Impact of Frequency of Multi-Vitamin/Multi-Mineral Supplement Intake on Nutritional Adequacy and Nutrient Deficiencies in U.S. Adults.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Cross-sectional survey analysis of nationally representative observational data
PubMed 28792457 · doi:10.3390/nu9080849
What was done
Analyzed nationally representative cross-sectional data from 10,698 U.S. adults in NHANES 2009–2012. Researchers evaluated intakes from food alone versus food plus multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplements (MVMS) for 17 nutrients with an Estimated Average Requirement and Tolerable Upper Intake Level, and assessed deficiency status using biomarkers for five nutrients across frequencies of MVMS intake.
What was found
Compared to food alone, MVMS use at any frequency was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of inadequacy (p < 0.01) for 15 of 17 nutrients and increased the prevalence of intakes exceeding the UL for 7 nutrients (though ≤4% for any nutrient). Frequent MVMS use (≥21 days/30 days) virtually eliminated inadequacies for all nutrients except calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D, and was associated with significantly lower odds ratios of deficiency for the examined biomarkers except iron (specific numerical values were not reported in the abstract).
Why it matters
Demonstrates that regular multivitamin/mineral supplement intake is associated with reduced dietary micronutrient inadequacies and fewer biomarker-confirmed deficiencies among U.S. adults without substantial risk of exceeding upper intake levels.
Limits
Cross-sectional observational design prevents causal conclusions. Intake assessments rely on self-reported dietary and supplement data, only five nutrient biomarkers were evaluated, and clinical health endpoints were not assessed.
Cited by
- context Most people do not consume sufficient amounts of prebiotics, vitamins, and minerals through whole foods alone.