping track of who died almost 30 years later. After considering different factors such as age, sex, and ethnicity, the people who took a multivitamin weren’t more or less at risk for death.
It’s also worth noting that because supplements such as multivitamins aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, there’s no guarantee that the amount of nutrients stated on the bottle is what’s in the pill itself. The National Institutes of Health said supplements aren’t necessary for everyone, and research doesn’t support claims that certain supplements can reverse chronic disease. A 2024 commentary in JAMA Network Open maintains that eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can do more for your longevity than taking a multivitamin.
Taking specific supplements can worsen some conditions or weaken the effectiveness of certain medications. But that doesn’t mean that supplements are completely useless, particularly for older populations.
