Do you need to take multivitamins and dietary supplements?
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says there isn't enough evidence to say whether the benefits of taking a multivitamin to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer outweigh the risks.
Taking multivitamins and dietary supplements is not necessary, according to an updated recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of medical experts that periodically reviews the effectiveness of clinical recommendations.
Multivitamins and dietary supplements are widely used by adults to fill perceived nutrient gaps and improve overall health. But a study commissioned by the task force found that common dietary supplements often have little positive effect.
Despite decades worth of data, the study found there was not enough evidence to determine whether the benefits of a multivitamin taken to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer outweighed the risks. At the same time, the task force recommends against taking beta carotene and vitamin E supplements because they are not effective enough in preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer to outweigh the risks.
Most vitamins and dietary supplements do not carry a risk of serious harm if taken in the proper dosage, the report found, but increased rates of lung cancer were reported among smokers who took beta carotene.