ROANOKE, Va. – If you take a vitamin every morning for your health and wellness, you're not alone.
But a recent study found vitamins and supplements could be harming you.
An estimated one half of all adult Americans take vitamin supplements.
Consumer Reports explored whether those supplements are actually helping, or if they're just a lot of hype.
Nutritionist Sandra Arevalo says if you eat a healthy, balanced diet, most of the time, vitamins and mineral supplements are unnecessary.
"Some people think that supplements are just like a magic bullet, you know, like I'm going to take this and all my problems are going to go away," said Arevalo.
But according to a Tufts University study, taking supplements didn't translate to a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer or any other cause.
But getting adequate amounts of Vitamin K and magnesium from food was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes. And getting enough vitamins A and K, copper, and zinc through diet was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.
Consumer Reports says if you stick to a diet made up of mostly whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein, you'll get just what you need.
"You can find vitamin A in carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots and spinach. Cauliflower, leafy greens, and Brussels sprouts are all rich in Vitamin K," said Trisha Calvo, health editor for Consumer Reports.
Bananas and nuts are great for magnesium. For copper, try whole grains, potatoes, and shellfish.
The study also found the overuse of supplements had negative effects.
High calcium intake, about 1,000 milligrams a day from supplements, was linked to an increased risk of death from cancer.
"The study found that when people got the same amount of calcium from foods like yogurt, cheese, and milk, they didn't have the same increased risk of death from cancer," said Calvo.