Enough Is Enough
Authors: Balz Frei, Bruce N. Ames, Jeffrey B. Blumberg, Walter C. Willett
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2014)

Letters3 June 2014Enough Is EnoughBalz Frei, PhD, Bruce N. Ames, PhD, Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD, and Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPHBalz Frei, PhDFrom Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California; Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts., Bruce N. Ames, PhDFrom Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California; Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts., Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhDFrom Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California; Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts., and Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPHFrom Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California; Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L14-5011 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITORGuallar and colleagues (1) conclude that "the case is closed—supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful." However, they ignore decades of nutrition research and diet monitoring of the U.S. population to reach this misleading conclusion.Although a well-balanced diet is the best way to get essential nutrients (except vitamin D and, for vegans and many older adults, vitamin B12), few persons in the United States follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Consequently, most persons in the United States are not "well-nourished" and do ...References1. Guallar E, Stranges S, Mulrow C, Appel LJ, Miller ER. Enough is enough: Stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2013;159:850-1. [PMID: 24490268] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Fulgoni VL, Keast DR, Bailey RL, Dwyer J. Foods, fortificants, and supplements: Where do Americans get their nutrients? J Nutr. 2011;141:1847-54. [PMID: 21865568] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Product Review: Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements Review. ConsumerLab.com. 2014. Accessed at www.consumerlab.com/reviews/multivitamin_multimineral_supplements/multivitamins/ on 27 April 2014. Google Scholar4. Gaziano JM, Sesso HD, Christen WG, Bubes V, Smith JP, MacFadyen J, et al. Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer in men: the Physicians' Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012;308:1871-80. [PMID: 23162860] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Abner EL, Schmitt FA, Mendiondo MS, Marcum JL, Kryscio RJ. Vitamin E and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis. Curr Aging Sci. 2011;4:158-70. [PMID: 21235492] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Blumberg J, Heaney RP, Huncharek M, Scholl T, Stampfer M, Vieth R, et al. Evidence-based criteria in the nutritional context. Nutr Rev. 2010;68:478-84. [PMID: 20646225] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Balz Frei, PhD; Bruce N. Ames, PhD; Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD; Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPHAffiliations: From Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California; Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L14-0076. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoEnough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Eliseo Guallar , Saverio Stranges , Cynthia Mulrow , Lawrence J. Appel , and Edgar R. Miller III Enough Is Enough Irvine Mason Enough Is Enough Deborah Stepp Enough Is Enough Thomas R. Friberg Enough Is Enough Jessica Fargnoli , Joyce Greenleaf , and Melissa Hafner Enough Is Enough Eliseo Guallar , Saverio Stranges , Cynthia Mulrow , Lawrence J. Appel , and Edgar R. Miller III Metrics Cited byClinical and Vitamin Response to a Short-Term Multi-Micronutrient Intervention in Brazilian Children and Teens: From Population Data to Interindividual ResponsesConsumer attitudes about the role of multivitamins and other dietary supplements: report of a surveyIncreased Intake of Foods with High Nutrient Density Can Help to Break the Intergenerational Cycle of Malnutrition and ObesityNutrition: Vitamins on trial 3 June 2014Volume 160, Issue 11Page: 807KeywordsDietElderlyFolic acidMicronutrientsMortalityNutritionVitamin AVitamin DVitamin E ePublished: 3 June 2014 Issue Published: 3 June 2014 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2014 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...