9 vitamin studies, reports and editorials

A growing body ofpeer-reviewed studies shows little to no measurable health benefits for thetaking of common store-bought vitamins or multivitamins in otherwise healthy people.

For those who are really low on a certain vitamin, a pill can help to shore up the deficiency, and most family physicians won't discourage taking multivitaminsbecause there are few risks.

Here's a sampling of the research on vitamins from the medical literature.(Subscription required in some cases.)

• Oral high-dose multivitamins after myocardial infarction,Annals of Internal Medicine

• Long-term multivitamin supplementation and cognitivefunction in men, Annals of Internal Medicine

• Enough is enough: stop wasting money on vitamin andmineral supplements,editorial, Annals of Internal Medicine
• Antioxidant supplements to prevent mortality,JAMA

• Vitamin and mineral supplements in primary prevention ofcardiovascular disease and cancer: U.S. Preventive ServicesTask Force, Annals of Internal Medicine

• The Effect of Vitamin E and Beta Carotene on the Incidence of Lung Cancer and Other Cancers in Male Smokers, New England Journal of Medicine

• Vitamin D blood levels of Canadians, Statistics Canada

• Vitamin D for preventing cancer: evidence and healthbeliefs, Cochrane Library editorial

• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes umbrella review,BMJ