Multivitamins and Cataracts

Multivitamins have been in the news a lot lately. Not only do the quality of the studies vary a lot, but the randomized double-blind placebo controlled study may not work as well for nutritional supplements. Individuals often have different nutritional needs depending on their genetic make-up, their nutritional intake, and a whole host of lifestyle factors. Another factor are the nutritional supplements themselves. The quality of multivitamins vary a lot. One used in a lot of studies, Centrum Silver from Pfizer, has food dyes in it, to which some individuals are sensitive. Another factor is the form of the various vitamins, with some being better utilized by more than others. For example folic acid is not as well utilized by some people as 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. Folic acid is less expensive but the body has to go through more steps to get to the active form. So this latest study used data from the Physicians' Health Study II and found that those taking Centrum Silver had a 10% decreased chance of developing cataracts. This study was published in the November 21, 2013 edition of Ophtalmology.