By Arthur A. Burley 
Do you count among those who take a multivitamin with water every morning? It may be not easy to accept the truth behind this common habit.
Dr. Pieter Cohen is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an internist with Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance. He says, “Most people would do better drinking a full cup of water and skipping vitamin.” You’ll not be tempted by misleading marketing tactics and save money.
This is because a daily multivitamin does not provide meaningful health benefits for the average American adult. The US Preventive Services Task Force recently stated this. The review of 84 studies that included nearly 700,000 people found no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplements can prevent or treat cancer, cardiovascular disease, strokes, and other serious illnesses.
Who could benefit from a multivitamin and individual supplements?
However, there are exceptions. A multivitamin or individual vitamin may be recommended for people with restricted diets, gastrointestinal conditions, and certain weight loss surgeries that can cause poor nutrient absorption. Insufficient sunlight exposure may require a daily vitamin D supplement. If you have anemia (low red blood cells), your doctor may recommend iron supplements.
Is it so hard to quit taking a multivitamin every day?
According to an editorial accompanying the USPSTF review, surveys suggest that people should take vitamins to feel better, be more energetic and have peace of mind. These beliefs are rooted in a strong narrative that vitamins are natural and healthy, which dates back almost a century.
Dr. Cohen says, “This narrative appeals a lot to many groups of our population, including progressive vegetarians as well as conservatives who are skeptical about science and believe that doctors are not up to any good.”
Marketing claims unproven for dietary supplements
Vitamins are relatively inexpensive to produce, so companies can spend a lot of money on advertising. The FDA regulates dietary supplement as food, and not prescription or over-the counter drugs. Therefore, it only monitors claims for the treatment of diseases.