The FINANCIAL — A large analysis of data from nearly 400,000 healthy U.S. adults followed for more than 20 years has found no association between regular multivitamin use and lower risk of death. The study, led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, was published June 26, 2024, in JAMA Network Open.
The revenue ranking in the ‘Vitamins & Minerals’ segment of the otc pharmaceuticals market is lead by China with 4.8 billion U.S. dollars, while the United States is following with 4.4 billion U.S. dollars. In contrast, Sweden is at the bottom of the ranking with 5.36 million U.S. dollars, showing a difference of 4.8 billion U.S. dollars to China.
Half of all American adults—including 70 percent of those age 65 and older—take a multivitamin or another vitamin or mineral supplement regularly. The total price tag exceeds $12 billion per year—money that Johns Hopkins nutrition experts say might be better spent on nutrient-packed foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
The global revenue in the ‘Vitamins & Minerals’ segment of the otc pharmaceuticals market was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 12.3 billion U.S. dollars (+38.52 percent). The indicator is estimated to reach 44.18 billion U.S. dollars and therefore a new peak in 2029.
Many adults in the United States take multivitamins with the hope of improving their health. However, the benefits and harms of regular multivitamin use remain unclear. Previous studies of multivitamin use and mortality have yielded mixed results and been limited by short follow-up times.
To more deeply explore the relationship between long-term regular multivitamin use and overall mortality and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, the researchers analyzed data from three large, geographically diverse prospective studies involving a total of 390,124 U.S. adults who were followed for more than 20 years. The participants included in this analysis were generally healthy, with no history of cancer or other chronic diseases.
Because the study population was so large and included lengthy follow-up and extensive information on demographics and lifestyle factors, the researchers were able to mitigate the effects of possible biases that may have influenced the findings of other studies. For example, people who use multivitamins may have healthier lifestyles in general, and sicker patients may be more likely to increase their use of multivitamins.
The analysis showed that people who took daily multivitamins did not have a lower risk of death from any cause than people who took no multivitamins. There were also no differences in mortality from cancer, heart disease, or cerebrovascular diseases. The results were adjusted for factors such as race and ethnicity, education, and diet quality.
The leading global exporter of vitamins in 2023 was China. The country exported approximately 2.8 billion U.S. dollars worth of vitamins and vitamin preparations across the globe. U.S. exports had a value of one billion U.S. dollars.
The researchers noted that it is important to evaluate multivitamin use and risk of death among different kinds of populations, such as those with documented nutritional deficiencies, as well as the potential impact of regular multivitamin use on other health conditions associated with aging.
A study of 1,708 heart attack survivors who took a high-dose multivitamin or placebo for up to 55 months. Rates of later heart attacks, heart surgeries and deaths were similar in the two groups. The exception is supplemental folic acid for women of child-bearing potential. CDCP recommends that all women of reproductive age get 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.
In 2023, seven of the leading ten importers of vitamins were European Countries. However, at 110,085 kilograms, imports to the United States were the highest volume of any country on the globe. The Netherlands was the leading European importer measured by volume with total imports amounting to 73,049 kilograms of vitamins.
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