Multivitamin efficacy
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Multivitamin Efficacy in Disease Prevention and Health Outcomes
Multivitamin Efficacy for Chronic Disease and Cancer Prevention
Large systematic reviews and recommendations from major health organizations have found that evidence is insufficient to support the use of multivitamin supplements for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer in healthy adults without special nutritional needs. These reviews highlight that while multivitamins are widely used, there is no clear proof that they reduce the risk of these chronic diseases in the general population, and they recommend against certain supplements like β-carotene and vitamin E for these purposes 410.
Multivitamin Benefits in Specific Populations
HIV-Infected Adults
In adults living with HIV, multivitamin supplementation (specifically vitamins B-complex, C, and E) has been shown to significantly reduce mortality, lower the risk of tuberculosis, and improve treatment outcomes. The benefits were most pronounced during the first year of antiretroviral therapy, suggesting that multivitamins can be a simple and effective intervention in this population .
Metabolic Dysfunction and Liver Disease
Among individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), multivitamin use was associated with lower all-cause mortality and reduced risk of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease, though no significant reduction was found for liver-related mortality or cirrhosis. This suggests potential broader protective effects in populations with metabolic dysfunction, but not necessarily for liver-specific outcomes .
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
For patients with IBD in remission, a comprehensive multivitamin and mineral supplement led to a higher proportion of patients reporting no fatigue after 24 weeks compared to placebo, especially in those with ulcerative colitis. However, the overall improvement in fatigue scores was limited .
Multivitamin Effects in Healthy Individuals
Nutritional Status and Metabolic Health
Short-term multivitamin and multimineral supplementation in healthy adults has been shown to improve nutritional status, reduce oxidative stress (e.g., lower homocysteine levels), and positively affect energy metabolism and serum levels of certain nutrients like iron and calcium. These changes are compatible with a good state of health and may offer particular benefits for cardiovascular health, such as improved HDL cholesterol and antioxidant status 25.
Metabolic Parameters and Obesity (Animal Studies)
In animal models, multivitamin supplementation improved metabolic health by reducing weight gain, improving blood glucose and insulin resistance, and promoting beneficial changes in the gut microbiome and adipose tissue function. These findings suggest a potential role for multivitamins in addressing obesity and related metabolic dysfunction, though more research is needed in humans .
Multivitamin Impact on Mood, Stress, and Everyday Functioning in Older Adults
Several studies in older adults have found that multivitamin supplementation can improve aspects of mood, reduce perceived stress, and decrease feelings of loneliness. For example, women reported higher friendliness, and men experienced lower stress reactivity and emotional loneliness after 12 weeks of supplementation. These findings support the potential for multivitamins to enhance wellbeing and everyday functioning in older populations, though more research is needed to clarify these effects and their relationship to baseline diet 39.
Conclusion
The efficacy of multivitamin supplementation varies depending on the population and health outcome. While there is little evidence to support their use for preventing chronic diseases or cancer in the general healthy adult population, multivitamins may offer specific benefits for individuals with certain health conditions (such as HIV, metabolic dysfunction, or IBD) and may improve mood and nutritional status in older adults and healthy individuals. Overall, multivitamin supplementation appears safe for most people, but its routine use for disease prevention in the general population is not strongly supported by current evidence.
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