Review offers lowdown on who needs vitamins

February 2, 2002

NEW YORK, Jan 02 (Reuters Health) - Most people could probably benefit

from taking a multivitamin, say researchers at the Harvard School of

Public Health, but popping a pill can't erase the health effects of a

poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.

Drs. Walter C. Willett and Meir J. Stampfer review the evidence for and

against using various vitamin supplements to prevent disease in a recent

issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

" Substantial data suggest that higher intakes of folic acid, vitamin B6,

vitamin B12 and vitamin D will benefit many people, and a multivitamin

will ensure an adequate intake of other vitamins for which the evidence

of benefit is indirect, " they write.

Taking a multivitamin is particularly important for women who may become

pregnant, people who drink one or two alcoholic beverages daily and

urban residents who may not be able to afford to eat enough fruits and

vegetables, the authors note.

Elderly people should also take a multivitamin, the report indicates,

because they tend to have a difficult time absorbing vitamin B12 and to

be deficient in vitamin D. And vegans might also want to consider a

multivitamin because they may lack vitamin B12, the researchers suggest.

Willett and Stampfer highlight the benefits of folic acid for women of

child-bearing age, because the nutrient can prevent them from having a

child with neural tube defects.

" We also believe that vitamin E supplements are reasonable for most

middle-aged and older Americans who are at increased risk for heart

disease, " the team adds.

But the authors emphasize that a vitamin pill is no substitute for a

healthy diet because foods contain additional important components, such

as fiber and essential fatty acids.

Furthermore, " a vitamin supplement cannot begin to compensate for the

massive risks associated with smoking, obesity or inactivity, " the

doctors warn.

" Given the greater likelihood of benefit than harm, and considering the

low cost, we conclude that a daily multivitamin that does not exceed the

recommended daily allowance (RDA) of its component vitamins makes sense

for most adults, " the researchers write.

SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine 2001;345:1819-1824.

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