Feb 16 2009
Multivitamins — My Own Superstition
No, I am not rational in everything I do. A couple weeks ago over at skepticblog, Brian Dunning asked, WHAT’S YOUR SACRED COW? I don’t know if taking vitamins qualifies as a sacred cow, for I don’t revere them. A personal blind spot? No, not really. It is more of a superstition, for I am aware that the pills may do nothing for my health and longevity. And there is a chance they may even harm these. And yet, in a void of better reasons, I take them. Just in case.
Recent research has thrown an additional wet blanket on my hopes. How’s this for a shot to the body of a sacred cow (and a terrible mixing of metaphors) -
The largest study of its kind concludes that long-term multivitamin use has no impact on the risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease or overall mortality in postmenopausal women.
Okay, I’m not a postmenopausal woman. Still.
Apparently, I am not alone in my superstitious behavior.
Dietary supplements are used by more than half of all Americans, who spend more than $20 billion on these products each year. However, scientific data are lacking on the long-term health benefits of supplements.
Of course, an important inquiry to make is into the nuts and bolts behind this recent study.
The study assessed multivitamin use among nearly 162,000 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative.
That’s a huge subject pool.
Nearly half of the study participants – 41.5 percent – reported using multivitamins on a regular basis.
Let’s see, 41.5 percent of 162,000 is . . . 67,230. Impressive.
During the eight-year study period, 9,619 cases of breast, colorectal, endometrial, renal, bladder, stomach, lung or ovarian cancer were reported, as well as 8,751 cardiovascular events and 9,865 deaths. The study found no significant differences in risk of cancer, heart disease or death between the multivitamin users and non-users.
Compelling. But maybe the subjects didn’t take MY vitamin. Or maybe I’m somehow different (being a guy is #1). Maybe vitamins really will work for me. Maybe.
But maybe not.
