Inside BENEO’s new pulse plant: pioneering sustainable protein from faba beans
Current research does not show enough evidence that vitamin or mineral supplements are beneficial for preventing or treating heart disease, with the exception of folic acid for reducing stroke risk, according to a review article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Current recommendations to adopt healthy diets that are heavy in plant-based foods from which these vitamins are derived naturally should be reinforced.
Vitamins and minerals have long been used to treat nutrient deficiencies; however, in recent years supplements have been promoted as a means for overall health and longevity. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in 2012, it was estimated that 52 percent of the population were taking supplements.
Despite high use, there is no agreement on whether individual vitamins or minerals or combination supplements should be taken to prevent or treat heart disease.
Researchers found that data on the four most commonly used supplements–multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium and vitamin C–showed no consistent benefit for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction or stroke, nor was there a benefit for all-cause mortality. Folic acid alone and B-complex vitamins in which folic acid was a component did show a reduction in stroke; however, niacin (vitamin B3) and antioxidants were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality.