The NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research and the Office of Dietary Supplements organized a meeting recently with an independent panel that assessed the available evidence on the safety and effectiveness of multivitamin/minerals (MVMs).

The meeting made recommendations about certain specific supplements but finally concluded that more intensive scientific research is needed before it can be strongly recommended that MVM use can prevent chronic diseases.

"Half of American adults are taking MVMs and the bottom line is that we don't know for sure that they're benefiting from them. In fact, we're concerned that some people may be getting too much of certain nutrients," said J. Michael McGinnis, M.D., M.P.P., Senior Scholar with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, who chaired the panel.

The panel has the following recommendations:

1) Combined use of calcium and vitamin D supplementation for postmenopausal women to protect bone health.

2) Anti-oxidants and zinc should be considered for use by non-smoking adults with early-stage, age-related macular degeneration, an eye condition that can cause blindness.

3) Women of childbearing age should take daily folate to prevent neural tube defects (birth defects of the brain and spinal cord) in infants.

In addition, the panel found no evidence to recommend beta carotene supplements, (a form of vitamin A) for the general population and strongly cautioned smokers against taking them; mainly because beta-carotene was previously linked to an increase in lung cancer among smokers who took the vitamin regularly.

Regarding MVMs and prevention of chronic disease, the panel found that the available data are insufficient to make a firm recommendation for or against their use in the general population.

Are you taking vitamin supplements? Make sure that what you are taking is doctor-prescribed. It is always wise to consult your doctor first before deciding on taking a supplement regularly even if you can buy them over-the-counter.

Read more at NIH News.