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Most people could probably benefit from
taking a multivitamin, say researchers at the Harvard School
of Public Health, but popping a pill can't erase the health
effects of a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
They found substantial data to suggest
that higher intakes of folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12
and vitamin D will benefit
many people, and a multivitamin will ensure an
adequate intake of other vitamins for which the evidence of
benefit is indirect.
Taking a multivitamin
is particularly important for women who may become pregnant,
people who drink one or two alcoholic beverages daily and
urban residents who may not be able to afford to eat enough
fruits and vegetables.
Elderly people
should also take a multivitamin,
the report indicates, because they tend to have a difficult
time absorbing vitamin B12 and to be deficient in vitamin
D. And vegans might also want to consider a multivitamin because
they may lack vitamin B12.
Willett and Stampfer highlight the benefits
of folic acid for women of child-bearing age, because the
nutrient can prevent them from having a child with neural
tube defects.
The authors also believe that vitamin
E supplements are reasonable for most middle-aged and older
Americans who are at increased risk for heart disease.
But the authors emphasize that a vitamin
pill is no substitute for a healthy diet because foods contain
additional important components, such as fiber and essential
fatty acids.
Furthermore, "a vitamin supplement
cannot begin to compensate for the massive risks associated
with smoking, obesity or inactivity.
The New England
Journal of Medicine 2001;345:1819-1824
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