Multivitamins reduce food allergy risk: study

Daily supplements of multivitamins do not have any effect on allergic disease in eight year old children, says a new study from Sweden. Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists from the world famous Karolinska Institute report that multivitamin supplements had no effect on the incidence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, or atopic sensitization in 2,423 eight-year olds. However, when the scientists limited their analysis to children who started supplementation before the age of four, a 39 per cent decrease in the risk of sensitization to food allergens. “Our results show no association between current use of multivitamins and risk of allergic disease but suggest that supplementation with multivitamins during the first years of life may reduce the risk of allergic disease at school age,” they concluded.