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Scientific
Research Documents Health Benefits of Multivitamins, Other Nutritional
Supplements |
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July 2002 -- Consistent
use of multivitamins and other key supplements can promote good health and
help prevent disease, according to a comprehensive new report
released by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). The report found
that ongoing use of multivitamins (preferably with minerals) and other
single-nutrient supplements (like calcium or folic acid) demonstrated
quantifiable positive impact in areas ranging from strengthening the
immune system of highly-vulnerable elderly patients, to drastically
reducing the risk of neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida.
The 100-plus page report -- titled The Benefits of Nutritional
Supplements -- reviewed more than a decade's-worth of the most
scientifically-significant studies measuring the health benefits of
multivitamins and other nutritional supplements, including antioxidants
(vitamins C and E), calcium, long chain omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils),
vitamin D, vitamins B-6 and B-12, and folic acid.
"The medical and scientific
communities are rapidly accumulating powerful evidence about the role of
nutritional supplements in both health promotion and disease
prevention," said Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., the author of the
report and CRN vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs.
"This growing critical mass
of data underscores the need for health professionals to do more to
encourage patients to get into a regular, defined routine of
supplementation. While it is never too late to start incorporating
supplements into a healthy lifestyle, there is compelling evidence that
consistent, long-term use provides the strongest benefits. For as little
as a dime a day, the cost of a basic multivitamin, you can make a sound
investment in good health," she said.
Highlights from the report findings include:
 | If all women of childbearing age used
multivitamins with folic acid, it should be possible to reduce the
current incidence of neural tube birth defects like spina bifida by as
much as 70%.
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| The routine use
of multivitamins and mineral supplements by the elderly could improve
immune function and thus reduce infectious disease, potentially
cutting in half the total number of days they are sick.
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| Supplementation with calcium
and vitamin D could reduce the rate of hip fracture among older
people by at least 20%-meaning 40,000 to 50,000 fewer hip fractures
each year in the United States-for an average annual savings of $1.5
to $2 billion.
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| The potential cost savings of a
prevention-oriented approach to health and diet are tremendous. A 1997
analysis predicted that if the occurrence of cardiovascular disease,
stroke and hip fracture were delayed five years, total U.S. health
care cost savings could equal $89 billion annually.
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| While the addition of a multivitamin
would benefit most people, different additional supplements should be
chosen based on the specific lifestage, gender or lifestyle of the
individual. For example, though calcium is generally important for all
men and women, it is particularly critical for children building bone
mass and elderly people seeking to preserve it. |
"Scientific evidence in support of the
health benefits of nutritional supplements has grown dramatically in
recent years," said Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., a professor in the
School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
"We must now work to translate this knowledge to health care
providers, policy makers and consumers so the simple actions people can
take to promote their health and prevent disease can be more fully
realized. The impact of a rational use of dietary supplements can also
help reduce health care costs which escalate every year as our population
grows older."
Dr. Dickinson noted that while all people should strive to eat a healthy
and balanced diet -- no matter what their age or health circumstance --
few in reality do. "While the overall improvement of dietary habits
has been the focus of much research on health promotion and disease
prevention, the medical and scientific communities are increasingly
recognizing that nutritional supplements have a critical role to play. Too
many studies have shown that most diets -- even fairly healthy ones --
fall well below the Recommended Dietary Allowance for many nutrients.
Supplements are a proven bridge between what we should eat and what we
actually eat," she said.
Dr. Dickinson is an expert on the benefits of vitamins and minerals who
has worked in the field since 1973. In 1995, President Clinton appointed
Dr. Dickinson to the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels, and in 2002
she was named to the Food Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). She is the author of numerous papers and is
frequently asked to speak on the topic of dietary supplements to
policy-making, scientific and other audiences.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a
Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing ingredient suppliers
and manufacturers in the dietary supplement industry. CRN members adhere
to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture
dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing
practices. The dietary supplement industry is regulated by the Food and
Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, as well as by
government agencies in each of the 50 states.
More Support for Vitamins!
In a landmark article the Journal
of The American Medical Association has announced that all adults
should take vitamin supplements to help prevent chronic diseases.
This represents a radical departure from the conventional perspective that
always maintained that adults get sufficient nutrition from food and that
vitamins were unnecessary. What changed the doc's minds?
Source: PR Newswire
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Therapeutic
Dosage
