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Drugs and Breastfeeding

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a Washington, DC-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers, recently announced that it is sponsoring new research among healthcare professionals (HCPs) to better understand their personal use of dietary supplements and how it may impact the way they counsel their patients about dietary supplements. Results of the online survey, which will be fielded during September, are expected to be released in early November.

Use of MVMs has increased significantly over the past several decades. It’s estimated that one-half of US adults use MVM supplements - contributing to a $23 billion industry. It is difficult to know the effect of MVMs on general health outcomes, because MVMs are used by individuals who practice healthier lifestyles.

In May 2006, the National Institutes of Health convened an independent panel of experts to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of MVMs in relation to chronic disease prevention. In preparation for the conference, an evidence report was prepared by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Key Questions

• What are the current patterns and prevalence of the public’s use of MVM supplements?
• What is known about the dietary nutrient intake of MVM users versus nonusers?
• What is the efficacy of single vitamin/mineral supplement use in chronic disease prevention?
• What is the efficacy of MVM in chronic disease prevention in the general population?
• What is known about the safety of MVM for the generally healthy population?
• What are the major knowledge gaps and research opportunities regarding MVM use?

Conclusions

• There is insufficient knowledge about the actual amount of total nutrients Americans consume from diet and supplements, due in part to fortification of foods.
• Most of the studies do not provide strong evidence for beneficial health-related effects of supplements taken singly, or in combinations of three or more, with notable exceptions e.g. folic acid use by women of childbearing age to prevent neural tube defects in offspring.
• Assurance of safety and quality of MVMs cannot be made, given that the FDA has no regularity authority over MVMs.
• There is insufficient evidence to recommend either for or against the use of MVMs by the general public for chronic disease prevention.

Do vitamin supplements play a role in a healthy lifestyle?

“Vitamins are a minor part of staying healthy. They pale compared to a healthy diet and daily physical activity. The multivitamin is the extra insurance,” said Meir J. Stampfer, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR).

For a transcript of the panel’s recommendations and conclusions see:
NIH State-of-the-Science Conference Statement on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention.