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Taking a daily multivitamin may not prolong life
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A new study analyzing data from more than two decades and including nearly 400,000 participants in the U.S. suggests that long-term daily multivitamin use may not improve life expectancy in healthy adults.
About 33% of adults in the United States take a daily multivitamin in hopes of helping prevent disease and promote a long, healthy life.
Despite their widespread use, previous studies have not found enough evidence to support the idea that multivitamins actually promote longevity.
To address this research gap, researchers from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) analyzed long-term daily multivitamin use and mortality risk in three cohorts of healthy U.S. adults.
They took into account factors such as healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as reverse causality when people in poor health started taking multivitamins.
A new NIH study published in JAMA Network Open found no association between regular multivitamin use and a reduced risk of death in healthy U.S. adults.
However, multivitamins may still be helpful for some people, and this observational study has its limitations, so you shouldn't just abandon multivitamins.
A study examining the effect of daily multivitamin intake on mortality risk
A new NIH study aimed to evaluate the association between multivitamin use and mortality related to chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease and cancer. The researchers also sought to explore potential factors and biases that may influence understanding of this association.
The researchers analyzed data from three large cohort studies in the United States:
- NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.
- PLCO Cancer Screening Trial.
- Agricultural Health Study.
Their joint analysis included 390,124 generally healthy adults aged 18 to 74 years at baseline with no history of major chronic diseases.
Participants self-reported the frequency of multivitamin use, ranging from "never" to "daily," as well as the use of other vitamins, minerals, and supplements.
Based on this data, the researchers divided the participants into three groups:
- failure to take multivitamins;
- irregular intake of multivitamins;
- taking a daily multivitamin.
The researchers also considered the participants' dietary history, 2015 Healthy Eating Index score, smoking status, alcohol and coffee consumption, race and ethnicity, education level, body mass index (BMI), physical activity level, and family history of cancer.
Taking a Daily Multivitamin May Not Promote Longevity
During the study, there were 164,762 deaths among participants, approximately 30% of which were due to cancer, 21% to heart disease, and 6% to cerebrovascular disease.
Among daily multivitamin users, nearly half were women, compared with about 40% of non-users.
Overall, the researchers found no evidence that regular multivitamin use improves longevity among healthy adults.
Who can benefit from taking a daily multivitamin?
Healthy adults with adequate dietary nutrient intake may not need a multivitamin, but a daily multivitamin may be beneficial for certain populations and age groups.
People with gastrointestinal conditions such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease may benefit from taking a daily multivitamin.
Older adults over 50 may benefit from taking a multivitamin to help prevent age-related nutritional deficiencies.
Ultimately, your doctor and registered dietitian can help you make an informed decision about whether you need to take supplements.