An study denies the longevity effect of multivitamin supplements: when there is no need they could even be harmful, and they certainly interact with certain drugs
Supplements can be useful, but only when really necessary. Otherwise they could even be harmful. In fact, there has been talk for some time of the abuse of pills presented as “miraculous”, capable of supporting the body, and improving mood and mental performance in times of difficulty.
Supplements and Mortality Risks
An international study shed light on the benefits and risks of taking multivitamins in the form of supplements . Experts analyzed approximately 400,000 people living in the US, following them over a 20-year period. The goal was specific: to understand if vitamin supplementation, which in the United States is a habit for almost 1 in 3 adults, really helps reduce the risk of death.
Supplements do not prolong life
“We found no evidence to support increased longevity among healthy adults who regularly take multivitamins ,” the researchers wrote, starting from the consideration that multivitamins are generally overused. “The motivations for their use are to maintain or improve health and prevent chronic disease; therefore, understanding the relationship between vitamin use and mortality is of fundamental importance.”
When Supplements Are Really Needed
The American researchers themselves, however, clarified that theirs is not a total “failure”. There are, in short, cases in which supplementation can have positive effects. “We cannot exclude the possibility that daily use may be associated with other health effects related to aging ,” clarified Neal Barnard, professor at George Washington University and co-author of the study. There are cases, in fact, cases in which supplements are useful and recommended.
Be careful what to take, when and how much
“For each macronutrient, therefore carbohydrates, proteins and fats, and for each micronutrient – including minerals – we have recommended daily doses: if we are unable to meet those quantities, the supplement can be useful, but it should not be an autonomous decision of someone who perhaps feels tired one day or thinks they have not been exposed to the sun enough. Antioxidants and multivitamins should be chosen from those suitable for the individual. Sometimes, for example, vitamin A is integrated, without knowing that it is fat-soluble and therefore there is a risk of overdosing. Vitamin D should also be taken only if you are deficient and in the right doses, as well as immunostimulators, which are fashionable during the change of season. But if you don’t need them, they could be counterproductive, as with phytotherapeutics: these make you think that, being natural, you can use them at will”, advises the nutritionist.
