Many people take vitamin or mineral supplements every day, hoping these supplements provide their body enough nutrients and keep them healthy.
However, one recent study from St. Michael’s Hospital shows that most of the supplements fail to protect the heart health.
The study researchers conducted a systematic review focuses on studies published from 2012 to 2017.
The supplements include vitamin D, calcium, vitamin C and multivitamins. These are the most common supplements people use.
The team found that these supplements were claimed to have many health benefits such as improving the immune system, reduce heart disease risk and strengthen bones.
But in fact they showed no advantage or added risk in preventing heart disease, heart attack, stroke or premature death.
Some less commonly used supplements, like B-vitamins with folic acid, may help reduce risks for heart disease and stroke.
The study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Many people also take a daily omega 3 supplement in the belief that it is good for their heart.
Another recent study from University of East Anglia examined whether extra omega-3 fatty acid from supplements could help protect heart health.
The researchers did a systematic review of 79 clinical trials and found no evidence for this belief.
In the study, the team focused on the effects of omega 3 on heart disease and stroke, deaths from heart disease and stroke, and death from any cause.
They found that omega-3 supplements were not linked to reduced risk of any above diseases. But they were also not linked to higher disease risks.
The researchers suggest that people’s belief in omega 3 supplements over all these years may have been driven by a few flawed studies and their own bias.
The study is published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Copyright © 2018 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
