Micronutrient deficiencies occur in segments of the adult population in the United States.\nMultivitamin/multimineral supplements (MVMS) are widely used by this population, which reduces\ninadequacies in micronutrient intake, but the potential for exceeding tolerable upper intake levels\nin others should be considered. There are concerns associated with the excessive intake of certain\nnutrients, particularly folic acid, and potential untoward consequences. The advent of nutrigenomics\nand the enhanced ability to directly study the interactions between nutrition and genetic variants\nand expression will allow for the conduct of more targeted studies with specific endpoints and\nmay ultimately lead to progress in the field of personalized nutrition. The role of MVMS in health\nmaintenance and chronic disease prevention remains controversial. Conducting studies in this area\nhas been hampered by, among other factors, inconsistent definitions of MVMS, ranging from as\nfew as three vitamins to broad-spectrum products containing more than two dozen vitamins and\nminerals. Results from some observational studies and large-scale, randomized, controlled trials\nsuggest that MVMS may reduce the risk of some forms of cancer and, potentially, cardiovascular\ndisease. The ongoing COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) is expected\nto build on this research and provide additional insights into these areas.
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