This recommendation applies to community-dwelling, nonpregnant adults. It does not apply to children, persons who are pregnant or may become pregnant, or persons who are chronically ill, are hospitalized, or have a known nutritional deficiency.

The USPSTF separately recommends that all persons who are planning or capable of pregnancy take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400 to 800 μg) of folic acid.

Do not use beta carotene or vitamin E supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer.

The evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against the use of multivitamin supplements, or single- or paired-nutrient supplements (other than beta carotene and vitamin E), to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer. Clinicians should use their clinical judgment to determine whether or not vitamin supplements should be recommended for an individual patient.

For many vitamins and nutrients, there was little evidence of serious harms. However, an important harm of increased lung cancer incidence was reported with the use of beta carotene by persons who smoke tobacco or have occupational exposure to asbestos.

Excessive doses of vitamin supplements can cause adverse effects.

It is uncertain whether there might be heterogeneity across populations or by baseline nutrient level, or by socioeconomic factors such as food insecurity, in the effects of vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplementation on cardiovascular disease and cancer outcomes.

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the 2 leading causes of mortality in the United States.

In 2015–2018, 26.1 million persons in the United States had some form of cardiovascular disease (excluding hypertension), and in 2021 an estimated 1.9 million persons were diagnosed with cancer in the United States.

According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, more than half of surveyed U.S. adults reported using at least 1 dietary supplement in the prior 30 days.