A Role for Multivitamins in Infection?
Authors: Wafaie Fawzi, Meir J. Stampfer
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Editorials4 March 2003A Role for Multivitamins in Infection?Wafaie Fawzi, MBBS, DrPH and Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPHWafaie Fawzi, MBBS, DrPHFrom Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115Search for more papers by this author and Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPHFrom Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-138-5-200303040-00014 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Millions of Americans take multivitamin and mineral supplements hoping to promote good health, but few studies have documented the benefits (1). The strongest evidence supports use of folate supplements to reduce birth defects; less compelling but suggestive evidence supports multivitamin use for prevention of chronic disease, especially coronary disease and cancer. Despite fortification of the U.S. food supply with folate, homocysteine levels could be further reduced with optimal intake of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Moreover, although many elderly adults produce insufficient gastric acid to liberate vitamin B12 from food, causing subclinical insufficiency, acid is not required to absorb ...References1. Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: clinical applications. JAMA. 2002;287:3127-9. [PMID: 12069676] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Schnyder G, Roffi M, Flammer Y, Pin R, Hess OM. Effect of homocysteine-lowering therapy with folic acid, vitamin B(12), and vitamin B(6) on clinical outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention: the Swiss Heart study: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 2002;288:973-9. [PMID: 12190367] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Ames BN, Wakimoto P. Are vitamin and mineral deficiencies a major cancer risk? Nat Rev Cancer. 2002;2:694-704. 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[PMID: 8320052] MedlineGoogle Scholar8. Graat JM, Schouten EG, Kok FJ. Effect of daily vitamin E and multivitamin-mineral supplementation on acute respiratory tract infections in elderly persons: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 2002;288:715-21. [PMID: 12169075] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Chandra RK. Effect of vitamin and trace-element supplementation on immune responses and infection in elderly subjects. Lancet. 1992;340:1124-7. [PMID: 1359211] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Meydani SN, Meydani M, Blumberg JB, Leka LS, Siber G, Loszewski R, . Vitamin E supplementation and in vivo immune response in healthy elderly subjects. A randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 1997;277:1380-6. [PMID: 9134944] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Spiers PS. On the prevention of the common cold: no help from vitamin C. Epidemiology. 2002;13:4-5. [PMID: 11805579] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. The World Health Report 1999. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1999. Google Scholar13. Villamor E, Fawzi WW. Vitamin A supplementation: implications for morbidity and mortality in children. J Infect Dis. 2000;182 Suppl 1 S122-33. [PMID: 10944494] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. Bhutta ZA, Black RE, Brown KH, Gardner JM, Gore S, Hidayat A, . Prevention of diarrhea and pneumonia by zinc supplementation in children in developing countries: pooled analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Zinc Investigators' Collaborative Group. J Pediatr. 1999;135:689-97. [PMID: 10586170] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. Fawzi WW, Msamanga GI, Spiegelman D, Urassa EJ, McGrath N, Mwakagile D, . Randomised trial of effects of vitamin supplements on pregnancy outcomes and T cell counts in HIV-1-infected women in Tanzania. Lancet. 1998;351:1477-82. [PMID: 9605804] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Wafaie Fawzi, MBBS, DrPH; Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPHAffiliations: From Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115Corresponding Author: Wafaie Fawzi, MBBS, DrPH, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Building II, Room 329A, Boston, MA 02115.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Fawzi: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Building II, Room 329A, Boston, MA 02115.Dr. Stampfer: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge Building, Room 904, Boston, MA 02115. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoEffect of a Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement on Infection and Quality of Life Thomas A. Barringer , Julienne K. Kirk , Amy C. Santaniello , Kristie Long Foley , and Robert Michielutte Metrics Cited byMultivitamin supplementation improves nutritional status and bone quality in aged care residentsLow micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triageVitamin SupplementationVitamin Intake Is Not Associated with Community-Acquired Pneumonia in U.S. MenImpact of nutritional status and nutrient supplements on immune responses and incidence of infection in older individualsCan nutrient supplements improve functional outcome in the elderly?Werken multivitaminen toch?El consumo diario de suplementos minerales y de vitaminas reduce la incidencia de infecciones en pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 4 March 2003Volume 138, Issue 5 Page: 430-431 Keywords Diarrhea Elderly Folic acid Infectious diseases Micronutrients Nutrition Population statistics Prevention, policy, and public health Vitamin E Zinc ePublished: 4 March 2003 Issue Published: 4 March 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. 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