The guidelines, published June 21 in JAMA, focus on the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death that account for about half of fatalities in the United States each year. There isn’t enough evidence to suggest that multivitamins help avoid these fatalities, according to the new guidelines, which echo advice issued by the USPSTF in 2014. “Patients ask all the time, ‘What supplements should I be taking?’ They’re wasting money and focus thinking there has to be a magic set of pills that will keep them healthy when we should all be following the evidence-based practices of eating healthy and exercising,” says Jeffrey Linder, MD, MPH, the senior author of an editorial accompanying the recommendations in JAMA and the chief of general internal medicine in the department of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. These guidelines don’t apply to children or to adults who are pregnant or trying to conceive, are hospitalized, or who have known nutritional deficiencies. Many people take over-the-counter vitamins, minerals, or multivitamins because they think these supplements can make them healthier or help them live longer. Some supplements can also reduce inflammation, which can play a role in the development of heart disease and cancer. “The task force is not saying ‘Don’t take multivitamins,’ but there’s this idea that if these were really good for you, we’d know by now,” Dr. Linder said in a statement. Some supplements may also be harmful, the task force notes. Beta-carotene, for example, is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in people who smoke or have exposure to asbestos, according to the guidelines. And high doses of vitamins A and D can also be harmful. Vitamin E, meanwhile, shows no ability to prevent heart disease or cancer. The new guidelines specifically recommend against taking vitamin E or beta-carotene. “The harm is that talking with patients about supplements during the very limited time we get to see them, we’re missing out on counseling about how to really reduce cardiovascular risks, like through exercise or smoking cessation,” Linder said. Many people can get the nutrients they need from a well-balanced diet. If you avoid tobacco, get plenty of exercise, drink only in moderation, and enjoy good eating habits, you’ll be following recommendations from both the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association to prevent these diseases. “We all want ways to prevent heart disease, stroke, and cancer, so the task force again reviewed the evidence on whether taking vitamins and minerals helps prevent these diseases,” said John Wong, MD, a professor at Tufts Medicine in Boston and a member of the USPSTF, in a statement. “Unfortunately, based on the existing evidence, the Task Force cannot recommend for or against the use of most vitamins and minerals and is calling for more research.”
