Overview: Beneficial Effects of Multivitamin Mineral Supplements

Abstract

Currently, dietary supplements are used with trust to promote human health. Micronutrient deficiency as a result of insufficient nutrition is a common problem threatening general health. As a common rule, improvement of nutrition quality has a principal role in preventing the side effects of the lack of micronutrients. Nevertheless, consumption of dietary supplements including vitamins and essential minerals could have beneficial effects in specific age groups of people. For example: prescription of folic acid in women during reproductive ages and pregnancy prevents neural tube defects. Vitamin D in infants and children, and calcium plus vitamin D supplementations in older people have principal role in bone health adequacy. Due to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, especially various types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, which may cause death and morbidity, a theory has been raised that supplements containing multivitamin and minerals can prevent these major health issues. However, there is a big debate regarding the beneficial effects of dietary supplements in preventing non-communicable diseases in people consuming high quality diet. This review has attempted to summarise the scientific evidence regarding the beneficial effects of multivitamin minerals supplementation, which may provide evidence based recommendation for general population.