"Study says vitamin supplements don't work or are harmful ..."

[Second Summer]

I've come across some news stories recently which cite a recent study on association between supplement intake and mortality. This appears to be the actual paper:
Dietary Supplement Use, Nutrient Intake, and Mortality Among U.S. Adults | Annals of Internal Medicine | American College of Physicians

Just wanted to say that I don't think you can generalise and lump all kinds of supplement together in this way. It also doesn't consider fortified foods, or explaining how supplements don't work or can be harmful.

For these reasons, these kinds of studies are not very useful.

For us vegans, keep in mind that numerous studies have confirmed that B12 supplements are both safe and recommended. I think that is also the case for many other vitamin supplements.

Conclusion:

Use of dietary supplements is not associated with mortality benefits among U.S. adults.

Again, I don't think you can simply conclude something like that when you've lumped together all these supplements. Also, is it not the case that people who are already sick will try to take supplements to make themselves better? Which of course don't necessarily work, but will skew the results.

 

[Amy SF]

Yeah, if you have a cold and you take massive amounts of vitamin C, it’s not a magic formula that will cure you overnight. But a moderate daily dose will probably help boost your immune system a little.

I think, as in everything else, moderation is the key.