In December 2013, the Archives of Internal Medicine, published an editorial, “Enough is enough: Stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements.” This editorial concluded that beta-carotene, vitamin E and possibly vitamin A in high doses are harmful, and that other nutritional supplements are “ineffective for preventing mortality or morbidity due to major chronic diseases.” The authors claim 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.”

Four luminaries in the world of nutrition science sent a letter in response, which was published last month in the same journal. Balz Frei, PhD, of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Bruce N. Ames, PhD, of the University of California at Berkeley and the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute; Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University; and Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPH, of the Harvard School of Public Health co-signed the letter, which opened by countering that the editorial authors “ignore decades of nutrition research and diet monitoring of the US population” and reach “misleading conclusion[s].”

And just who is this “well-nourished adult” for whom mineral and vitamin supplements have no benefit? Certainly not the average American! As Frei and colleagues point out, government surveys find that over 93% of Americans don’t get minimal levels of vitamin D; 61% are low on vitamin E; 71% don’t get enough vitamin K; 98% are low in potassium; and about half the population is deficient in magnesium, vitamin A and calcium. Deficiencies are even greater in certain populations like older adults, African Americans and the obese.

Simply taking a good multivitamin, the scientists say, could fill in many of these nutritional gaps, providing essential nutrients needed for normal cell and tissue function, while long-term use of multis has not been associated with adverse health effects.

The examples given in the editorial of vitamins causing harm, argue Frei et al, either involve extremely high doses known to be toxic or have been disproven.

They conclude: “To call the case closed; deny the value of further research, and label multivitamin and mineral supplements useless, harmful and a waste of money is wrong, is not based on the established science for their primary indication, and misinforms the public and the medical community.”