CRN Calls New Dietary Guidelines Committee's Comments on Multivitamins Unfounded

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, DC) has submitted its comments regarding what it says are inaccurate statements about multivitamins in the recently released 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory (DGAC) Committee Report'”a report that will help shape the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

CRN took issue with a number of 'unqualified' comments about multivitamins, citing the report...s 'inaccuracies in its interpretation of the scientific evidence.' In particular, such statements in the report were criticized:

'¢ 'A daily multivitamin/mineral supplement does not offer health benefits to healthy Americans"' (DGAC report, A-5)
'¢ '"vitamin mineral supplements have been associated with harmful effects and should be pursued cautiously"' (DGAC report, A-6)
'¢ '"reliance of multivitamin/mineral supplements is discouraged"' (DGAC report, D2-41)

In its comments, CRN president and CEO Steve Mister chastised the report for limiting its evaluation to the effects of vitamins on chronic disease, rather than the health benefits of multivitamins in helping maintain sufficient nutrition.

'These conclusions ignore the demonstrated fact that the primary effect of multivitamins, which is to help consumers to reach the recommended levels of intake for various vitamins and minerals, is in itself a '˜health benefit,...' wrote Mister in his comments.

'[Such statements] have the potential to dissuade consumers from using a multivitamin, resulting in additional gaps in nutrition for the millions of Americans who currently use a daily multivitamin,' he continued.

In his comments, Andrew Shao, PhD, senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs for CRN, added, 'CRN agrees with the 2010 DGAC Report that people should strive to obtain their nutrients by maintaining a varied diet of nutrient-dense foods while monitoring their caloric intake"[but] the report goes beyond a '˜food first... approach and adopts a '˜food only... point of view.'

Mister...s and Shao...s complete comments can be viewed here.