For the average healthy adult, experts think there’s not a good reason to start taking dietary supplements, and they might even be a waste of money.
Based on that conclusion, an independent panel of experts at the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said on Tuesday that it hadto either recommend or discourage the use of multivitamins or supplements to prevent those health outcomes.
But the guidance came with caveats: It does not apply to children, people who are chronically ill or those with a known nutritional deficiency. The task force also recommended a daily folic acid supplement for people who are pregnant or considering pregnancy. "For those who are currently taking a multivitamin in particular, I don’t think this statement necessarily ought to change what you’re doing, but it’s always important to reevaluate why you’re taking dietary supplements," Sesso said.