Nikki Hart: Nutritionist on the new research revealing multivitamins do not help people live longer

New findings have revealed multivitamins are largely ineffective.

A study out of the US examined over 400,000 Americans over 20 years and determined multivitamins didn't help them live longer - and found a link between daily usage and increased mortality.

Nutritionist Nikki Hart says people are spending money on an unnecessary solution. 

"It's like hope in a jar - and I think that's what people are using it for, they think it's magic."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, apparently, multi vitamins are a bit of a rut
so according to a new study out of the US.
The study looked at about four hundred thousand generally healthy
Americans over twenty years found that multi vitamins did not
help them live any longer, and actually daily multi vitamin
usage was associated with a four percent higher risk of mortality.
NICKI Heart is a nutritionist in with US.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Now, Hey, Nikki, Hey, Heather, how are you doing.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
I'm good? Thank you. Do you take them?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
No? Why not at all? Well, I just think it's
like hope in a jar, and I think that's what
people are using it for. They think it's magic, and
I think it can. I think it's expensive, Heather. You know,
in this time and age where food is critical to
everybody's health and well being, I wouldn't spend my money
on a vitamin. I just wouldn't.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Do You really believe, though, that people are more likely
to die, which is the sort of suggestion from this
because they take multivitamins.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
I think what's actually happening is that if you have
a condition, you think that by taking a multi vitamin
it's going to make things better. Perhaps you are taking
a multi vitamin and you are already unwell to maybe
heart of these diabets.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Is it also is it also possible that you start
taking multi vitamins and thinking you don't need to eat
your spinach, and then as a result, you die earlier.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
And you know, I think that's half the problem is
that we talk in macro and micro nutrients, but I
don't think we realize or we need to explain to
people that food is a matrix. For example, when we
think of bread, we only think of carbohydrate, but actually
there's protein there, there's vitamin B, vitamins. You know, there's
lots of things in it. We've got to actually stop

(01:34):
breaking it down into micros and macros and actually talk
about food being the best option because there's things in
it that are more than just a multi vitamin.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Okay, So I could throw my multi vitamins away and
just keep eating all my food. As long as I'm
eating a healthy diet, I'll be fine.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Well, unless you actually have a diagnosed efficiency. So there's
a couple of things where I think we need to
be cautious. Like if you are a menstruating female, well
and you are playing a lot of sport and you
don't need a lot of red meat. If you have
a blood test and you figure that you're deficient, then yes,
an iron supplement prescribed is important. But just taking vitamins

(02:11):
willy nilly, is actually not that great. In fact, we
know that if you take large amounts of zinc it
can cause a copper deficiency. So just taking things is
actually not a great way to do it unless you
have a diagnose deficiency.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Okay, would you, Nikki, would you take a little bit
of vitamin see through the winter, just to keep it
up a little bit.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
I'd rather eat a Kiwi fruit, just.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
One Kiwi fruit today and you're happy ass Well.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
We know there was a study done during COVID and
it was due to lockdown and children not coping very well,
and we found that two Kiwi fruit today not only
improved their sleep, but improved their general health and their
mental health and their well being.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
I'm going to shove it in their face when I
get home.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
I would, yeah, exactly. Just you know what, it's not
that hard. We just I think we spend our money
on vitamins when in fact, actually I would rather you
save that money and buy foot.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Good from you, Nikki. Thank you very much Nikki Heart Nutritionist.
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