New Research Confirms – Take Your Vitamins and Minerals

According to research, taking the right multivitamin-mineral can yield long-lasting health benefits. Two-thirds of U.S. adults don’t take a multivitamin-mineral. Why not? Many simply don’t think multivitamin-minerals work well enough to make a difference. But new research suggests that multivitamin-minerals are highly effective—and can have an impact on our ongoing health and well-being.

New research published

Just months ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published the results of one of the largest and longest randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials ever done on the use of a daily multivitamin-mineral¹—a study that involved more than 14,600 male physicians and lasted 13 years.

This study showed that taking a multivitamin-mineral daily led to an 8% drop in overall cancers during the study period. And when prostate cancer was removed from the analysis, the overall drop in all other cancers increased to 12 percent.

In a press release issued in October 2012², Balz Frei, director of the Linus Pauling Institute—a world-renowned center for micronutrient studies—observed that the 8% drop found by this study translates to about 130,000 cancers prevented every year in the United States alone.

Scientists at the institute note that the study also shows how multivitamin-minerals can help fill important nutritional gaps—even for people who are trying to eat healthy, nutritious diets.

Don’t I get enough nutrition from the food I eat?

In 2002, JAMA published a study recommending that all adults take a multivitamin-mineral daily.³ Their reason: most adults are getting suboptimal levels of vitamins.

JAMA’s recommendation underlines a serious health concern we are all facing. Today more than ever before, it’s very hard to get all the vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients we need. Many of us don’t eat the healthiest of diets, depriving ourselves of nutrition we could be getting. But even when we are trying to eat healthy, we still may not be getting optimal nutrition.

Over the last 70 years, as over-farming and synthetic fertilizer use have depleted our soil of minerals—especially trace minerals—the amount of minerals we get from our fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products has dramatically declined. And as our food is processed, harvested before it is naturally ripe, and transported hundreds of miles, it loses even more of its nutritional value.

With fewer nutrients in the food you eat, chances are you are not meeting your daily nutritional needs. One of the best ways to fill the gap is to supplement with the right multivitamin-mineral.

Can getting optimal nutrition have an impact on my health care costs?

Today, according to a recent report by CNNMoney4, the average family of four racks up more than $20,000 each year in health care costs—and those costs are expected to continue to rise 7%–8% annually. While health insurance may cover some of these costs, more of them are being passed along directly to consumers and eating into family budgets.

One of the most effective ways to cut those health care costs is to practice prevention—adopting healthier habits and catching health concerns early before they turn into costly treatments and recovery.

Taking a multivitamin-mineral daily can help you optimize your nutrition. Each day, your body depends on many different vitamins and micronutrients to ensure the proper function of your body’s systems: immune, cardiovascular, digestive, and many more. When you’re getting proper nutrition, your body is better able to fight off illness, avoid the effects of aging, and stay healthy and vital longer. The result—better prevention and the likelihood of fewer health care costs.

“A multivitamin-mineral is the cheapest health insurance a person will ever buy,” says Frei.

And don’t forget the benefits of better health that can’t be measured in dollars—like peace of mind, more time and energy to spend with loved ones, and the increased freedom to pursue personal goals and enjoy a more vital, fulfilling life.

1 J Gaziano et al, “Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cancer in Men,” JAMA.com, October 17, 2012.
2 David Strauth, “Daily multivitamin reduces cancer risk, offering enormous medical potential,” Linus Pauling Institute, October 17, 2012.
3 RH Fletcher et al, “Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults,” JAMA, 287(23), June 19, 2002.
4 Jessica Dickler, “Family health care costs to exceed $20,000 this year,” http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/29/pf/healthcare-costs/index.htm, March 29, 2012.