Vitamin pills don't prevent infections

Daily supplements of multivitamins and minerals do not prevent respiratory, stomach, skin and other types of infections in the elderly. An estimated 10 percent of people in their 70s or older are thought to have a vitamin or mineral deficiency that may lead to poor immunity which can increase their risk of infection. The following study found that in a group of older people who were mostly living at home and were in their 70s, a typical vitamin and mineral supplement didn't have an effect on the number of days of infection they had over the course of a year. Researchers from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, studied 900 people over 65 years old. Half were given a multivitamin and mineral supplement and the remainder took a daily placebo, or dummy pill. They also looked at the number of hospital admissions and antibiotic prescriptions for both groups. After comparing the number of infections over a year and their quality of life, the researchers found no difference between the two groups. Although the supplements did not seem to prevent infections in people in the study, the researchers said that the results did not mean that multivitamin and mineral supplements would not have an effect on other medical problems. However, there are specific medical reasons why people might need to take supplements.