Take vitamins or no? Controversy supercedes the studies

by
in science on (#2S5R)
story imageEmily Oster covers an old topic that's still controversial:
Many medical studies show positive health effects from higher vitamin levels. The only problem? These studies often can't tease out the effect of the vitamins from the effect of other factors, such as generally healthy living. Studies that attempt to do this typically show no impact from vitamin use - or only a very tiny one on a small subset of people. The truth is that for most people, vitamin supplementation is simply a waste of time.
[Author note: The article avoids what I'd consider the main question: since these studies are not exactly new, why does my doctor still recommend a multivitamin every time I visit? And what other things does our society universally accept that might be pointless?]

Re: I'm still okay with taking them (Score: 2, Informative)

by bryan@pipedot.org on 2014-09-09 07:14 (#2S6C)

My optometrist (that I visited mainly because they where allied with the LASIK operation that I undertook) not only advocated vitamins, but a vitamin monthly subscription called "Juice Plus." On my last appointment, they made this sales pitch so obvious that I thought they would also ask me if I wanted a vacuum cleaner, or maybe some Cutco knives. I'm convinced that this doctor's office doesn't really care about the vitamins, but cares more about getting a monthly monetary "cut" from the pill manufacturer for the referral.

I don't visit that doctor anymore.
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