Many adults take multivitamins in hopes that they will help them
meet their nutritional needs. Most multivitamins contain a
combination of essential vitamins and minerals in different
amounts of each depending on the brand. They are generally taken
on a daily basis and may be prescribed by a doctor or done
strictly by patient choice. These vitamins are usually taken in
hopes that they will help prevent illness or disease, such as
cancer. Unfortunately, most observational studies have not shown
a consistent benefit with taking vitamins and cancer prevention.
Also, studies looking at individual vitamins and minerals have
generally found little or no benefit for cancer prevention.
Researchers wanted to better clarify the role of multivitamins
for cancer prevention by performing a randomized trial. A study,
called the Physicians' Health Study II, was performed to look
for a potential relation between daily multivitamins and health
outcomes. The study found that men who took a daily multivitamin
had a lower risk o