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Who takes them
About half of the British population takes a vitamin or supplement every day, and it is a massive industry. A decent, varied diet with plenty of plants in it means vitamins aren't needed at all. They are a last resort for people with terrible diets.
What the evidence says
The evidence points to them being a complete waste of money, with B12 the one exception for people who are low in it. Some may even do harm.
The bigger worry
The bigger worry is that a pill lets people believe they can skip proper food, as if a junk food diet could stay healthy with a bottle on the side. Diet is among the most important choices made for health. Some people may also feel better simply because they take the pills, a placebo effect, and feel like a healthy person.
Why is B12 the one exception?
Vitamin B12 is made only by bacteria and archaea, so it builds up in animal foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy and is absent from plants. Absorbing it requires intrinsic factor, a protein made by cells in the stomach lining, which carries it into the small intestine. When the immune system attacks those cells, the result is pernicious anemia. Stomach acid also helps free B12 from food, and acid production often declines with age.
Why can vitamin trials show harm?
The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study in Finland, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1994, gave beta-carotene supplements to nearly 29,000 male smokers. Lung cancer was more common in the beta-carotene group. The US CARET trial found the same pattern and was stopped early in 1996.
How did vitamin C become a supplement craze?
Chemist Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel laureate, published Vitamin C and the Common Cold in 1970 and argued that large amounts could prevent colds. The book sold widely and pushed supplement use up. Later, a Cochrane review led by Harri Hemila found that regular vitamin C did not lower the number of colds in the general population.
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