Vitamin and mineral supplements have shown their worthlessness.

According to the findings of a group of Canadian scientists fromUniversity of Toronto and St. Michel Hospital, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the daily use of vitamin and mineral supplements has virtually no expected positive effect.

Deficiency of some beneficial substances derived fromfood (vitamins, minerals and antioxidants), often try to fill up with the help of dietary supplements. Such supplements do not pass clinical trials, which is why they are not considered a drug, and their circulation is practically unregulated.

Having conducted a systematic analysis of the results of moreHundreds of previous studies, conducted from January 2012 to October 2017, the researchers found that most popular multivitamin supplements containing vitamins C and D, as well as calcium, do not have any practical benefits on human health. In addition, scientists note that they have not found any evidence that the use of vitamin preparations actually reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, strokes, or early death.

Perhaps the only exception is folic acid.acid, as well as to a lesser extent complex of vitamins of group B, which have shown their usefulness for preventing the occurrence of diseases of the cardiovascular system, in particular stroke.

“We were surprised to find only a few positive effects of popular vitamin and mineral supplements,” said Dr. David Jenkins, lead author of the study.

“Our study showed that if you want to use multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium or vitamin C, then there will be no harm in this, but as it turned out, there will be no benefit either.”

Meanwhile, research has shown that exceedingindicators of the content of niacin (vitamin B3) and antioxidants in the body, in turn, may be associated with an increased risk of death. This is explained by the fact that niacin may have a negative effect on blood sugar levels. Antioxidants ("free radicals") are naturally produced in our body in sufficient quantities. And their overabundance can lead, for example, to a violation of the natural antitumor mechanisms in the body.

According to researchers, most often an excess of vitamins and minerals in the body occurs due to a person exceeding the standards prescribed by doctors.

"This study suggests that people shouldtake a closer look at the choice of supplements and use only that amount of vitamins and minerals that is prescribed by the attending physician in each case, ”says Jenkins.

As objects of research, scientists used vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6, B9 (folic acid), as well as the mineral substances carotene, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and selenium.

Researchers also found that somesubstances show higher efficacy than others. For example, a link was noted between the use of zinc supplements and a reduction in the time it took to develop cold effects. Despite the widespread belief in the effectiveness of vitamin C, it has not shown any practical benefits.

“In the absence of any significantpositive effects - in addition to folic acid, which reduces the potential risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system - a more sensible solution would be to rely on healthy food that can provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals, ”says Jenkins.

“There is not a single study proving that the use of dietary supplements can be more beneficial than a healthy diet that contains fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as nuts.”

Canadian scientists suggest thatThe reason for the lack of a positive effect of dietary supplements intake on human health can also be the peculiarities of the composition of additives. And in some cases, dietary supplements can be completely dangerous to health. So, Consumer Reports magazine two years ago analyzed the composition of some popular dietary supplements and found in them substances hazardous to human health that can cause damage to the organs of the digestive system, arrhythmia, dizziness and cancer.