Dr. Sharon Orrange
Primary Care Physician
Dr. Orrange received her BA in Biology at the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters Degree in Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She received her MD from the USC Keck School of…
More About Me >>
FAST FACTS
LOCATION: Santa Monica, CA, USA
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
AFFILIATIONS:
  • Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Geriatric, Hospital and General Internal Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
YEARS IN PRACTICE: 15
WEBSITES:
More About Me >>
Advertisement
Does a Daily Multivitamin Increase Your Risk of Death?
9
Posted in Healthy Eating by Dr. Sharon Orrange on Nov 23, 2011
Oops. Less is more, it appears. The 39,000 women in the Iowa Women’s Health study delivered us some surprising results recently. The authors set out to measure reduction in mortality rates from different supplements but what they found instead was an increase in risk of mortality.

After controlling for other factors, taking a daily multivitamin increased the absolute risk of mortality 2.4%. Here were the results for other supplements:
- Vitamin B6 4.1% absolute increase risk of mortality

- Folic acid 5.9% absolute increase risk of mortality

- Iron 3.9% absolute increase risk of mortality

- Magnesium 3.6% absolute increase risk of mortality

- Zinc 3.0% absolute increase risk of mortality

- Copper 18.0% absolute increase risk of mortality
About the only good news for supplements was a risk reduction of 3.8% with calcium supplements. Do I think taking a multivitamin will kill you? No. Do I think you need supplements if you have a balanced diet? No. Fish oil, calcium and vitamin D aside, it appears postmenopausal women don’t need supplements.

- Dr O.



       Send to a Friend     Share This

MORE ARTICLES
CATEGORIES: News
CONDITIONS AND COMMUNITIES: Healthy Eating  •  Nutrition  •  Weight Loss For Teens  •  Diabetes Type 1  •  Diabetes Type 2  •  Diets & Weight Maintenance  •  Menopause
TAGS: Symptoms  •  Therapies

MEMBER COMMENTS
TOTAL COMMENTS: 10 - View All Comments »

Add a Comment
Displaying comments 10-1 of 10
10
Nice tips !
By johnlasseter  Mar 19, 2012
9
How in the world did they come up with these numbers?????
Life has a 100% risk of mortality. How do you blame deaths on vitamins?

Seems like something is really fishy with this study.
By SunnyBunn  Feb 16, 2012
8
How in the world did they come up with these numbers?????
Life has a 100% risk of mortality. How do you blame deaths on vitamins?

Seems like something is really fishy with this study.
By SunnyBunn  Feb 16, 2012
7
I too agree with others posting here. We need to be skeptical of any study like this done by the pharmaceutical industry since they do not benefit from any evidence that healing can occur from nutrition. Most of our modern maladies are actually caused by nutritional deficiencies or environmental contamination, so this study doesn't make sense to me - I'd love to see what the other variables are. Think about the kinds of things the FDA approves and doesn't approve - Aspartame and Stevia respectively (not to mention the fact that Pizza is now considered a vegetable serving in the Food Guide!!!)! We know that they are politically and financially motivated, not by what's best for people anyhow! Too bad there aren't nutritional healing organizations out there that have as much money as the pharmaceutical companies to do these studies....
By organic1der  Dec 01, 2011
6
I do not trust this study. The Pharmaco/Medical Industrial Complex is not interested in having people learn about how to take care of their own issues with low cost supplements. Who paid for this study?? I once worked at a medical school where drug companies were paying for Aspirin research. How much do you hear about the bleeding caused by aspirin which can be found in feces?
By PTSDwidow  Nov 26, 2011
5
I should add that the Pharmaco-Industrial Complex certainly does not want us to learn and take charge of our own health maintenance methods. Typical CEOs in the med/drug field are paid $10million or more a year. Who paid for this study??
By PTSDwidow  Nov 26, 2011
4
At age 35 as I started developing the kinds of health problems that plagued my parents, I began to study therapeutic nutrition and supplements in detail. I developed a program of regular and megavitamins and supplements. Within a month my health was a great deal better and most problems disappeared. Over the years as minor problems surfaced I have added a few things. I am now 73, have never had the health problems my parents suffered and am told I look about 55. Except for the copper, which I also avoid, I do not understand the results cited. We are not told what strengths were used, or any other important details to evaluate what might have impacted results.
By PTSDwidow  Nov 26, 2011
3
I am skeptical as well. Maybe the reason these women were taking supplements is because they had health issues and would have died anyway.
By bjejvj  Nov 25, 2011
2
'...Fish oil, calcium and vitamin D aside, it appears postmenopausal women don’t need supplements...'

Unless you're suffering from Hashimotos Thyroiditis, in which case you almost certainly do, especially B12, Folic Acid, Zinc Selenium and Magnesium.
By AndreaUKA  Nov 24, 2011
1
I would be skeptical of this research until it is fully reproduced elsewhere around the world by reputable scientists under controlled conditions.

There's a backlog of information to the contrary of this one recent study, so I think people would be wise to be wary of it until it is corroborated.
By BlackBurst  Nov 23, 2011
Got a Question?
 
 
 
 
My Fans
POPULAR POSTS
RELATED SUPPORT GROUPS
Healthy Eating
(824 Discussion Topics)
Nutrition
(140 Discussion Topics)
Weight Loss For Teens
(704 Discussion Topics)
Diabetes Type 1
(755 Discussion Topics)
Diabetes Type 2
(3,875 Discussion Topics)
Diets & Weight Maintenance
(8,423 Discussion Topics)
Menopause
(2,801 Discussion Topics)