Multivitamin Pills Don’t Help With Your Heart’s Health: Study

Over 52 percent of the world’s population takes multivitamin supplements for different purposes.

Worried about heart disease? Please don’t turn to vitamin and mineral supplements for a solution.

(Photo: iStock altered by The Quint)

Worried about heart disease? Please don’t turn to vitamin and mineral supplements for a solution, according to a study by the American College of Cardiology. Instead it’s important to stick to a diet heavy on vegetables and greens which could be a natural source of these vitamins.

The study further pointed out that more than half of the world population takes multivitamin supplements.

“According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in 2012, it was estimated that 52 percent of the population were taking supplements.”

However, there is no substantial data available about their benefits for cardiovascular health. The study stated that:

Researchers found that data on the four most commonly used supplements—multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium and vitamin C—showed no consistent benefit for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction or stroke, nor was there a benefit for all-cause mortality.

There is one exception, however - folic acid is beneficial for stroke prevention.

A 2015 publication from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT) study showed that folic acid supplements may reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke risk. The current JACCreview also showed a 20 percent reduction in stroke with folic acid alone.

The Study

The study included 179 trials conducted on vitamin and mineral supplements. These trials were published between January 2012 and October 2017.

Health experts have reiterated time and again how an overdose of vitamins can cause health problems.

Too much vitamin D can lead to an overdose and can irreversibly damage the kidneys and heart. Vitamin B6 overdose can cause nerve toxicity, while B3 can lead to nausea, jaundice, and liver toxicity. Too much folic acid too can mask the symptoms of a B12 deficiency.

For now, therefore, the one definitively conclusive evidence we have is that an overall healthy lifestyle with adequate exercise and a well-balanced diet is the answer for the smooth functioning of body organs.

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