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• September 8, 2009 12:18 a.m.

  The study in Nutrition Journal ( http://www.nutritionj.com/content/6/1/30 ) noted by Toni merely says that people who take vitamins have more vitamins in their bloodstream. If you read the article, you'll see that the so-called "biomarkers" they found in supplement users' blood are the vitamins themselves. The article says nothing about "better health" of supplement users, except certain cases of self-assessed health that were not statistically significant. The article comes to no clear or strong conclusion about anything, really. This doesn't mean that supplements are useless, but rather that the long-term data show unclear results.

  - Howard

• February 21, 2009 9:25 p.m.

  Since we have a hand-free axes to by any kind of nutrition supplements in a market, chances are that we can harm our self much easier than helping our self. In the old countries, where these opportunities do not exist, people eat less but natural food and live longer, happier and active life. In modernized countries, we look for supplements to move us from couch. If is for me ,brothers and sisters; boil and don't broil- even the oil(don't fry). Never fill your stomack in full. Vitamins in morning- minerals in evening and high protein- the last after meal, followed by cold water drink. No starch, no sugar- if you want to live longer. Today stay away from the food which bothered you yesterday. If your tongue is white in morning - you ate bad food in evening. TO BEFIT DOCTORS AND NUTRITION CORPORATES -JUST IGNORE MY COMMENTS. TO BENEFIT YOUR SELF, LIVE THOSE SULFATES IN THEIR SHELFS. Se you in a great health!

  - luigi

• July 26, 2008 6:13 p.m.

  I don't believe in a so called healthy diet,overcooking,processing,pesticdes,the list goes on,but all add to getting little or no benefits from any vitamin content contained in food,better a multivitamin if in doubt ask at any reputable health shop,most medical professionals frown upon supplements,saying that a balanced diet is better for you,it,s too difficult in this day and age to get this,most people opt for quick meals,fast foods, which have little or no vitamins in them you could never assess exactly what you get from food properly in any case.

  - stuart fraser

• July 14, 2008 11:33 a.m.

  I have an excess of iron and calcium detected from blood tests - what causes this and how is it treated?

  - cindy

• May 2, 2008 6:13 a.m.

  I BELIEVED THAT SOME MULTIVITAMINS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE,BASSED ON YOUR RESEACH, CAN YOU OUTLINE THOSE MULTIVITAMINE THAT ARE EFFECTIVE TO HUMAN HEALTH?.

  - GERALD

• March 30, 2008 8:58 p.m.

  Check out the Landmark Study in Nutrition Journal, an online, peer-reviewed international human nutrition journal. The study, entitled Usage Patterns, Health, and Nutritional Status of Long-Term Multiple Dietary Supplement Users, is the first-ever study on long-term users of multiple dietary supplements, and found these users comparatively to have markedly better health as measured by higher blood levels of key nutrients and more optimal levels of key health biomarkers. This simply confirms that long-term consumers of specific whole food supplements have better health than the two comparison groups—those who used just a multivitamin and those who use no supplements at all. Publication of the Landmark study in Nutrition Journal ensures free and universal access to the manuscript thus enabling immediate communication of these important Landmark study research findings to and from virtually any place in the world. The study will also be indexed in PubMed Central, a free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature published by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) ensuring broad based availability of the study manuscript. This publication offers incredible support and enhancement to scientific credibility. If anyone would like a copy, I would be happy to send one. To the best of health, Antoinette

  - Toni

• March 26, 2008 3:34 p.m.

  I don't know why anyone feels the need to cite the beta carotene study regarding smokers.If a person smokes they shouldn't expect any results from supplements because they shouldn't be smoking and talking about health in the same sentence. Nothing good comes from smoking and the havoc it causes to every system of the body. Beta carotene is not bad but in a smokers body it might be- but that's because they smoke!! Most americans are fat, stressed out and unhealthy and could certainly use a multivitamin not to mention a few other supplements.

  - karen

• March 26, 2008 8:36 a.m.

  Seriously, who wants to take another pill or more? Natural forms of vitamins in minerals found in food work much better with one another than taking isolated forms of vitamins and minerals. For good health we all should be eating balanced meals most of the time. That way we do get the right amount of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. Of course there are specific cases when people who are truly deficient of a certain vitamin and/or mineral with need to use supplements.

  - Susie

• March 18, 2008 1:53 p.m.

  "'You're obviously being paid by the "sickness industry" and not the "wellness industry." -End of Comment'" Wow, Tim. You seem to be a rather unscientific thinker. I for one am glad that people with real expertise on nutrition (dieticians) are willing to put out unbiased, scientifically valid advice like this for us. As for not promoting "wellness," do you not think that citing the evidence that supports the potential harm of supplements is done in the name of promoting wellness? The careful methods of science have done more for human wellness than anything else I can think of.

  - Rob

• March 14, 2008 8:23 p.m.

  I take Vibe, a liquid supplement, for vitamins and antioxidants, and Efacor for Omega3s every day, and I am sure they do improve my overall health.

  - Dave

• March 12, 2008 10:51 a.m.

  I am a 48 year old healthy, normal-weight woman. My doctor recommends taking a multivitamin plus calcium supplements. I find taking these pills leaves a lump in my stomach all day. I do not take vitamins on an empty stomach, but they still bother me. Any suggestions? Can I crush the tablets up before taking them? Can I just drink milk instead of taking the calcium tablets? How much milk do I need?

  - Marie

• March 11, 2008 8:37 p.m.

  You're obviously being paid by the "sickness industry" and not the "wellness industry." -End of Comment

  - Tim

• March 11, 2008 6:10 p.m.

  Perhaps in the medical world the training for supplements is vastly underestimated and therefore you have no formal training in actual supplementation. I happen to know this for a fact because of my association with medical professionals, although I am not one myself. You would also be surprised to know that there is research from Harvard saying every adult needs to be taking at least a multivitamin. You are correct in saying that what vitamins claim to have in them is not "strictly regulated."

  - Katie Carter

• March 9, 2008 10:34 a.m.

  London is beyond the 51st parallel and nobody who eats a reasonable diet here i short of Vitamin D. I'm disappointed that the Mayo Clinic, of all places, isn't a bit more forthright in pointing out how much money is wasted on unnecessary supplements.

  - David Colquhoun

• March 8, 2008 6:34 p.m.

  I don't know if vitamins work or not. But I can say that I have taken a mulitvitamine for many years, and am very rairly sick.

  - Joanne

• March 7, 2008 7:46 a.m.

  You failed to mention Vit. D and the lack thereof especially north of the 40th parallel may be inadequate d/t lack of sun exposure several months of the year, using sun screen, and potentially underestimated RDA.

  - Jean W.