Prevention check
Should I take a multivitamin or vitamin supplement to prevent heart disease or cancer?
More than half of US adults say they used at least one dietary supplement in the past month. The US Preventive Services Task Force looked at whether vitamins and minerals prevent heart disease and cancer. Check what it says about the one you are thinking of.
About you
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What you will see
What the USPSTF says about this supplement for preventing heart disease and cancer.
Educational only, not medical advice. General safety advice (not part of the USPSTF recommendation): do not stop a supplement your clinician prescribed without asking.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, June 2022 recommendation on vitamin, mineral and multivitamin supplementation to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Validated in
Community-dwelling adults who are not pregnant, without known heart disease, chronic illness or nutritional deficiency.
Limits
It only covers preventing heart disease and cancer. It does not apply to children, pregnancy, chronic illness, hospital stays or known deficiencies, and does not cover supplements taken for other reasons.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Supplement | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Beta carotene or vitamin E | Recommends against using them to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer | D |
| Multivitamins | Evidence is insufficient to weigh benefits and harms for preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer | I |
| Other single or paired nutrients | Evidence is insufficient to weigh benefits and harms for preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer | I |
This matches the 2014 recommendation. For the I statements, clinicians should use their judgment on whether a supplement makes sense for a person (USPSTF 2022). The recommendation does not apply to children, people who are or may become pregnant, or people who are chronically ill, hospitalized or have a known nutritional deficiency. Separately, the USPSTF recommends 0.4 to 0.8 mg of folic acid daily for anyone planning or able to become pregnant (USPSTF 2022).
What the evidence shows
Beta carotene: in 5 trials (94,506 people) it was linked to a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and in 2 trials of people who smoke or had workplace asbestos exposure it raised the risk of lung cancer (USPSTF 2022).
Vitamin E: 9 trials (107,772 people) showed no benefit for death from any cause, and pooled trials showed no benefit for heart disease or cancer. Two trials found a higher risk of hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke at 111 and 200 IU a day (USPSTF 2022).
Multivitamins: 9 trials (51,550 people) found no clear effect on death from any cause. In the largest, COSMOS (21,442 people), 3.4% of people taking a multivitamin died over a median 3.6 years, compared with 3.6% on placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant. Four trials found a small drop in cancer diagnoses, but the USPSTF judged the evidence too limited to be sure (USPSTF 2022).
Vitamin D, with or without calcium: 27 trials (117,082 people) found no difference in death from any cause, and pooled trials found no difference in cardiovascular disease or cancer (USPSTF 2022).
Common questions
Can too much of a vitamin hurt?
Yes. Moderate doses of vitamin A may lower bone density and high doses may harm the liver or an unborn baby. High doses of vitamin D can raise blood calcium and cause kidney stones (USPSTF 2022).
Why do so many people take supplements?
More than half of surveyed US adults reported taking at least one dietary supplement in the past 30 days. Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the US (USPSTF 2022).
What do other groups recommend?
As summarized by the USPSTF: the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 say nutritional needs should be met mainly from nutrient-dense foods and drinks, and the American Heart Association recommends that healthy people get enough nutrients from a variety of foods rather than supplements (USPSTF 2022).
Also see the vitamin D and calcium for fractures check, the vitamin D level check, the folic acid check, the heart risk calculator and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2022;327(23):2326-2333. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/vitamin-supplementation-to-prevent-cvd-and-cancer-preventive-medication
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-31. Spotted an error? See About.