Health
Daily multivitamins might not help you live longer, study finds: 'No differences in mortality'
Approximately one-third of U.S. adults report taking multivitamins, data shows — but a new study suggests that the daily practice won’t extend longevity.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) analyzed more than 20 years’ worth of data from 400,000 healthy U.S. adults, concluding that taking multivitamins did not reduce mortality risk.
“The analysis showed that people who took daily multivitamins did not have a lower risk of death from any cause than people who took no multivitamins,” the researchers wrote in a press release from NIH.
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“There were also no differences in mortality from cancer, heart disease or cerebrovascular diseases.”
Approximately one-third of U.S. adults report taking multivitamins, data shows. (iStock)
Those who took daily multivitamins were actually found to have a 4% higher mortality risk, according to the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday.
The average age of participants was 61-½, and 164, 762 deaths occurred during the follow-up period.
“People who use multivitamins may have healthier lifestyles in general, and sicker patients may be more likely to increase their use of multivitamins.”
Results were adjusted for factors including race, ethnicity, education and nutrition.
The study followed a 2022 analysis from the US Preventive Services Task Force, which concluded that there was “insufficient evidence” to determine whether multivitamin use improved mortality.
Those who took daily multivitamins were actually found to have a 4% higher mortality risk, according to the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday. (iStock)
By including larger numbers of participants and extending the follow-up for longer periods of time, the researchers aimed to account for potential biases that could have influenced the findings.
“For example, people who use multivitamins may have healthier lifestyles in general, and sicker patients may be more likely to increase their use of multivitamins,” they wrote in a press release from NIH.
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Pieter Cohen, associate professor of medicine at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, was not involved in the study but offered his feedback.
“This study provides further evidence that taking multivitamins, even for 20 years or more, won’t extend your life,” he told Fox News Digital.
“For healthy adults, there’s no reason to add on a multivitamin unless your doctor specifically recommends it.”
Doctor points out limitations
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert, was also not involved in the study but weighed in on the findings.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert with Senolytix, is a proponent of daily multivitamins. (Dr. Brett Osborn)
“Key aspects of the study include its observational nature, the absence of a control group, and the variability in multivitamin formulations used by participants,” he said in an email to Fox News Digital.
(The researchers also acknowledged these limitations in their discussion of the study results.)
“Most multivitamins contain a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, but the concentrations can vary widely across brands and formulations,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Observational studies like this one can suggest associations or correlations, but cannot prove causation due to the potential for confounding variables influencing both multivitamin use and mortality outcomes,” Osborn said.
While the researchers noted that they had adjusted for factors such as demographics, lifestyle behaviors and health status, Osborn said, “residual confounding remains a concern.”
The doctor also noted that lack of a control group makes it difficult to compare outcomes.
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“Without a control group, it’s challenging to separate the effects of multivitamins from those of other health behaviors or baseline health conditions that could influence mortality,” Osborn said.
The study also does not include controls for the specific formulation or dosage of multivitamins taken by participants, the doctor noted.
The study highlights the importance of “rigorous scientific inquiry” into the health benefits of multivitamins, a doctor said. (iStock)
“Most multivitamins contain a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, but the concentrations can vary widely across brands and formulations,” he said.
“Many commercially available multivitamins may not provide optimal levels of nutrients required for health benefits, potentially diluting any potential effects on longevity.”
In his practice, Osborn said, he recommends a multi-capsule daily multivitamin to his patients.
Vitamin usage is just one aspect of longevity, the doctor pointed out, along with genetics, lifestyle, socioeconomic status and access to health care, among other factors.
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“The multifactorial nature of longevity means that isolating the impact of multivitamins alone is complex and challenging, if not impossible,” Osborn said.
“There are just too many potentially confounding variables.”
The study highlights the importance of “rigorous scientific inquiry” into the health benefits of multivitamins, according to the doctor.
Vitamin usage is just one aspect of longevity, a doctor pointed out, along with genetics, lifestyle, socioeconomic status and access to health care. (iStock)
“In my opinion, multivitamins should be taken, as most Americans are malnourished — certainly not calorically, but in the context of vitamins and minerals.”
Looking ahead, the researchers emphasized the importance of measuring multivitamins’ impact on mortality in more diverse populations with different medical conditions and dietary habits.
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“It is important to evaluate multivitamin use and risk of death among different kinds of populations, such as those with documented nutritional deficiencies, as well as the potential impact of regular multivitamin use on other health conditions associated with aging,” they wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment, as well as the vitamin manufacturers PharmaVite (NatureMade), Nestlé Health Science (Garden of Life and Nature’s Bounty), and Life Extension.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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