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All Adults Urged to Take Daily Multivitamin
Jun 18, 2002– After years of declaring vitamins worthless, the Journal of the American Medical Association has now reversed its opinion. Because low vitamin intake has now been linked to so many illnesses, Drs. Kathleen M. Fairfield and Robert H. Fletcher of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, now recommend that everybody--regardless of age or health status--take a daily multivitamin. The elderly and those who follow restrictive diets face the risk of vitamin deficiency, but even people who eat a normal diet may not be getting enough of certain vitamins, according to researchers.

It's rare to find a health-promoter that offers such a substantial benefit with a relatively low cost and low risk of problems, Fletcher told Reuters Health. "And when you have such a thing," he added, "you ought to jump on it."

In two articles in the June 19, 2002, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association Fletcher and Fairfield review studies published between 1966 and 2002 that investigated the links between vitamin intake and diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease.

For example, studies have shown that taking the B vitamin folic acid early in pregnancy can help prevent certain birth defects, while others have suggested the vitamin might cut the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. Other vitamins, such as vitamin E, have been found to reduce cancer risk when consumed at recommended levels, and vitamin D plus calcium supplements have been shown to decrease the risks of bone loss and fracture in the elderly.

Dr. Fletcher explains that certain people are at higher risk of vitamin deficiency, particularly the elderly.

As people age, they also become less able to absorb some vitamins from their diets, and research has suggested that people who drink alcohol may need extra folic acid. However, Fletcher pointed out that most Americans--except those who follow what he described as a "super-perfect" diet--likely do not get enough of certain vitamins in their diets and would benefit from multivitamins, as well.

A recent survey showed that only 20% to 30% of Americans consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, the recommended amount. In addition, Fletcher said, some physicians may not understand the importance of vitamin deficiency and may fail to recommend multivitamins.

The evidence promoting the benefits of various vitamins is relatively new, Fletcher explained, so doctors may not yet be aware of it. Furthermore, vitamins are considered to be somewhat of an alternative therapy and some doctors have "this prejudice against anything that's not very orthodox," the researcher stated.

Fletcher and Fairfield point out that vitamins are relatively safe. Only a few vitamins, including Vitamin A and D in excessive vitamin amounts can have adverse effects. For example, higher-than-recommended vitamin A intake during pregnancy is linked to certain fetal anomalies.

SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association 2002;287:3116

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