By Emily Murray 

We’ve been reminded to take our vitamins since we were kids but for men it now appears that despite prior belief, multivitamins do not lower the risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke.

This large study was the first of its kind to be conducted and it spread over 10 years of tracking the potential impact of vitamins on men’s health. The men included in the study were given either multivitamins  or placebos and when they statistics were studied at the conclusion of the decade long study there was no real difference between the instance of heart disease.

According to a TIME article on the topic, studies had previously produced very conflicting results which just added to the confusion regarding the effectiveness of multivitamin use in men. One such study concluded vitamins actually raised the chance of developing cancer while yet another showed that vitamin use greatly reduced the risk of cancer. It’s no wonder many of us have been confused.

So are multivitamins really worth taking? Those conducting the survey were quick to point out that this particular research was only conducted regarding the heart, not any other aspect of general health. Meaning, the other potential benefits of taking multivitamins were not tracked.

Many of the claims that these vitamins can help support bone health and regulate other aspects of the body may hold true. An important thing to remember however is that while medications must be FDA approved and rigourlsy tested before claims can be made and medication can be sold, supplements like vitamins are not held to these same high standards.

Multivitamins also do not serve as a counterbalance to other unhealthy ways of life. While they may have their benefits, no supplement can outweigh the effects of poor health or nutrition practices.