A Systematic Review: Do We Really Need Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements to Stay Healthy?

Patel Shivang Sharadkumar^1,

¹Genetics Department, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

Cite this paper:
Patel Shivang Sharadkumar. A Systematic Review: Do We Really Need Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements to Stay Healthy?. American Journal of Public Health Research. 2022; 10(5):163-168. doi: 10.12691/ajphr-10-5-1

Abstract

Over-the-counter dietary supplements are big business — the Indian dietary supplements market reached a value of INR 331 Billion in FY21 according to a report by EY India released on 18 February, 2022. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach INR 847 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of 14% during 2022-2027. However, the question remains whether using these supplements is actually beneficial to health or not. This article reviews the results of randomized controlled trials and observational studies of multivitamin and mineral supplements among the general adult population to answer the question of whether they are beneficial to overall health or not. The PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were used for the literature search. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies in adults were reviewed to assess efficacy and safety. Our study found that taking multivitamin and mineral supplements can increase nutrient intakes and help people obtain recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals when they do not meet these needs from natural food alone. Some individuals, including vegetarians, vegans, and strict dieters need to make sure they're getting enough vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and zinc from their natural diet. Suppose if they don’t get the recommended amounts of certain vitamins or minerals from their diet, multivitamin and mineral supplements may help them obtain those nutrients. The study also discovered that using multivitamins and supplements can promote brain functions and support eye health. But more research is needed in this area to ensure its benefits. We do not have sufficient evidences to prove the presence or absence of benefits from use of multivitamin and mineral supplements to prevent chronic diseases such as heart diseases and cancer.

Keywords:
dietary supplements food supplements multivitamin vitamins minerals

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Kamiński M, Kręgielska-Narożna M, Bogdański P. Determination of the Popularity of Dietary Supplements Using Google Search Rankings. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 26; 12(4): 908.
[2]	Messerer M, Johansson SE, Wolk A. Use of dietary supplements and natural remedies increased dramatically during the 1990s. J Intern Med. 2001 Aug; 250(2): 160-6.
[3]	Binns C.W., Lee M.K., Lee A. Problems and Prospects: Public Health Regulation of Dietary Supplements. Annu. Rev. Public Health. 2018; 39: 403-420.
[4]	Kamangar F, Emadi A. Vitamin and mineral supplements: do we really need them? Int J Prev Med. 2012 Mar; 3(3): 221-6.
[5]	The NHS website for England (www.nhs.uk). Do I need vitamin supplements? Common Health Questions, Food and Diet.
[6]	Harvard School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source. Vitamins and Minerals.
[7]	National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet for Consumers, Multivitamin/mineral Supplements – Consumer.
[8]	Medilineplus (www.medilineplus.gov). Health Topics, Vitamins and Minerals.
[9]	U.S. Food & Drug Administration (www.fda.gov). Consumer Updates, Dietary Supplements. 2021 Dec.
[10]	National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet for Health Professionals, Multivitamin/mineral Supplements – Health Professionals.
[11]	Bird JK, Murphy RA, Ciappio ED, McBurney MI. Risk of deficiency in multiple concurrent micronutrients in children and adults in the United States. Nutrients 2017; 9: 655.
[12]	Blumberg JB, Bailey RL, Sesso HD, Ulrich CM. The evolving role of multivitamin/multimineral supplement use among adults in the age of personalized nutrition. Nutrients 2018, 10, 248.
[13]	Otten JJ, Hellwig JP, Meyers LD (editors). Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirementsexternal link disclaimer. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2006.
[14]	Rosenberg IH. Challenges and opportunities in the translation of the science of vitamins. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:325S-7S.
[15]	Blumberg JB, Frei BB, Fulgoni III VL, Weaver CM, Zeisel SH. Impact of frequency of multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement intake on nutritional adequacy and nutrient deficiencies in U.S. adults. Nutrients 2017, 9, 849.
[16]	Rock CL. Multivitamin-multimineral supplements: who uses them? Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85: 277S-9S.
[17]	Murphy SP, White KK, Park S-Y, Sharma S. Multivitamin-multimineral supplements’ effect on total nutrient intake. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85: 280S-4S.
[18]	NIH State-of-the-Science Panel. National Institutes of Health state-of-the-science conference statement: multivitamin/mineral supplements and chronic disease prevention. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85: 257S-264S.
[19]	Park SY, Murphy SP, Wilkens LR, Henderson BE, Kolonel LN. Multivitamin use and the risk of mortality and cancer incidence: the multiethnic cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. 2011 Apr 15; 173(8): 906-14.
[20]	Han-Yao Huang, Benjamin Caballero, Stephanie Chang. The Efficacy and Safety of Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement Use To Prevent Cancer and Chronic Disease in Adults: A Systematic Review for a National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2006 Sept.
[21]	White E, Shannon JS, Patterson RE. Relationship between vitamin and calcium supplement use and colon cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1997 Oct; 6(10): 769-74. PMID: 9332757.
[22]	Gaziano JM, Sesso HD, Christen WG, Bubes V, Smith JP, MacFadyen J, Schvartz M, Manson JE, Glynn RJ, Buring JE. Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer in men: the Physicians' Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012 Nov 14; 308(18): 1871-80.
[23]	Holmquist C, Larsson S, Wolk A, de Faire U. Multivitamin supplements are inversely associated with risk of myocardial infarction in men and women--Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program (SHEEP). J Nutr. 2003 Aug; 133(8): 2650-4.
[24]	Neuhouser ML, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Thomson C, Aragaki A, Anderson GL, Manson JE, Patterson RE, Rohan TE, van Horn L, Shikany JM, Thomas A, LaCroix A, Prentice RL. Multivitamin use and risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease in the Women's Health Initiative cohorts. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 9; 169(3): 294-304.
[25]	Rautiainen S, Akesson A, Levitan EB, Morgenstern R, Mittleman MA, Wolk A. Multivitamin use and the risk of myocardial infarction: a population-based cohort of Swedish women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov; 92(5): 1251-6.
[26]	Bailey RL, Fakhouri TH, Park Y, Dwyer JT, Thomas PR, Gahche JJ, Miller PE, Dodd KW, Sempos CT, Murray DM. Multivitamin-mineral use is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease mortality among women in the United States. J Nutr. 2015 Mar; 145(3): 572-8.
[27]	Macpherson H, Silberstein R, Pipingas A. Neurocognitive effects of multivitamin supplementation on the steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) measure of brain activity in elderly women. Physiol Behav. 2012 Oct 10; 107(3): 346-54.
[28]	Harris E, Macpherson H, Vitetta L, Kirk J, Sali A, Pipingas A. Effects of a multivitamin, mineral and herbal supplement on cognition and blood biomarkers in older men: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2012 Jul; 27(4): 370-7.
[29]	Summers WK, Martin RL, Cunningham M, DeBoynton VL, Marsh GM. Complex antioxidant blend improves memory in community-dwelling seniors. J Alzheimers Dis. 2010; 19(2): 429-39.
[30]	Levenson CW. Zinc: the new antidepressant? Nutr Rev. 2006 Jan; 64(1): 39-42.
[31]	A. Pipingas, D.A. Camfield, C. Stough, K.H.M. Cox, E. Fogg, B. Tiplady, J. Sarris, D.J. White, A. Sali, M.A. Wetherell, A.B. Scholey. The effects of multivitamin supplementation on mood and general well-being in healthy young adults. A laboratory and at-home mobile phone assessment, Appetite, Volume 69, 2013, Pages 123-136, ISSN 0195-6663.
[32]	Evans JR, Lawrenson JG. Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements for slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Nov 14; 11: CD000254.
[33]	Zhao LQ, Li LM, Zhu H, The Epidemiological Evidence-Based Eye Disease Study Research Group EY. The effect of multivitamin/mineral supplements on age-related cataracts: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2014 Feb 28; 6(3): 931-49.
[34]	Mares-Perlman JA, Lyle BJ, Klein R, et al. Vitamin Supplement Use and Incident Cataracts in a Population-Based Study. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000; 118(11): 1556-1563.
[35]	Rothman KJ, Moore LL, Singer MR, Nguyen US, Mannino S, Milunsky A. Teratogenicity of high vitamin A intake. N Engl J Med. 1995 Nov 23; 333(21): 1369-73.
[36]	Araki T, Holick MF, Alfonso BD, Charlap E, Romero CM, Rizk D, Newman LG. Vitamin D intoxication with severe hypercalcemia due to manufacturing and labeling errors of two dietary supplements made in the United States. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Dec; 96(12): 3603-8.
[37]	Penniston KL, Tanumihardjo SA. Vitamin A in dietary supplements and fortified foods: too much of a good thing? J Am Diet Assoc. 2003 Sep; 103(9): 1185-7.
[38]	Tanvetyanon T, Bepler G. Beta-carotene in multivitamins and the possible risk of lung cancer among smokers versus former smokers: a meta-analysis and evaluation of national brands. Cancer. 2008 Jul 1; 113(1): 150-7.
[39]	National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet for Consumers, Iron Supplements – Consumer.
[40]	Anık A, Çatlı G, Abacı A, Dizdarer C, Böber E. Acute vitamin D intoxication possibly due to faulty production of a multivitamin preparation. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol. 2013; 5(2): 136-9.
[41]	Better Health Channel (www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au), The Department of Health, State Government of Victoria, Australia. Healthy Eating, Vitamin and mineral supplements - what to know.
[42]	Guallar E, Stranges S, Mulrow C, Appel LJ, Miller ER 3rd. Enough is enough: Stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements. Ann Intern Med. 2013 Dec 17; 159(12): 850-1.