The truth about multivitamins
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Multivitamins aren't magical substitutes for a healthy lifestyle, but they could be a part of one.
The big picture: A multivitamin feels like an easy health insurance policy, but most health professionals say healthy, whole foods are still the best bet.
Most research on multivitamins shows they're low-risk and low-reward. For older adults, there are some documented benefits.
- "When we've seen actually quite consistent findings for potential benefits of a multivitamin on cognition, I would say that applies to men over 60 and women over 65," says Howard Sesso, an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, who has led multivitamin clinical trials.
- In a study of men 50 and older, daily multivitamin use had a "very modest" reduction in cancer as well as certain eye diseases, Sesso says.
Between the lines: Research on multivitamins, and really everything, has been conducted on more men than women.
- Avoid products with botanicals and a long list of additives, Sesso says. Those don't always mix well with medications such as GLP-1s or blood pressure meds.
Fun fact: While Sesso agrees that benefits are minimal, he decided to start taking a multivitamin at age 50 ("once I hit the eligibility criteria for the studies that I've been conducting"), even though he eats a healthy diet and stays active.
- His advice for multivitamin shoppers: Skip the pricier "specialized formulations" and go with a major brand.
